The current lineup includes bassist Syphon, VnoM on drums, Agathul on keyboards, and vocalist Corvus (Korgonthurus). Ymir‘s new album is equally and aggressively melodic, filled with bitter melancholy of the cold synth that seems perfectly placed to back the harsh vocals of Corvus. The opening track “Woods of my Past (Aeons of Sorrow Pt. 1) is packed with melodic tremolos and blast beats where Ymir takes a distinct tone. The guitars weave aggression and melodies where the keyboards come as a contrasting element. While there is a nostalgic feeling in all of the six tracks, Ymir conveys a sense of sorrow. The keyboards on the album have that 90’s classic atmosphere, creating many beautiful moments throughout the entire duration of 42 minutes.

Perhaps it’s the sense of nostalgia that give “Aeons of Sorrow” a classic and characteristic tone that reminds me of the classic melodic black metal bands of the Scandinavian era. “Pagan Swords (Aeons of Sorrow Pt.2)” continues in the same direction. It’s slightly more high paced with some excellent breakdowns between the tempos. The guitars are accompanied by cold synth, rendering some chilling sorrowful melodies. Varsjarn does a remarkable job of layering the tremolo-picked riffs. When the music is emphasizing aggression, Ymir evoke the ancient Finnish style of black metal.

There are lots of moments when my imagination wandered off towards bands like Alghazanth and Thy Serpent and this is because the songwriting stems from the traditional melodic style, with the gloomy guitar melodies floating endlessly through “Storm of Shadows” and the sorrowful high-pitched vocals of Corvus maintaining strong vehemence throughout the track. The guitars sometimes take the lead in such a melodic manner, adding layers to the cold chilling landscapes of the music. “Aeons of Sorrow” is fully inspired by the phenomenal era of the second wave of black metal, where the songs were composed to integrate atmosphere and aggression.

The album’s cover art adds another frosty feeling, giving you the cold winter perception of imagining all the chunky woodlands in the cold Northern regions of Finland. While for some reason I was not quite intrigued by the release of the second album and had postponed my plans to review the album, this somewhaat made me regret my decision. With that being said, I must say that I was truly impressed with how the band managed to release such a majestic piece of work. “The Pale Ghost of North” immediately sprawls into the grim melancholy and the tremolo picked-riffs on this track sound compelling and great. The song combines furious blast beats and frigid tremolos that keep things up-tempo, there is also some subtle synth played in the background.

The mood is carried by the cold atmosphere of the guitars but in the midst of this musical passion, Ymir reminds us that they were forged in ancient times. “Witches” conjures the essence of Ymir’s art in writing dismal dark songs, as a matter of fact, the songs in the album exude cold darkness that perfectly encapsulates the listener in a gloomy mood and the rhythm guitars constantly funnel through the brooding atmosphere.

“Nightwinds” is one of the most beautiful songs of the album that begins with a catchy guitar melody, the rhythm guitar enhances the atmosphere while maintaining its aggression and melancholy, the synth is given ample space it casts a beautiful symphony and the vocals range from frenzied growls to anguished screams. The tremolos come in abundance which makes you fall in deep affection and the slow drumming beats seem to grasp the whole somber rhythm of the music. The two minutes closing “Outro” is somehow reminiscent of Dimmu Borgir’s classic album “For All Tid” and it’s entirely played by the synth instrument and majestic spoken words are just a perfect way to wrap up the album.

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