Epic-Metal, lovers of the genre welcome to your playground, those epic-sounds describe perfectly BROTHERS OF METAL, the first thing which strikes you after the addictive-avalanche of glorious sound captures your attention is the sister of Metal, the voice of Ylva Eriksson is an angelic sound of hope within the music. The Swiss-eight-piece is relaunched under a new label, AFM Records, and with that comes their magnificent debut "Prophecy Of Ragnarök" released to a wider audience.

This concept album based on Norse mythology channels the Viking story beautifully, with the perfect shades of war acted out between all the singers, the menacing voice of Joakim Lindbäck Eriksson provides the abyss of darkness to the light of Ylva, a yin and yang delivery where the band builds drama and tension throughout the albums fourteen-tracks, a perfect example of where the sound matches the subject. The album opens with the fire and brimstone of "Death of the God of Light", the musicians are incredibly tight and focused, the cascade of sound is awe-inspiring, continuing with the storyboard into "Son Of Odin" and the title track "Prophecy of Ragnarok" is a stampeding number which verges into the zone of out trash-metal at the close.

"Defenders Of Valhalla" echos the trad-fusion assault of "I'm Shipping Up To Boston" by THE DROPKICK MURPHYS given the Nordic-spin, not a weak point but a comparison of the feel, in a complete turnaround "Concerning Norns" is a seductive string-section with a spoken word passage. The full-on melodic guitar which opens the definite standout "Yggdrasil" arrives midway through the album, transcendent and reflective, full of powerful imagery and that kaleidoscope of sound, not surprising that the feeling interrupts the listener that signals a Swedish-EVANESCENCE is steadily rising through the anthemic chorus. "Rise above the mountains, Light a fire in the sky"

It does stray from the narrative at this point and instead hammers out tracks of thundering metal which stand tall in their own right, "Siblings Of Metal" and "Gods Of War" are bombastic drum which stutters along at top-speed, the key to this albums success is in that very backbone of thunder, Johan Johansson earns a huge credit here, above all else he circulates the life-blood around "Prophecy Of Ragnarök". The album closes with the choral-drones of the fitting "We Believe in Metal", the uplifting mission-statement of the band which is very much accomplished here. Some may find this release by BROTHERS OF METAL slightly tongue-in-cheek, it can be perceived that way or it can be viewed as traditional metal on a much larger scale, though there is no denying the quality of the sound, the musicianship and overall delivery of the album.