Pyra are a black/death metal band from Italy and this is their debut album.
Featuring the formidable vocals of the singer/guitarist of Dead Chasm, (who here also handles bass), Those Who Dwell in the Fire contains 44 minutes of blackened death metal that’s menacing and dark. I’m a bit late to the Pyra party, but a record as good as this demands coverage.
Those Who Dwell in the Fire boasts a great combination of brutality and atmosphere, balancing the two effectively across six compositions. The music’s rhythmic heaviness and blasting intensity are offset by an atmosphere that just reeks of otherworldly malignant dread. Pyra’s death and black metal components run into each other, burning with cold fury and fiery wrath, melting together to produce a humungous sound that’s devastating.
The songs are enjoyable and easy to absorb, delivering an appealing mix of aggressive heaviness, moody darkness, and pummelling intensity. The singer’s deep growls sound just great, and her performance crowns the music like a monstrous void opening and closing across the album to swallow the unwary.
I like the album’s recording a great deal. It sounds richly organic, and very satisfying. This production adds to the music’s sinister atmosphere, letting it breathe sulphuric fumes and bleed malevolent auras, while also crushing with blackened might and distorted power.
Pyra’s debut album is a rewarding journey into blackened death metal that doesn’t just hit the spot, but destroys it and then haunts it afterwards. Those Who Dwell in the Fire is very good indeed. Make sure that you give this one a decent amount of your time.
Wonderbox Metal 