From their facebook page: “Hailing from Brisbane, Australia, Vyrion are a four-piece, blackened progressive Metal band, with a Scandinavian influenced sound.” There you have it, yet another band in a burgeoning legion paying homage to the legendary scene. So are Vyrion leaders or followers? That should be the burning question in all of our minds. Vyrion has just released their self-titled debut and you can breathe easy because it’s ahead of the pack.

Vyrion is comprised of an incredibly versatile bunch of musicians who draw from nearly every genre of metal and some not so… but don’t be alarmed it’s all good! The majority of Vyrion is in the blackened melo-death style with songs that are composed with complex structures and sometimes variational motifs. With the exception of rare moments of respite, this record packs a wallop in emotional spitting fury which simply overwhelms on first listen. One would almost underestimate what this record is all about when hearing “Introduction” with its beautiful piano strains over sounds of a crackling fire. The full frontal attack though begins with the ferocious “Ever Rising Platform.” Everything a hardcore metalhead would want from a band like Vyrion is contained within this one song. The full barreled onslaught of vocals and guitars with the faster than the speed-of-light blast beats, threaten to ratchet up this experience like a terrifying rollercoaster ride gone wild at dusk. The eerie cleaner sung portions are minimal and unsettling as if echoing through a pool of murky water and rippling away. This is further accented with the undercurrent of softly plucked guitar chords pulling the listener in deeper. This becomes a recurring theme throughout.

With each moment that passes, Vyrion fluidly slips in and out of the curves of genre definition with deft mastery that would leave most seasoned bands in stupefying envy. “The Decider” is crazy, with mad love of doom, black, death, goth and prog. So much so, that one becomes dizzy trying to decipher what the heck is going on and why oh why does it works so incredibly well. Their influences show up on songs like “Mortal Frame” and "Winter Vector" with cues from Immortal, Emperor and Opeth. It’s interesting to hear these trademark sounds be “Vyrionized”. The filtering is impeccable and maintains the original evil sound in delightful purity. Surprises continue with the death march anthem “Disengage” that mutates into three different styles merging and then diverging. Completely befuddling the listener just when the path seemed so clear ahead. Brilliant. Absolutely stunning.

There are so many exceptional moments on this record that I find it difficult to pick favorites. The jazzy interludes, post rock vocals contrasting the extreme, the hyper speed of raw black metal and the “heavy as an elephant” death/doom riffing leave me in awe. I think the more varied and intense the band gets, the more I want to hear. The final three songs really function as cohesive unit that buoys Vyrion into the upper echelons of remarkable debuts. Make no mistake, these Aussies know what they are doing and will kick many of their contemporaries in the seat of the pants. Prepare to be booted too.

TRACK LISTING

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*Comments:

1.  An Introduction
2.  Ever Rising Platform
3.  Mortal Frame
4.  The Decider
5.  Winter Vector
6.  Disengage
7.  Rendering The Lifeless
8.  The Silence
9.  The Decision
10.  Sole Remainder

Total playing time:  51:38

Release Date: August 5th, 2011
Label: Rockdale Records

Vyrion - Vyrion

Reviewer: M.J.

December 26, 2011