A gale force wind, Swedish Power Metal act Brothers Of Metal quickly made a fast name for themselves following the official major label release of their debut album, Prophecy Of Ragnarök, in late 2018. Like Vikings storming a village, Brothers Of Metal garnered a buzz that drew Prophecy Of Ragnarök an earthshaking 25 million streams, truly an impressive feat for a band very much still in their infancy.
Striking while the iron sword is hot, Brothers Of Metal set forth to offer their sophomore release, entitled Emblas Saga, ready to drop on Friday, January 24, 2020 via AFM Records. Hailing from Falun, Sweden, Brothers Of Metal consist of eight band members including three, yes, three vocalists. Like many of Sweden’s Power Metal acts, Brothers Of Metal incorporate Northern Mythology and brute Viking spirit into an array of mystic melodies that capture the heart of Metal and a love for Odin, the German god of Norse. On stage, Brothers Of Metal have reigned early in their career on festivals such as Sweden’s Sabaton Open Air, as well as Germany’s Rockharz and Rock Am Stück.
Ready for war, so to speak, Brothers Of Metal are excited for the release of Emblas Saga, which is a conceptually based LP telling a new story over the course of thirteen tracks. Visually, Emblas Saga features adventurous artwork by veteran artist Peter Sallai (Sabaton, Powerwolf). In true fashion, Emblas Saga begins with the epic spoken word intro “Brood Of The Trickster” before “POWERSNAKE” kicks off the drama with symphonic power. Thereafter, soft siren vocals reign as a queen named “Hel,” and then a combative melody welcomes the arrival of the “Chain Breaker.” Joining the fight, “Kaunaz Dagaz” gifts noteworthy harmony as “Theft Of The Hammer” tells a tale of the ultimate blunder which Thor will surely avenge.
Calming the beast, “Weaver Of Fate” is a bookended acoustic melody of one’s woven destiny graced by a powerful guitar solo. Next, Brothers Of Metal sing hail to “Njord” before the seven-minute long title track “Emblas Saga” builds upon this fantasy with the album’s strongest rhythmic and symphonic pieces. A catchy hook you could hear playing in a Swedish tavern, “Brothers Unite” is easily Brothers Of Metal’s calling card, showing exactly what these eight musicians stand for and their eagerness to feast and fight.
No it is not a Metallica or U2 cover, “One” stands alone, holding a stark spirit of camaraderie. Then, “Ride Of The Valkyries” rises and shines with ample Viking energy. Standing on top of the mountain, “To The Skies And Beyond” totally climaxes the underlying title of this Brothers Of Metal journey via poetic vocals and joyous composition.
A dramatic and enchanting release, Brothers Of Metal are certainly a striking eight piece band who have pulled no punches with their second album, Emblas Saga. One of the most interesting releases of the new year, Emblas Saga is a storied LP accentuated by a true passion for Viking Power Metal and the meshing of soft vocals, and, when appropriate, powerful Metal vocals.
Fans of Power Metal will want to check out Emblas Saga, which can be summed up by the headline on the official Brothers Of Metal Facebook page, “Wimps and Posers Beware, For True Metal Is Here.” For these reasons, Cryptic Rock awards Emblas Saga 4 out of 5 stars.
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