Release date: 14th February 2020
With a lineup featuring members previously in bands such as My Dying Bride, Anathema, Vallenfyre and Solstice, it’s perhaps safe to say that Godthrymm is a band you can expect great things from. Reflections is the band’s debut full-length, following on from two previous EPs, and it is indeed a mighty listen.
Playing what is best described as epic doom metal, Godthrymm don’t mess about and open the album with an atmospheric epic, Monsters Lurk Herein. With a simplistic introduction, it sets the scene well before the crushing instrumentation kicks in, followed by the mighty vocals. It’s both tremendously heavy and full of melody, the perfect balance of the two. It showcases the band’s versatility and shows the listener exactly what they can expect as the album progresses.
Another clear highlight is later track The Grand Reclamation. One of the more melodically-driven songs of the album, it has a massive amount of emotion in the performance (especially in the vocals) and the sorrowful, mournful vibe to the track will surely bring a tear to the eye of even the most stoic of listeners. Additionally, the faster-paced section of the song in its latter half really keeps things moving and adds a nice bit of energy to the piece.
My only complaint is that there isn’t a great deal of variety between tracks, but it’s only a minor one because Reflections absolutely slays. This may only be their debut, but it’s surely the start of something big.
9/10
