Skáphe & Wormlust - Kosmískur Hryllingur (2019)

•  †  •

An apt follow up to the Mannveira post is this collaboration album Skáphe and Wormlust put out back in 2019 through Mystískaos and its a cosmic heavy hitter by two enigmatic giants in the genre of forward-thinking metal. If you were to look at the roster that is backing up every sonic decision on this album you would quickly glean that this union might be among the undergrounds most prolific and accomplished assemblage of members—Being comprised by a venerable cast including Misþyrming, Chaos Moon, Naðra, Triumvir Foul, Martoð, Ljáin, Dagger Lust, Almyrkvi, Sinmara, Guðveiki, Momentum (Ask any musician in Iceland and they will remember this band), this is only naming a few…

I'm still amazed this album exists, I can only imagine the writing process was something strange considering members don't all live in the same country let alone city. This is a monolithic two-track album of downward spiralling black/death metal heavy on ambient soundscapes of cosmic psychedelia and the esoteric. A musical equivalent to a family vacation on the abyssal plains. 

"Name your price" on Bandcamp, you can't really go wrong here.

Skáphe & Wormlust - Kosmískur Hryllingur (bandcamp)

Mannveira - Vítahringur (2021)

•  †  •

Iceland has earned an automatic grace with me—If I see an album under the canopy of black/death metal being put out from the windswept nation I will always direct some time and energy into listening to that thing, and you should too… They've earned it. The list of quality albums coming from that tiny island has got to be the highest per capita out of anywhere else?

I digress, musically Vítahringur is a melting pot of all those Icelandic sounds but with more poise. I see Mannveira slapped with a black metal tag everywhere, but not only is that lazy, it's not accurate. Without dipping into the overly formulaic and trite discussion of genres (and their sub-genres) its worth it (especially in this case) to acknowledge the myriad of nuance. 

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Its foundations are built mostly upon the Icelandic black metal sound of whirring and hypnotic guitar chords much like Naðra, Sinmara, Svartidauði and Misþyrming (etc.) albeit with a little more focus on the space around the chords and creating atmosphere through something more of a doom tinged approach of canyon like mid-tempo, which often features lofty guitars akin to post-metal more so than black metal. A standout difference to me is in the vocal mix, which favours a much bulkier sound than its counterparts, barely if ever dipping into anything of a shrill like scream that's become omnipotent in Icelandic black metal. Before I get to verbose I'll just say that Mannveira have achieved something dense and great here, as always, worth your time and energy!

Mannveira - Vítahringur (bandcamp)

Kaleikr - Heart of Lead (2019)

•  †  •

Icelandic metal has garnered the attention and reverence of many, predominantly in the underground bestial arenas–most likely, I would imagine, due to the intellectually impetuous execution of the sound and the brazen Icelandic ethos when it comes to writing music (I've had my ear to the ground with Icelandic music since my visit in 2010 and have attended multiple Iceland Airwaves festival since) and their unmatched ability to amalgamate between sounds and influences in a way that remains true to its purist form while pushing boundaries in a way that fails to be contrived.

Let's quickly pay heed to all of Iceland's impressive successes within the last few years;

Sinmara, Svartidauði, Misþyrming, Kaleikr, Wormlust, Ljáin, Carpe Noctem, Naðra, Zhrine, Mannveira, Örmagna, Almyrkvi, Auðn, Skáphe (partially)

Notable company for a windswept country of only 300, 000.

•  Ω  •

Kaleikr were instantly interesting for me, being that they are another metal band from the quiver of Iceland, a new metal band to sink my teeth into and digest and judge, to enjoy or condemn, etc. In summation, once I noticed the progressive tag slapped to the pigeon-holing process of applying genre tags to music, I winced and cringed, mostly because most pieces of progressive music I'm turned onto never really strike any chord with me or are too farcical to take seriously. That being said, I am still no stranger to the genre so I kept my closed-mind open-minded.

Kaleikr's take on fusing death metal, doom, black and flourishes of the grandiosity of atmospheric pagan metal with the tumbling structure of progressive metal has been thoroughly enjoyable. Heart of Lead manages this concoction with an expertly ease, an acumen in genre melding; At times i'm reminded of something like Panopticon and Saor (mostly akin to the drumming nature), to Be'lakor and the psychedelic tinged moments of Wormlust, etc, etc.

Before I get to verbose with my keyboard fingers, I'll leave this post with this and only this; Though things of this sonic nature are slightly under my own personal radar these days, I dig almost everything in and around Heart of lead, a very tight debut, at the very least. 

