Release: 2020/05/20

I really don’t know how many amazing metal and rock records from Swedish bands I call my own. It’s even difficult for me to point out a favourite outfit because of the stunning amount of solid stuff. Perhaps I’d choose Ambush or Robert Pehrsson’s Humbucker. That’s why I’m generally always interested when I discover new artists from Sweden.

In this case, I’m talking about Wysdom Given from Bjärnum, located in the Southern part of their country. On Bandcamp, they describe their musical style as follows: »Solidly rooted in the classic sound of the 80’s, foremost influenced by the NWOBHM era WYSDOM GIVEN delivers headstrong Heavy Metal. The band’s music is a riff-based guitar attack, focussing on dynamics, melodies and harmonies. A combination that perfectly enhances the dark lyrical themes and creates a unity and a unique sound.« – Well, that hits the nail on the head, no doubt about it!

The EP Into the Night is Wysdom Given‘s first output. But, obviously, this quintet from Scandinavia has a lot of experience – we definitely don’t listen to beginners, they know what to do. The band consists of Daniel Myvall Hedman (vocals), Göran Blomgren (guitars), Erika Wallberg (guitars), Paul Godfeldt (bass) and Kristofer von Haussvolff (drums). First of all, I want to mention the sound of the physical copy which I put on several times before writing down this article. Björn Lodin who mixed and mastered Into the Night at Red Hill Studios did a great job. As I said, these Swedes act highly professional in all regards.

This also applies to the songs themselves. If you go for rather dark traditional metal with a melancholic note, you’ll appreciate Wysdom Given, for sure. In my opinion, their mainly classic sounds are surprisingly fresh. When I listened to the titletrack, »Follow Me« and – my favourite number – »In a time when victory is dying«, I fortunately had no déjà vus. I wouldn’t call Wysdom Given innovative but they are able to compose memorable tracks. The riffs are really heavy – and should, in my opinion, please doom fans as well. The twin guitar melodies take you back to the early 80s when the NWOBHM broke loose, that’s always nice. Almost every fan of this wonderful period of authentic heavy metal will enjoy the performances of Göran and Erika. Besides, I have to point out another highlight on this well-crafted release: Daniel is an amazing vocalist who is able to evoke a lot of emotions. You see, I’ve nothing to complain about.

All in all, Wysdom Given therefore presents us a promising debut. Hopefully, there’ll be some new material soon because these Swedes are an enrichment for our underground classic metal scene. Perhaps, in a few years, all of us are able to find Bjärnum on a map easily…