EP Review: Baelfyr – Empowered By Hatred (Self Released)

Rising blackened death metallers, Baelfyr, are about to release their new EP, Empowered By Hatred, on Friday the 8th of August.

A special day indeed for the band, and their fans, as not only will they get their hands on the new EP, but Baelfyr are also performing at Bloodstock Festival, on the same day as the EP drops, on the Timothy Taylor’s New Blood Stage. How special is that? And really, if you want to hear anything from Empowered By Hatred, you absolutely must go and watch them because the chances of having enough signal to actually download or stream the new release is minimal. You should also go and see them because they are awesome. Check out our pre Bloodstock feature on Baelfyr, here.

If you don’t know them, Baelfyr formed in 2023 and made a quick impact with their early singles, Disciples and Time, the Great Betrayer, earning them acclaim from all corners. Their live performances have also earned them a growing reputation for being powerful and immersive. They are a Blackened Death Metal band with a skill for writing meaningful lyrics and songs that hit hard emotionally, as they do with their riff driven heavy metal. With their debut EP, Empowered By Hatred on the horizon, the band have refined their sound further brining us music that is rich in atmosphere, heavy in tone, and packed with lyrical weight.

Baelfyr state:

“We wanted to create something that retained the rawness and nastiness of the genre but to pull back on some of the aspects present in modern metal. So you won’t find any shredding solos or 300bpm double kicks. Instead, we’ve made an effort to concentrate on memorable riffs and a meaty, and some might say old school, sound.”

Baelfyr are Allan Thomson on vocals, Harry Mills and Tom Mawbey on guitars, Zak Banson-Noond on bass and Lorraine Staves on drums.

Long for an EP, luck us, Empowered By Hatred comes with 7 tracks and around 32 minutes of music to get stuck in to. We kick off with At The Mercy Of A Vain God and a real statement of intent from Baelfyr. It’s morose and melancholic start builds atmosphere and emotion wonderfully before the song starts to grow and evolve with intensity, at first through the vocals, then through the increasing rhythm foundation and riffs. It’s dark, it’s heavy and it’s seriously impactful. I love the vocals, and the little variations in tone and pitch. The guitars are immense, whether in dropping huge riffs or building atmosphere through melody. What a start.

Baelfyr are just getting out of the gates though and Innocence Defiled comes next packing mammoth riffs and groove. The mid tempo stomp is an instant headbanging rhythm, while the tone on the guitars, and the vicious nature of the vocals keeps it rooted firmly in darkness. It’s another top class banger with a hugely memorable instrumental section. The Consequence Of Endless Expansion then picks up the pace a bit, still keeping the tone dark, still packing riffs for days but with more emphasis on the impressive drums and some speedy vocal sections.

Lyrically, it is meaningful – they all have been so far – and it’s really impressive how well the songs flow. The miserable but mighty slow down adds a short moment to catch your breath before we seamlessly transition back into the murky metal as Baelfyr continue to show why they are so highly regarded.

Under A Starless Sky is the longest track on Empowered By Hatred at near 6 minutes but it passes in seconds as you can so easily get lost in the atmosphere, and the dark clouds threatening to engulf you. Packing plenty of switches in tempo, some perfectly blended lead guitar lines, and of course, powerful riffs, it’s the sound of a band in harmony. Well written, ticking all the right boxes musically and packing a ton of emotion.

Rust and Dust brings a banquet of bass, drums and meaty riffs. It’s another one that starts with a big stomping sound – the type you feel you have to gurn and snarl to while listening. The different vocal pitches add a nice contrast as the intensity and pace starts to build. First, we get darker though with a little slow down leading us into a section that is pure nasty. I love the guitar melody that joins in with the darkness, and the way the drums grow into the song bringing us back up in pace leaving you desperate for it to continue.

We reach the penultimate track on Empowered By Hatred with Evil Incarnate. The bar has been so high and consistently reached throughout the EP, you start expecting that same quality and this song delivers. Meaty riffs, wicked drum blasts and vicious vocals all combine to deliver a song that is extremely heavy, but still has manages to be listenable, and catchy. There is some stunning lead guitar work here as well, in the depth creating melodies but also in the stunning little solo. So we reach the end, closing out with the title track, Empowered By Hatred.

Baelfyr have delivered an EP of insane quality up until this point and they aren’t finished with us yet, delivering what might be the stand out track on an EP of stand out tracks. The intro is fire, the stomping groove of the verses shake you to your core – I love that bass bridge. Overall, it feels a little more expansive and creative in structure – it seems weird to single a song out to be honest as everything has been so good but there is something extra here. The rhythmic, and pretty technical section with a hammering repeated riff, stop start drumming is very inventive and exciting to listen to. The vocals are insane and the fading out ending, led away by the final screams of the lead guitar seems the perfect closer.

It’s another great song, bringing all the best of Baelfyr together to really leave a lasting impression.

Empowered By Hatred, the EP, is a phenomenal release with a collection of bangers and no fluff. It is well written, atmospheric, heavy and dark, yet also has groove, catchiness and creativity. The song structures, and the flow of the EP really is impressive and there is clearly an abundance of song writing talent within Baelfyr. From the first note of the first track, to the last note of the closer, I found myself fully engaged and engrossed in the sounds and atmosphere. There was no losing focus, no mind wandering – just 100% engagement with an EP that is surely going to elevate Baelfyr to heights a record like this deserves.

Don’t sleep on this one – this is EP of the year quality here. Grab your copy of Empowered By Hatred from Baelfyr at Bandcamp, here.

Track List:

1 – Mercy Of A Vain God

2 – Innocence Defiled

3 – Consequence Of Endless Expansion

4 – Under a Starless Sky

5 – Rust And Dust

6 – Evil Incarnate

7 – Empowered By Hatred

Baelfyr Links

Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify | YouTube