Thyrgrim – Vermächtnis

[schema type=”review” name=”Thyrgrim – Vermächtnis” description=”Label: Trollzorn” author=”Basak Günel” pubdate=”2017-09-29″ ]

Thyrgrim is a German black metal band. Formed in 2004, the band is one of the known names in the German black metal scene. They have released six full-length albums so far and the last album, called “Vermächtnis” (which means ‘Legacy’ in German) has been released recently.

I remember my first encounter with the band back in 2016 when they played in Dark Troll Festival. Their performance was quite impressive. Therefore, I was curious about how “Vermächtnis” turned out and I wasn’t disappointed. It took me a few spins to get used to the record but I can say that it’s a nice record filled with the classic BM sound that we know; dynamic and even progressive drums, aggressive&melodic riffs and brutal vocals. Despite the sound being polished and a ‘modern’ production, the overall vibe I got from the record is quite raw. It’s not a typical atmospheric or melodic BM record but it’s more straightforward. There are no passages, no intros but just the raw BM that the listener will enjoy. It took a bit of a time for me to get used to the vocals as I had the feeling that the vocalist is maybe trying too hard to sound ‘brutal’ but I leave it up to the listener to decide. I normally prefer vocals that are more original and more ‘from the heart’ in records like these.

One important highlight is the darkness and brutality which is scattered throughout the album. I especially felt this darkness more in the first half and especially in songs like “Frühlingsdämmerung” or “Sklaven eines toten Gottes”. As a matter of fact, the album gets a bit more atmospheric but repetitive (sadly) in the second half. In that aspect, the first half caught my attention more; I found the riffs are more progressive and more catchy in the first half.

“Vermächtnis” is definitely a nice record for the BM fans out there. If you especially want to get to know the german BM scene, Thyrgrim is a name that you should keep in mind. The record may be not extraordinary but some songs will definitely catch your attention. All in all, it’s not easy making BM albums nowadays. I think that one has to have a certain vision and ideas and even deliver theatrical shows. Thrygrim definitely holds potential and I hope that they can keep their essence and even progress further with the upcoming albums. My hope would be that they won’t become repetitive but develop themselves. Let’s wait and see!

Line-up:
Kain – vocals
Berath – bass
Irrsinn – guitar
Morbus – session guitar
Non Serviam – session drums

Tracklist: 01. Die Heilung dieser Welt 02. Frühlingsdämmerung 03. Die ewige Suche 04. Das Dunkel meiner Seele 05. Ich sehe euch brennen 06. Sklaven eines toten Gottes 07. Pfade der Vergänglichkeit 08. Gefangen im Wandel 09. Sterbend 3 10. Das Ende einer Reise 11. Offenbarung

Links:

Thyrgrim Facebook