Published: July 10, 2026
The Finnish melodic death metal band will release What We Leave Behind on October 2, 2026 through Napalm Records, with the title track issued as the first single
BRYMIR have announced What We Leave Behind, a new studio album scheduled for release on October 2, 2026 through Napalm Records. The Finnish melodic death metal band have also released the official video for the title track, “What We Leave Behind.”
The album follows Voices In The Sky, released in 2022, and is described in the source material as the band’s fifth album. The announcement frames the record around existential themes, societal conflict, personal reflection and the question of legacy.
“What We Leave Behind” is the first single from the album. The source material describes the track as a keys-driven song that moves between aggressive high-speed sections and a melodic chorus, with a message against war and in favor of humanity.
BRYMIR connected the song to regret, reflection and the choices people make under pressure.
“There are defining moments in our lives when we need to choose if we keep walking along the same trajectory or take a leap into the unknown. These choices, sometimes life-changing, often need to be made in an eyeblink, and the consequences can only be cherished or despised when viewed in retrospect. This is a song about our regrets—may these haunting melodies help you reflect on yours and hopefully show some solace in the beauty of the journey.”
The band also described the video as a step into a science-fiction visual direction.
“For this music video, we wanted to boldly go into the sci-fi aesthetic we've been hinting at for a while now. It may seem drastic to some of our fans, but the undercurrents have definitely been there for a long while already, and this video and lead single we feel is the final ripping off of the proverbial Band-Aid.”
BRYMIR also placed the song within the larger concept of the album.
“We're bending and breaking our boundaries and definitely any preconceptions of BRYMIR as just a 'folk metal' band. Thematically and musically, the title track, of course, is the summation of the whole of the very diverse upcoming album, stretching through epochs of time and the very core existential drive of humanity. What do we leave behind? What is the legacy we wish to leave for those who come after? Or is our obsession over legacy the poison pill for our present? Our blindness to make the progress that truly matters in the end, so very near us... We boldly engage the warp-drives, but maybe we leave the truly important things back home after all.”
BRYMIR released the official music video for “What We Leave Behind.” The video introduces a science-fiction aesthetic connected to the title track’s existential themes.
What We Leave Behind is the fifth album from BRYMIR. The source material describes it as the band’s darkest creation so far, both musically and thematically.
The band connected the album to the state of the world after Voices In The Sky.
“Since our previous album, the world certainly hasn't gotten any lighter—and as art reflects life, our fifth album, What We Leave Behind, is the darkest creation we've made so far. Both musically as well as thematically...”
BRYMIR also described the album’s central question.
“‘What We Leave Behind?’ is the core question explored from many perspectives: from personal hopes, dreams, and fears to societal developments to dark sci-fi and existential despair. Join us on this dark emotional journey, at times violent, at times beautiful, and always honest in baring the soul of what is BRYMIR – no compromise, everything raw and real.”
The source material notes that the album is influenced by vocalist Viktor Storm Gullichsen’s work as a movie sound designer, with cinematic soundscapes surrounding the band’s melodic death metal foundation.
TRACKLIST
1. Slaying Star
2. Sleipnir
3. Tempestbound
4. What We Leave Behind
5. True Darkness
6. Moment Of Silence
7. Buried Legion
8. Thy Self The Highest Love
9. The Roaring King
10. Broken Dawn
11. How Much Is The Fish
“Slaying Star” is an atmospheric instrumental introduction that leads into “Sleipnir,” a faster track named after the eight-legged horse associated with Odin.
“Tempestbound” is described in the source material as a song centered on fast guitar work and a theme that moves through mythology while addressing real-world conflict.
The title track, “What We Leave Behind,” carries the album’s anti-war and humanist message. The source material references the lyric “Midgard lies in flames” and connects the song to the idea that vanity can lead people toward destruction.
“True Darkness” is described as one of the album’s more creative uses of the band’s orchestral sound, moving through stages of grief and ending with clean vocals and spoken word.
“Moment Of Silence” serves as an instrumental passage before “Buried Legion.” The album also includes “Thy Self The Highest Love,” which is described as inspired by Johann Sebastian Bach, and the closing epic “Broken Dawn.”
The final track, “How Much Is The Fish,” is a cover of the Scooter eurodance song, reworked by BRYMIR in a melodic death metal direction. The source material connects the cover to the band’s earlier environmental themes around ocean pollution, including “Herald Of Aegir” from Voices In The Sky.
FORMATS
What We Leave Behind will be released in the following formats:
1LP Gatefold Splatter Grey Black Red, including booklet — strictly limited to 200 copies, Napalm Shop exclusive
1LP Gatefold Clear — strictly limited to 200 copies, Napalm Shop and Finland exclusive
1LP Gatefold Trans Red, including lyric sheet
1CD Digipack, 6-panel digipack
Digital Album
BRYMIR LIVE 2026 — FESTIVALS
August 7, 2026 — Helsinki, Finland — Hellsinki Metal Festival
August 12, 2026 — Dinkelsbühl, Germany — Summer Breeze Open Air
September 4, 2026 — Hüttikon, Switzerland — Meh Suff!
November 6, 2026 — Kempele, Finland — ZRock Winter Fest
WHAT WE LEAVE BEHIND TOUR 2026
Special guests: Horizon Ignited and Omnivortex
September 18, 2026 — Vantaa, Finland — Skenesali
September 25, 2026 — Seinäjoki, Finland — Rytmikorjaamo
September 26, 2026 — Oulu, Finland — 45 Special
October 2, 2026 — Tampere, Finland — Olympia
October 3, 2026 — Lahti, Finland — VNUE
October 8, 2026 — Jyväskylä, Finland — Lutakko
October 9, 2026 — Turku, Finland — Apollo
October 16, 2026 — Kouvola, Finland — House Of Rock
October 17, 2026 — Kuopio, Finland — Circus
October 24, 2026 — Vaasa, Finland — Fanny
October 30, 2026 — Hämeenlinna, Finland — Suisto
October 31, 2026 — Helsinki, Finland — Korjaamo
LINEUP
Viktor Storm Gullichsen — vocals
Joona Björkroth — guitars
Jarkko Niemi — bass
Patrik Fält — drums
BRYMIR are a Helsinki-based Finnish melodic death metal band. The source material presents What We Leave Behind as a darker and more cinematic album, shaped by melodic death metal, orchestration, keyboards, choirs, mythology, science-fiction imagery and current social concerns.
The title track also marks a clear move beyond any narrow folk metal label, with the band directly addressing that perception in its statement about the video and the album’s direction.
Through “What We Leave Behind,” BRYMIR introduce their fifth album with a song that connects regret, legacy, war, humanity and science-fiction imagery. The record also places the band’s melodic death metal foundation inside a broader cinematic framework, while the 2026 festival dates and Finnish tour schedule move the album cycle directly into the live setting.
Written by Gino Alache – Music Journalist
Photo Credit: Juuso Soinio
Watch the official video for “What We Leave Behind” below.
