Style: Power metal, Symphonic metal, Progressive metal (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Symphony X, Nightwish, Blind Guardian
Review by: Doug
Country: Canada
Release date: 15 September, 2022
Many metal genres lend themselves well to depictions of fantasy: the depth and intensity of the music provides an excellent medium through which to express the fantasy aesthetic and all the excesses and flourishes embedded within. Few styles embody fantasy quite so well as symphonic power metal, though, with epic instrumentation and operatic vocals to entice the listener into a world beyond our own. Quebecois quintet Vrylnia try their hands at just such an endeavor with their first LP The Other World, following an EP and a standalone single, hoping to pair fantastical lyrics like fine wine with a meaty power metal musical entrée.
If you have even a passing familiarity with symphonic power metal, you’ve doubtless heard this album before – or at least, just about all the pieces of it. I bear no ill will against musicians who follow the well-trodden tracks of genre; the whole reason genre categorizations exist is that audiences benefit from grouping like with like and thus receiving some idea of what they’ll find in unknown new discoveries. “This is symphonic power metal,” I tell you, and you expect lofty operatic vocals, frantic drumming, chugging rhythm guitars, a veritable synth-orchestra, and lyrics that tell of magic, kingdoms, and destiny – and rightly so. The very best artists will nevertheless find ways to surprise you despite the foretelling of genre tags, but not all artists can do so successfully, and Vrylnia lands in the latter camp. I enjoy their fantasy-minded flourishes of synthesized harpsichord (especially in “Terra Firma”) and the all-latin lyrics of “Silence in Heaven,” but otherwise I find little that uniquely defines The Other World or sets it apart from its peers.
Setting aside questions of distinction, I’m satisfied with Vrylnia’s work. The expected symphonic power elements also meet my expectations of quality: the drums supply a proper urgent energy to drive the music forward, well-complemented by the rhythm guitar rotating obediently through sections of heavy chugs, long holds, and more mobile semi-melodic lines. Ariane Martel’s self-harmonizing vocals and the multifaceted keyboards likewise combine into soaring, seemingly effortless melodies that very much put me in a fantasy mood. Taken all together, these elements produce a unified and well-crafted sound that checks off all the core characteristics I’m looking for in symphonic power metal, however generic it may also be.
I do have a few criticisms, though. I would have liked to see a little more variety of tone within The Other World. The emotional core of musical performance – especially in a genre as epic and over-the-top as power metal – is forged from dynamics, from the band’s careful alternating choreography of energetic highs and restful lows to carry the listener through a satisfying range of emotions and musical ideas. Vrylnia achieve some of this by mixing in quieter songs like “Left in a Dream” and “Silence in Heaven” as well as occasionally employing a darker, more brooding intensity as in “Where I Stand,” “Harvest of Ashes,” and the finale title track. However, each track individually displays little waxing and waning in its intensity, instead leaning on polished but monotonous power metal standards in the rhythm section. Likewise, Martel’s voice stays lodged solidly in the upper operatic registers, which carries the music effortlessly into the realms of fantasy, but by the same token the high and fragile sound robs the music of emotional weight even when the listener might prefer a break from the opera to settle in with some more contemplative fare.
For established fans of symphonic power metal, probably this all sounds very rote and unexciting, and I won’t deny you that first impression. In the world of progressive music, so often we seek bands that reshape the boundaries of genre, that innovate and create dynamic musical art of the highest caliber; for that, you will have to look elsewhere. I do think, though, that more of a good thing is usually good, and Vrylnia have produced something good, even if it’s also more of the same. If you just need a quick symphonic fix, you can stop here.
Recommended tracks: Where I Stand, The Flaming Eyes, Harvest of Ashes, The Other World
You may also like: Empress, Divine Ascension, Sacred Outcry, Emetropia
Final verdict: 6/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives page
Label: Independent
Vrylnia is:
– Charles-William Cummings (guitars)
– Ariane Martel (vocals)
– Emmanuel Lacasse (guitars)
– Gabriel Taillon (bass)
– Alessandro Vasquez (drums)
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