Sophomore full length albums coming after debut albums that feel like lightning in a bottle always have big expectations, no matter how much you try to downplay your thoughts. For Interregnum, the second LP from Polish Black Metal supergroup (of sorts, the band is comprised of 75% Blaze of Perdition members) Mānbryne, this is no exception. Their debut Heilsweg: O udręce ciała i tułaczce duszy was released in 2021 and almost instantly got me hooked with their combo of vicious Black Metal, catchy hooks, and powerful songs that exhibited incredibly competent songwriting for a debut album, especially since the songs were primarily written by Renz, a figure in the Polish BM scene whose only project to this day is Mānbryne. Now, two years later and with a new drummer (Vzn from Blaze of Perdition), their sophomore full length has arrived. And it was everything I’d hoped for.
Picking things immediately where Heilsweg left off, Interregnum opener “Piach i niepamięć” opens with a moody series of riffs before eventually becoming an aggressive bit of Black Metal ending on a somber note. Whereas the previous album opened with one of the most ferocious songs I’ve ever heard, this album takes its time to get going. Interregnum doubles down on the emotion displayed here, making it a decidedly more melancholic album to the almost “majestic downfall” quality Heilsweg had, as shown in following songs “Suma wszystkich strat” and “Po trupach ku niebu”. However, the final song “Pierwszy kamień” manages to take all of the concepts Mānbryne has shown across both of their albums and culminate it into the most explosive Black Metal song I’ve heard this year. This song showcases the band’s most phenomenal work they’ve ever done with a massive guitar solo, unbelievably fast vocal delivery, and earth-shattering drumwork. If I had to nitpick about anything, though, it would be interlude “Bezkrólewie” as while it’s a good set-up song, it would work better as an intro to the final track. It’s very hard to tear myself away from this album. With each listen I find myself discovering new things that I previously didn’t notice, and it seems that Mānbryne has gotten their hooks into me once more. If Interregnum doesn’t end up on my end of year list, I will be truly shocked. Now let’s see if this powerhouse of a group can continue the winning streak on album number three.
