Love. It’s a complex beast, especially when it comes to albums. Some start off as acquaintances, with feelings becoming deeper and more intense with each new spin, until one day, staring at your headphones, you realize that the inevitable has occurred. My first introduction to Polish band Mānbryne’s Heilsweg: O udrece ciala i tulaczce duszy was not like that at all. Rather, it was the equivalent of the hottie across the room who, on first look, burns themselves into your retina and invades your grey matter like a parasite. Every listen was a serotonin boost: the gorgeous combination of fury and melodicism, the incredible vocals, the way songs weaved into each other like copulating snakes… it was love at first sight. I remain besotted if somewhat more sanguine these days. So when the Boss Ape announced the follow-up, I was equal parts excited and anxious. Would this be the inevitable morning after? The Walk of Shame home? Or would Mānbryne continue to, in the words of Jerry Maguire, complete me?
For those who missed my tongue-bathing in 2021, Mānbryne is an enigmatic black metal band from Poland consisting of members from a bunch of groups, most notably Blaze of Perdition. The musical template is straightforward black metal, but the execution of their debut set it apart. Most impressive was the balance between old and new. The fresh songwriting of Renz combined with the experienced hands behind the other instruments to give us the best of both worlds. There was also that Central European je nes sais quai: a menace and intensity that, like porn, you know when you see (hear?) it. New album Interregnum: O próbie wiary i jarzmie zwątpienia (Of the Test of Faith and the Burden of Doubt) is here and is a continuation of the debut. When that debut was as strong as Heilsweg was, that’s a smart move.
The highlight of Mānbryne’s music remains the songwriting, specifically how the band is able to weave fury, violence, catchy riffs, and an epic scale into uniform tracks without missing a beat. Cuts will typically begin in classic but unremarkable black metal fashion before a separate strand or time signature is introduced. So far so good, but these will then be spliced together to form something new and epic. It’s really hard to do but Mānbryne make it feel comically easy. Opener, “Piach i niepamięć,” and third track, “Po trupach ku niebu,” both make use of this trick, starting simply and gradually building to an epic apotheosis. There may not be the epic highs of the predecessor, but it’s a more consistent (and satisfying) listen.
The other feature of this sophomore is how balanced and confident it sounds. Mānbryne have honed their sound to a buffed sheen, and everything functions like clockwork. The growled vocals by S. are fearsome and vicious, bringing a fury to the material rightfully emphasized in the mix. The guitar work by Renz and Wyrd is dynamic, crisp, and exciting, providing real bite instead of the shaggy, inchoate fuzz of much black metal these days. The album is a lean and taut 40 minutes, with barely a moment of bloat. You’ll find yourself spinning it over and over.
There are some minor nitpicks for those who enjoy the picking ov nits. The music occasionally sounds a little too similar to the debut. Mānbryne have been honing rather than growing their sound but Interregnum does sometimes sound like Heilsweg 2.0. I imagine it as a continuation, but there is the risk the band becomes stuck in a rut. The second half is also weaker than the first: after 3 bangers, we have to settle for the merely “very good” until the album closer. Finally, this is a distillation of the Polish black metal sound, not a reinvention of it. It’s entertaining as hell but it’s not revolutionizing anything.
2023 has been the year of death metal. No question. The black metal output has ranged from good to bland, with few standouts (Dødheimsgard, Moonlight Sorcery, and a few others). Trust the crazy Poles to come in and turn that all upside down without needing saxophones, synths or wacky time shifts. Interregnum is good old-fashioned European black metal, made creatively and performed expertly. Now I know what you’re thinking: how does it compare to Heilsweg? Well, if that album was an instantaneous and explosive connection followed by a night of fireworks, Interregnum is the brunch the next morning. Less flashy, perhaps, but deeper and more important. And it’s where you realize, looking at the person opposite you, that this is the real deal.1
Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Terratur Possessions and Malignant Voices
Websites: manbryne.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/manbryne
Released Worldwide: October 13th, 2023
