Lord of Mountains review @ Atanathos 2025
From Berlin, Germany, Mytherine has been quietly forging its identity since 2011, operating at the intersection where the brutality of Death Metal meets symphonic grandiosity. Their new album, «Lord of Mountains», is not merely a continuation of their debut «Dawn of a New Era» (2015); it is the culmination of years of hurdles, restructuring, and intense creativity born from adversity, promising to be the definitive work of their ambitious subgenre, Epic Death Metal.
To understand «Lord of Mountains», one must recognize the boldness of its influences. Mytherine draws from the monumental darkness of Septicflesh, the melodic sensibility and weight of Wolfheart, and the technical precision of bands like Daath, while simultaneously maintaining a clear echo of the foundational Melodic Death Metal of early In Flames. The quintet (Sascha on vocals, Marius and Jan on guitars, Stefan on bass, and Christian on drums) does not just seek fusion; they seek elevation.
The core of Mytherine‘s sound lies in the complex choreography between orchestral samples and guitar riffs. The arrangements are not mere ornamentation; they are the narrative engine that drives the dark atmospheres, achieving that difficult balance of being both brutal and profoundly melodic. The 2024 EP, with the video for «Ash’teroth», served as a clear preview of the dense and dark atmosphere the band has managed to perfect in their home studio and at Noir Surge Studio. It was a statement of intent: the band is back and has refined its art.
Musically, «Lord of Mountains» focuses on eleven tracks, two of which are instrumental («Prologue» and «Epilogue»), underscoring the intention to create a fluid and immersive saga. Tracks like «Lord of Mountains (The Frozen Throne)» and «Return of the Giants» promise to be the epic pillars, where the elements of melodic, progressive, and blackened death metal will collide in a «greater intensity» promised by the band.
What truly distinguishes Mytherine is their commitment to narrative. Their lyrics are inspired by their own mythology but are nourished by rich and vast sources like J.R.R. Tolkien, the The Witcher saga, and the dark epic of the Dark Souls series. This inspiration ensures that the music is not just a technical showcase but a soundtrack to a fictional world that resonates with legends and myths. By creating their own pantheon, the band avoids the common lyrical clichés of the genre, offering something truly their own.
The production of this album—an effort split between Noir Surge Studio and LTMF Studio and mastered at the renowned LSD Studio—seeks to focus this new era of composition. If the production succeeds in channeling the grandiosity demanded by the «Lord of Mountains» theme, we will be facing an album that not only honors its influences but sets a new standard for modern Epic Death Metal.
Rating 9.2/10
«Lord of Mountains» by Mytherine is, in essence, the promise of an epic saga turned into music. The delay, caused by restructuring and the pandemic, far from being an obstacle, seems to have given the band time to perfect their conceptual and technical vision. With a solid foundation of Melodic Death Metal, enriched by orchestral grandiosity and their own mythology inspired by the pillars of Dark Fantasy, this album is destined to be a benchmark for the genre in late 2025. If you are looking for a record that transports you to a world of giants, frozen thrones, and blackened skies, Mytherine‘s intensity awaits you at the mountain’s summit.