Finnish melodic death metal quartet BRYMIR have announced their fifth studio album, What We Leave Behind, set for release on October 2 via Napalm Records. Alongside the announcement, the Helsinki-based band has unveiled the album’s title track and an accompanying music video as the first single.
Described as the band’s darkest and most ambitious work to date, What We Leave Behind explores themes of personal reflection, war, societal decline, existentialism, and humanity’s legacy. The album continues BRYMIR’s signature blend of melodic death metal, orchestral arrangements, and cinematic soundscapes, with vocalist Viktor Storm Gullichsen’s experience as a film sound designer playing a significant role in shaping its atmosphere.
The first single, “What We Leave Behind,” pairs soaring keyboard melodies and an anthemic chorus with blistering verses, delivering a message against war while questioning humanity’s obsession with legacy. According to the band, the song examines the life-altering choices people make, the regrets they carry, and the importance of appreciating the journey rather than only the destination.
The accompanying video expands on BRYMIR’s growing science fiction aesthetic, marking what the band describes as a decisive step beyond the folk metal label often associated with their earlier work. They say the visual direction reflects the album’s exploration of humanity’s future while asking whether the pursuit of progress has caused people to neglect what truly matters.
Musically, What We Leave Behind combines mythology, cinematic orchestration, and modern melodic death metal. Songs such as “Tempestbound” use Norse mythology to reflect on religious conflict and fanaticism, while “True Darkness” follows the emotional stages of grief through evolving instrumentation. The closing epic “Broken Dawn” showcases the band’s expansive songwriting, and the album concludes with an unexpected melodic death metal interpretation of Scooter’s “How Much Is The Fish,” inspired by BRYMIR’s ongoing environmental themes first explored on Voices In The Sky (2022).
What We Leave Behind Track Listing
- Slaying Star
- Sleipnir
- Tempestbound
- What We Leave Behind
- True Darkness
- Moment Of Silence
- Buried Legion
- Thy Self The Highest Love
- The Roaring King
- Broken Dawn
- How Much Is The Fish
To support the release, BRYMIR will appear at several European festivals before launching the What We Leave Behind Tour 2026 across Finland with special guests HORIZON IGNITED and OMNIVORTEX. The tour begins on September 18 in Vantaa and concludes on October 31 in Helsinki.
What We Leave Behind will be available on CD, digital platforms, and several limited-edition vinyl variants.
Watch the Official Music Video for “What We Leave Behind”