Why do I do this? I just reviewed the vinyl release of Myteri’s debut album and now, a couple of weeks later I’m already listening to their second album. How am I going to say something new and inspiring about it? I guess the answer is twofold. First of all I really liked what I heard on that first album. It was kind of short and left me hungry, so it’s only good for me that I get to quench my appetite so soon. Secondly I kind of like to challenge myself. So here I am trying to say something witty about Ruiner, Myteri’s second album.
I felt the previous album was quite successful in both songwriting and production. The band must have felt the same way and didn’t change much. I dissected the sound of Myteri on their debut as a healthy mix of Tragedy and the melodic riffs of ICTVS. Not typically Swedish, but a mix of American and Spanish crust. This still holds true. The band also stuck to the way they build tension throughout the album, but later more about that. It does raise the question: is this band stagnant; did they change nothing and just carbon copy their debut? My answer is a firm “no”! So let’s see if we can spot the differences.
Let’s start simple: you’ll get more music on this album than on the debut. There’s eleven tracks here, not counting the outro. Speaking of those: as on the debut the band utilizes a post-metal intro and outro to guide you into the right mood for the album and to cool you down after all that crusty madness. The (short) intro is now actually part of opening track “Ruiner.” After one minute of soothing guitar work a smooth transition transforms the song into crust heaven. My critique on the outro is corrected on this release. This time around the outro really does work and provides the cooling down you might just need. Another big difference that immediately catches the eye (ear?) is the absence of spoken word samples. These were applied very effectively on the self titled, but are nowhere to be found on Ruiner.
An interesting addition to the Myteri universe is the use of classical instruments like violin and piano which are used sparingly and with great taste on “Justitimord.” I'd like to hear more of that in the future as it works really well! The band has also broadened the spectrum of influences that are allowed to shine through. Early 2000 screamo influences seem to appear on a couple of tracks. Think La Quiete and Daïtro. As on the debut it’s the drummer that leads me to another reference point. Una Bestia Incontrolable’s tribal drum rhythms seem to pop up on “Dödens hav” and it works really well within the aggressive sound of Myteri. A consequence of those new influences (perhaps) is that the ICTVS influence has moved a bit to the background. Considering the strength of the material offered on Ruiner this is not necessarily a bad thing.
With these small changes Myteri is moving into it’s own niche and is firmly claiming the attention of you, dear reader. If crust means anything to you, I suggest you to turn up the volume on the biggest, baddest speakers you can find and play this record!
