SÓLSTAFIR : "Hin helga kvöl"

 

I'm old enough to remember when this band from Iceland used to be black metal. They have been on this more rock n roll road for some time, so the direction never surprises me. The vocals are emotive and have more edge than your average rock band, The use of atmosphere works really well, as they start off the album with a strong dynamic balance. On the title track, they also remember when they were a metal band as their drummer really starts getting it. As things build up they even catch a groove that makes me think of Slayer. "Blakkrakki" has more punk drive to it, though the guitar melodies bring it into a more straight-up rock n roll-like place with its more Motorhead-like nuance. 

"Salumessa" ebbs back down to an almost more psychedelic place, with dusky shadows holding sonic space. The way the effects sit on the vocals makes me think they are winking in Pink Floyd's direction. At the very least smoking a lot of pot."Vor as" feels like a more soaring build-up from the previous song. "Freygatan' breaks things down to piano which I was not expecting. it shifts into a power ballad. The vocals are a little pitchy in places, but the overall vibe works. It's like Kvelertak covering Pink Floyd. 

"Gryla" is raw and emotive, but has a grunge-tinged clanging of the guitars. The chords ring like something from Neil Young's heavier Crazy Horse years, The vocals have a wild howl to them while being mindful they are playing rock not metal. The way things keep getting spacey lends more weight to my weed theory. They begin to gather more metallic steam on the buzzing blur of "Nu Mun.."  I appreciate the intensity, but it's not the album's best song. The last song finds them working in more of their ethnic folk roots. However they are still smoking a ton of weed, so saxophones and synths are pulled out to make the most of the mood. They lay the ambiance on thick and jam this one out. I will give this album a 9, I like the direction they are going here, and think the more weed-influenced songs are better than when they try to rekindle the metal fires. 

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Isafjørd : "Hjartastjaki"

This band from Iceland is comprised of dudes from Pain of Salvation and Solstafir , though I hope you did not come expecting prog metal. Instead, you are getting a droning ambiance of something that comes close to the Cure or Mogwai. The vocals do get more forceful on the first song, and things swell dynamically, but the pattern in follows has more of a graceful shimmer to it that could have come from "Bloodflowers". The second song glides off into more Pink Floyd territory. The emotive vocals add another color that is in left field from the Floydian vibes. There is great guitar work as well with an incredible tone. 

There songs in things shift and begin to go from post-rock to post-pop. There are a few verses whose melodies recall the more nuanced verses of "Wrecking Ball" by Miley Ray Cyrus. This is not to say it is devoid of rock, as it even goes into a more Juda Priest like metal riff at the climax of one song, though the vocals stay in a more emo place most of the time, their two voices work well together. Some of the electronic drum patterns, give a more Depeche Mode feel, though they never catch a dance groove. Some of the single note guitar melodies also remind me of Depeche Mode. The atmosphere always stays thick even when they are going into a more pop place. Thuis lingers on into "Kuldaro" . They sing in English on "Fjpord of Home" which is the one moment where they sound the most like Pain of Salvation.  

After that they get back on a more Pink Floyd sounding vibe. The vocals being in their native tongue, give a more folk quality than the smooth David Gilmore like vocal that would take their sound there. This provides a raw quality to the emotive belt.  Breezier Sigur Rios styled moments come., with the vocals going into a higher wail. The guitar solos are all pretty tasteful and add to the song.  The last song is more of a slow core- post rock thing, with well layered vocals creating a breezy chorus. I will round this one down to a 9, sure this is a great sounding album, but some of the songs work off too similar a vibe to say it's a perfect 10, but it one of the best things of this type I have heard in some time. The album drops December 2nd on Svart Records.

Solstafir : "Endless Twilight of Co-Dependent Love"

 I have given most of their albums a solid listen as this Icelandic band has always been interesting. When the drums hit more of a groove at the end of the first song it does feel more like Kvelertak. Their is a raw agressive quality to what is going on though I am not sure I would call it metal. Rougher around the edges than your average prog rock band, though these guys have certainly progressed throughout their career. If they went back to playing black metal at this point it would be regressive. The second song has more of a groove and more melodically sung vocals . It is moody rock n roll. I can hear what to my ears sounds like an "Obscured By Clouds" era Pink Floyd influence. 

