Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

If you want to be immersed within a true epic, then the truth of it is that few do it better, or with as much class, as those that inhabit the world of the Scandinavian tradition, the sense of the orally delivered tale, the darkness of the night given a solemn explosion of intrigue as the fires stand guard and the expressions of the listeners, the brothers in metal and armour, remain stoic and undaunted as they take on the guise of heroes in their dreams.

Those stories always seem to burn brighter when set against the fiercest of winters, those that last longer, bite harder, and never seem to end, the Fimbulvinter that stretches into the darkness and refuses to let go; the Norse mythology of the Great Winter that gives rise to tales from the phenomenal and utilises the strength of those willing to wield every elemental force in the pursuit of domination.

Sweden’s Brothers Of Metal brings their latest ambitious epic to the listener with a significance uprising in their demeanour, the aptitude of song writing taking that extra step which leaves the listener breathless in appreciation and as with any drama, the powerful demand of performance is perhaps to be seen as their most conquering yet.

Fimbulvinter is the longest of winters, three years in a type of hellish depth, and yet the eight strong crew, Ylva Eriksson, Joakim Lindbäck Eriksson, Mats Nilsson, Dawid Grahn, Pähr Nilsson, Emil Wärmedal, Johan Johansson, Christian Larsson bring cohesion, they recognise the blockbuster in waiting that could destroy an avalanche and the frozen wastes with a single resounding call, and across tracks such as Flight Of The Ravens, Heart Of Stone, the excellent Rivers Of Gold and Blood Red Sky, The Other Son Of Odin, and the album’s final and titled track Fimbulvinter, Brothers Of Metal dedicate to the audience and listener alike the sense of the metal extravaganza, the costume drama of Norse myths and legends in a truly abundant fashion.

A searing album of quality, precision, fine writing, and a strong, vibrant pulse, this album is a perfect example of why Scandinavian Metal is considered the epitome of the genre by many.

Ian D. Hall