Mānbryne, although a relatively new band, has quickly become synonymous with terms like purity and depth, as in their music, apart from the traditional roots of the Polish black metal scene, the musicians are distinguished by lightning nihilism and malice, presented in an extremely intelligent and captivating way.

I have to admit – I was eager for the arrival of the album and listening to the band’s second work, because their first (you can recall its review here), immediately grabbed me with its genuineness and authenticity. And with this impatience, of course, there was also the tension that it would be extremely difficult to overtake a work like „Heilsweg: O udr​ę​ce cia​ł​a i tu​ł​aczce duszy“, which literally went through me like some kind of hurricane – I still remember most of the riffs and key moments of the record to this day. That thrill of what new is included and can be heard has definitely been heightened.

Traditionally, like a nod to the first album, „Interregnum: O próbie wiary i jarzmie zwątpienia“ begins with a cinematic reference – this time a woman’s cry, surrounded by medieval synths, transitioning into fast rhythmic guitars, wildly pulsating drums and furious vocals. A surprise for me are the beautiful dungeon synths at the beginning and subsequently in some other elements of the song, which contrast with the otherwise incredibly heated emotional song with S.’s traditional vocals, which even here, in the first song „Piach i niepamięć“, are at their most  brutal level  and bring an expression which makes you shiver.

In ‘Suma wszystkich strat’, the album’s next track, a number of magical moments occur, the interweaving of Renz’s calm and melancholic synths with the harrowing vocals, ethereal angelic chants, cold tremolo and fast drums creating a completely immersive atmosphere… And when all this passes into Wyrd’s acoustic guitar performance, giving way for the finale again to layers of fast-paced strings and eerie vocals – intertwining speech and high-pitched appeals, the overall musical picture outlined is highly impactful and carries even more  of the tangible signature of Mānbryne.

One thing is certain. Whatever you expect from the band based on the previous album – you will be surprised. „Interregnum: O próbie wiary i jarzmie zwątpienia“ definitely continues what has  started in „Heilsweg: O udr​ę​ce cia​ł​a i tu​ł​aczce duszy“ and carries the same determination and primal energy of the band, but a lot more  various complementary highlights are included here that, apart from the passionate and high-quality black metal and fury alredy inherent in the band’s core,  bring back that dark melancholy and excitement in a new and intense way, with the topics explored in the title largely overlapping and dwelling on the themes of human nature and its relationship with the divine, the rebellion of reality within and without, of doubt, of Death, and of all those moments in life where faith barely hangs in our minds. Melancholic and harsh nihilism in a beautiful and pure form.

And although the core carries the same flame, the arrangements of the songs have been supplemented with more details, synthesizers have been added – in the previous album there was a very memorable guitar riff that stuck in the mind from the very first song, which here has been replaced as effect by synths and acoustic guitars,  adding the necessary ephemeral  feeling to balance the weight of the emotional charge caused by the fire-breathing sphere of energy S. and the rest of the musicians. I didn’t think it was possible, but in „Interregnum: O próbie wiary i jarzmie zwątpienia“ the vocalist sounds even deeper than usual and adds new nuances to his vocal expression, which brings even fuller sonic pictures to the different parts of the album.

Within about 40 minutes of duration, the title presents six pieces of raw and at the same time melancholic and ethereal black metal with the specific signature of Mānbryne, bringing sincere  and primal suffocating energy, interwoven with nihilistic messages and lyrics that many of us would feel as “ our own“.

One look at the album’s message-syncing artwork by Snail Trail and Kontamination Design, depicting a cracked throne with a scepter and crown laid down, overgrown with ivy and mice scurrying around its corners, is enough to see the hopelessness and emptiness depicted in the pieces  and the emotion that is about to be revealed to you in a chilling way.

In their music, Mānbryne have the ability to interweave philosophy and a great deal of the more fiery  and burden emotions of the human being into one whole, while at the same time it feels like an embrace. In case you want to get close to something pure and primal , devoid  of any pretensions, then „Interregnum: O próbie wiary i jarzmie zwątpienia“ will take you really deep into its searing expression, surprising you with numerous impactful elements &  leaving  a mark on your soul after the last chord.

Score: 10/10

Favorite song :  „Suma wszystkich strat“

You can hear the opening track  „Piach i niepamięć“ here:

Band: Mānbryne
Album: „Interregnum: O próbie wiary i jarzmie zwątpienia“
Release date: 13.10.2023
Label: Terratur Possessions | Malignant Voices

Pre-orders will start soon at the following address: https://bit.ly/3ZqYev0.