Year of release: 2020
Label: Werewolf Records
Rating: 8,4 / 10
For the first time in almost two years, real snow fell in my latitudes, and I immediately remembered that for several months already a really wintry release from the Finns YMIR was waiting in my promo folder. The group, which includes members of PROFETUS and BAPTISM, was founded in 1998, but only now has released its first album. It is another great release from
Werewolf Records. Lauri continues to hit the top ten; he does not toil with all this fucking "rooted in the past but gazing into the future" kind of shit, but simply releases proper and traditional new albums of the highest standard, or re-releases old ones.
The ice giant “Ymir” lives in timelessness, where fierce frosty winds always blow and the eternal northern night reigns. There has never been an "industrial revolution" in the world of this music. It breathes old-fashioned dark romanticism, justified arrogance and nobility. In essence, this is pagan metal, but it corresponds to all the canons of traditional Black Metal, starting with the “Scandinavian-Finnish” sound and ending with photographs in full combat gear among the snowy forests.
The music on the album is exactly what you would expect when looking at the cover. Non-modern metal, with a powerful winter aura, where simple guitar melodies in the vein of GOATMOON and SATANIC WARMASTER are served to the accompaniment of high-speed drums and atmospheric keyboards. The songs are long enough, but intense and metallic, not like some kind of endless synth bullshot for the YouTube channel “Atmospheric Black Metal Albums”. Old magic. Judging by the available text, the group approaches the pagan theme from primitive positions, like the Poles FULLMOON: "I am the unbroken silence, the primal darkness, the eyes of nocturnal beasts, the strength beyond knowing". That is, there is no northern mythology, and this is good, because the endless "Odin and Tor in the heart" is pretty sickening already, even if it's made by the experts who know every single word of Poetic Edda.
“Ymir” is a great album, but I must warn you that it opens up on the fifth attempt. The songs seem to be uncomplicated, but they require a long acquaintance before they open up. However, in this case, each new listening brings additional pleasure. Total recommendations!
English (UK) 
Крыўская