WYRD are a Finnish Black/Folk/Pagan Metal band. The album "Death Of The Sun", released in March 2016, was highly anticipated by fans of the band. The wide range of vocal styles and obsessively catchy chorus lines make this album a real treasure from a titan of the Finnish Metal scene.

"Death Of The Sun" was in the works for seven years before finally coming to fruition, and the amount of time and energy poured into this album comes flowing out of every track. The title track (also the opener) mixes a fantastic blend of cold harshness with the sunny energy of Folk. If you aren't familiar with WYRD or band of similar vein, then it might sound nonsensical, but it nonetheless creates a unique blend of sound and emotions.

"Man of Silent Waters" has a fantastic chorus, conflicting the growling vocals with powerful, reverberating chants that underlie the great baseline. "The Sleepless and the Dead" turns up the intensity with a faster pace than the previous tracks, showing off the technical prowess of the band mates. This one is a particular favourite of mine because it delves a little deeper into Power metal, with its great speed and severity. "Pale Departure" slows things down with a dark heathen ballad, badmouthing some unnamed gods and bringing some amazing Progressive Rock into the riffs. The differences between these last two tracks is really indicative of the attitude all across the album; it definitely feels like WYRD are experimenting and stepping outside of the norms of Black and Pagan metal.

"The Pale Hours" carries over that intensity while speeding it up a bit, and highlighting it with another fantastic chorus. "Inside" is another great piece with a strong Power Metal sound; the vocals here are a bit different, with the band opting for a gentler chorus whilst the guitars maintain that dark intensity.

The album as a whole is an interesting mix of dark and bright, heavy and light, and whilst that may not be everyone's cup of tea, I nonetheless found it really engaging. Whether you are an old fan of WYRD or have never heard of them, give "Death Of The Sun" a listen and see for yourself if its something you like, because I can't wait to hear more.