Band: Burden of Ymir
Album: The Long Winter
Genre: Black Metal
Country: Canada
Label: Flowing Downward
Released: July 4, 2025
Introduction
Burden of Ymir is a Canadian black metal band hailing from Sudbury, Ontario. Consisting solely of multi-instrumentalist Joe Caswell, the band started off as an instrumental project, evolving and progressing its themes and narratives around Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore. Having released five full length albums and several demos since 2019, Burden of Ymir has returned with album number six, The Long Winter.
The Album
Tracklist:
- As Witches Under Cloak of Night
- A Raven Brought Dark Omens
- Strange Craft
- Found in the Embrace of Cold Wind
- Another Seed of Yggdrasil
- Like Blood in the Snow
- Frozen Threads of a Spider’s Making
- Forever Frost and Sleep
Burden of Ymir’s previous album Heorot (2023) saw Caswell’s first departure from Norse mythology and covered the tale of Beowulf. Now with The Long Winter he has returned to the northern mythologies. This time around the album’s lyrical themes follow the tale of Gudrun, a völva, who living in times of brutal winter has learned of the impending Fimbulvetr to come before Ragnarok. First seeking a way to put an end to the long winter, she finds acceptance in her fate as even the gods themselves cannot fight the inevitable. Weaving a tale as old as time, that “every end is but another beginning” throughout the lyrical storytelling. Caswell does an impeccable job of laying a musical backdrop behind his lyrics. Taking elements of folk, viking, and black metal and combining them into a sonic melting pot that I must say yields some very satisfying results. The Long Winter really shines in its latter half. Starting with Found in the Embrace of Cold Wind the riffs and overall feel of the album/songwriting takes on a melodic, riff laden element that I appreciate. The tracks Like Blood in the Snow and Frozen Webs of the Spiders Making are my personal favorites off of the album. They exemplify Caswell’s prowess as a musician and a songwriter perfectly.
Conclusion
There is a little bit of something on this album for everyone. It’s a masterfully crafted piece of art that blends seamlessly the likes of Bathory, and Falkenbach with a modern black metal approach. Overall The Long Winter continues to display Caswell’s growth as a musician. Taking the production once again up a notch along with his song writing abilities. It’s an excellent piece of viking/folk inspired black metal and quite possibly his best work to date.
BMZ Rating: 8 out of 10
Support Burden of Ymir here: https://burdenofymir.bandcamp.com/album/the-long-winter
Your thoughts on Burden of Ymir
We’d love to hear your thoughts on this album! You can rate it right here on this page, share your opinion on our social media channels, or join the discussion on our Discord—where we talk about all things black metal. Don’t forget to follow our Facebook page, Black Metal Zine, for updates on our latest articles, and take a look at our Instagram @blackmetal.zine for concert photos and more!