"Rokkur" is more laid back in some ways , but more intense in the way the vocals emote. Their attempt at something in the realm of Brit pop occurs on "Her Fall From Grace" which despite it's atmosphere sounds like Shining butchering a cover of a random song by the Verve. Butchering doesn't not mean doing a terrible job here, though the abandon this song is sung with sometimes puts their feelings over being in key in a few places. This apporach however works for what they are doing here. They do throw themselves into a twisted rock version of black metal with "Dionysus". This is not as regressive as I thought it might be showing they are still forward thnking even when they take steps back into their past. The vocals are more shouted than screamed. "Til Moldar" is at the other end of the spectrum and is a lazy floating psychedelic lullaby. The almost more stoner rock song that follows this one is a good balance of the two sides they just showed us the relaxed coud of pot smoke vibe with enough rock balls to drive it. 

"Or" has a bluesy feel to it. In some ways it flirts with the blues much like Nick Cave does. Addi's voice is much different than Cave's . Where Nick would give us a dark smoky narrative , Addi emotes with raw abandon. The guitar is really great in this song. I had to give the last song "Ulfar" a few listens to really abosorb it. It has some palm muted drive but falls more on the dynamic side of prog , but with rock groove. I will give this album an 9, it's a very effort for them that pushes forward with their vision keeping their indentity in focus. 

Solstafir : " Berdreyminn"

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I like some of the more bizarre artistic turns my favorite bands have gone in. I am a big fan of Disco era Kiss and New Wave era Alice Cooper. I like even the glam rock days of Celtic Frost. So the turn this band has taken might not phase me like their long time fans. Though I am not as emotionally invested into their path as i am Kiss or Alice Copper.  like this fact it sounds album is a weird shift for the Icelandic band  like a cross between the Cure and Neurosis colliding . The song is upbeat despite it's crusty edges. The production is a little weird The guitar shifts in where it sits in the mix, the drums almost sound like they are programmed, but this could be the fact they are playing almost a dance beat to create this illusion. They blend pop hooks with the some kind of prog inflections that Muse uses , but the vocals are less Queen like and a emotive yet gruff baritone that seeks to reach beyond it's range. "Hula" finds the atmospherics becoming much thicker and darker more sonic shadow cast over the song before it relaxes down into dreamy reverb filled guitar line that has almost more of a shoe gaze edge to it before the vocals come in. The vocals hold a firmer melody than someone like their country men in Sigur Rios. Distorted chord ring out in the background, but it would be hard pressed to call this rock much less metal.

It's not until "Naros" that something chugs into place that ties this band to their metal roots.It reminds me of where many metal bands found themselves when trying to find their identity when alternative music got big. The song that follows is some what of a power ballad as it starts with a more delicate piano piece and works it's way up gathering intensity as it progresses. They lay it on thick with the keyboards going into "Dyrafjorour" then bring in a very Pink Floyd guitar solo. David Gilmore is one of my favorite guitarists so if you can bring him to mind that is saying something. Though their guitar tone is far from being as immaculate as his. The vocals are sung in Icelandic which doesn't translate well to the melody they are trying to employ. So this puts the song's fate in the hands of a guitar melody that brings us back to our rule here ....cool riffs alone do not make a good song. The "Us & Them" ambiance is cool and all, but doesn't knock a home run.

They are back in a more Floydian direction on "Ambatt" which finds the softer vocal touch working form  better than some of the more rock tinged moments. There is a slight jammy tone to how this song unfolds. When the over driven guitar melody slides in they have hit one of the album's stronger dynamic places. "Blafjall" has a more aggressive pulse that eventually turns into a more metallic chug, but aside from the heaviness, it doesn't connect as soundly with me as some of the albums other songs. The final two minutes of this song find the band taking off in a way that might remind you of their earlier days, but it's almost too little too late in that regard.At the end of the day it depends on how much you embrace the changes this band has under gone over the years, if you have been along for the ride up until this point it will seem like a very natural progression to this point. In any case I'll give this album an 8.5.