Solstafir’s “Köld” is the Metal Album That Iceland Has Been Waiting Fjord

by Alex Chan in Album Reviews, New Releases, Reviews

How often do you hear about Iceland these days? Sure, there are a few news stories every so often about their economy, but overall, not much seems to happen in that little island nation. You could ask someone on the street what they know about Iceland, and they’d probably mention Bjork, Sigur Ros, and something about Vikings. So imagine my surprise when I learned that the first metal album of 2009 to truly blow me away was by an Icelandic band. To be honest, I still don’t know what to make of that. All I know is that Reykjavik-based metal outfit Solstafir is simply one of the most exciting artists to come out of that neck in the woods since…well, since Sigur Ros.

First, a bit of background. The band, whose name is Icelandic for “radiating sun beams,” released a series of demos and one album between 1995 and 2002, all of which created quite a stir in the underground metal community. As their Myspace page puts it, these relatively obscure demos were discovered by Ketzer Records “through the marvels of the internet.” After a few re-releases of old material on this label, the band geared up for their first serious full length. 2005’s “Masterpiece of Bitterness” lived up to its name, and formally introduced the world to Solstafir’s unique brand of metal. 4 years later, those crazy Icelanders have done it again with their album Köld.

I’m not entirely sure how Solstafir can be classified beyond the catch-all label of “metal”.  They are unlike anything I have ever heard. The vocals are not so much sung or screamed as they are shouted in a fashion vaguely reminiscent of Primordial. The lyrics are primarily in English (except for the title track, which is sung in Icelandic), and deal with the familiar subjects of despair and loneliness. But there is a certain feeling of hope in each track, no matter how pained the vocals may sound. Songs will often begin on a heavy note and end triumphantly, thanks in part to the instrumentation, which borrows from post metal and sludge. The riffs on Köld manage to be massive and fiercely melodic without sacrificing a sense of density and weight.

One of the album’s primary strengths is that no two tracks on Köld sound alike—a testament to Solstafir’s expanding (and well balanced) sonic palette. “78 Days in the Desert” is an upbeat instrumental rocker that invokes the elemental majesty of towering sand dunes and howling winds. “Love is the Devil (and I am in Love)” has an almost punk sensibility in its driving rhythm, while “World Void of Souls” is a slow burner that takes a full eleven minutes to reach its climax. “Goddess of the Ages,” the fantastic closer, rises and falls with all the carefully crafted tension of a post-rock song. Solstafir won’t bombard listeners with crushing brutality or flashy solos, but they will certainly overwhelm with the rawness and naked emotion that make up their sound. Solitude may sting like the northern wind, but the cathartic build up and release of such frustration is achieved in a way that doesn’t hinge on chugging riffs and blast beats.

Much like the country from which they hail, Solstafir’s music is not as icy and inhospitable as one would think. Köld is an album that deals out dangerously catchy hooks and incredible walls of sound that will surely put Iceland on the map as far as metal is concerned. Highly recommended.