Kaleikr - Heart of Lead (bandcamp)

Sinmara - Hvísi Stjarnanna (2019)

•  †  •

Icelandic metal has garnered the attention and reverence of many, predominantly in the underground bestial arenas–most likely, I would imagine, due to the intellectually impetuous execution of the sound and the brazen Icelandic ethos when it comes to writing music (I've had my ear to the ground with Icelandic music since my visit in 2010 and have attended multiple Iceland Airwaves festival since) and their unmatched ability to amalgamate between sounds and influences in a way that remains true to its purist form while pushing boundaries in a way that fails to be contrived.

Let's quickly pay heed to all of Iceland's impressive successes within the last few years;

Sinmara, Svartidauði, Misþyrming, Kaleikr, Wormlust, Ljáin, Carpe Noctem, Naðra, Zhrine, Mannveira, Örmagna, Almyrkvi, Auðn, Skáphe (partially)

Notable company for a windswept country of only 300, 000.

•  Ω  •

Sinmara's latest Hvísi Stjarnanna is proving to be another Icelandic release worth paying attention to this year. As I write this I have only listened though it's entirety once so far, and I'm liking everything I hear… Though I questioned if I would prefer a slightly murkier production (a la maybe Misþyrming) for this ilk but It's quite in line with their previous releases which proved to be on the money. I digress, nit-picking aside, Hvísi Stjarnanna is a formidable beast in the realm of forward-thinking black metal among the upper echelon of Icelandic metal.

Hvísi Stjarnanna features whirring guitars that pirouette through a curtain of dissonant riffs that often bloom into these bright flourishes which lend a melodic atmosphere amidst the bludgeoning backdrop of drums and fills–I like the use of the cymbals to bolster rhythm beyond the skins, something that metal cut from this cloth underutilizes in my opinion… The vocals are what you'd expect, but that's not to undersell them, it's well met and mixed in in a way that doesn't overbear and snuff out the brooding atmosphere that dips and swells throughout.

I found myself notably impressed with the bridge at 04:07 on the track 'Crimson Stars', is there a whiff of Bel'akor like melody to be heard? Maybe. Probably not, but I find myself impressed to find it on here nonetheless.

I will be posting more new Icelandic metal in the days to follow. Enjoy it, or don't.

Sinmara - Hvísi Stjarnanna (bandcamp)

Misþyrming - Söngvar elds og óreiðu (2015)

Iceland just might be the most consistent hotbed for churning out bestial sounding black metal. The same way New Zealand and Canada have been without a doubt the birthplace of some of the most venerable and savage sounding bestial death metal, a la; Revenge, Diocletian, Antediluvian, Mitochondrion, Vassafor, Witchrist, Blasphemy, Heresiarch, etc. etc…

Iceland, with a population that is said to be less than the sheep residing there, has been at the top of this gnarled and barbaric totem pole. The proverbial totem pole of bestial black metal. As of late, the island of hard to pronounce volcanoes and delicious hotdogs has seen recent releases from Carpe Noctem, Svartidauði, Wormlust, Sinmara, Mannveira and now the debut by Misþyrming… Which infallibly will be seen in many year-end lists us dweebs like to make, including my own.

All facets of 'Söngvar elds og óreiðu' point to a tumultuous listen; blistering riffs that morph from eviscerating to mesmerizing all the way to riffs that show some panache! Take the song "Söngur uppljómunar"for example, it starts off with a wonky riff reminiscent to something Negative Plane or Peste Noire might do and then unravels into unabashed viking riffing akin to something Kampfar would write. See for yourself.


This album is up for 'Name your price' on Bandcamp (which is by far my favorite way of purchasing music these days), it gives you the chance to pay what you feel is worth it, and if you can't even afford a dollar, type in 0$ for a free download.

Misþyrming (bandcamp/download)

LOGN - Í Fráhvarfi Ljóss, Myrkrið Lifnar Við (In depth review)

I recently did a review for my pal Birkir over at Halifax Collect, I went in-depth on Logn's "Í Fráhvarfi Ljóss, Myrkrið Lifnar Við"… below is a small except from it, I suggest grabbing the album, enjoying it, and reading the words on your screen.


- This young (albeit mature in sound) band hailing from Iceland's capital, Reykjavík, set out to assail your auditory meatus with a cornucopia of musical influences. Audible throughout the unpronounceable album Í fráhvarfi ljóss, myrkrið lifnar við (say that 5 times fast - Icelanders, you can't play) is a palatable blend of crust, grind, hardcore, d-beat and nuances of death metal and sludge that take form in a muddied, non-polished aesthetic. A grizzly host of dark and pissed off tracks that seamlessly teeter in an out of pace, one moment being lulled into a foreboding melancholy that suddenly shifts the calm of the storm and your back on your ass being barraged by a flurry of blasts, pummelling riffs and shattering screams. The tone that permeates throughout the entire album gives everything a very woeful personality further enforcing its grittiness - it's presentation is decorated with subtleties that help it escape the clutches of "heard this before"... (click here for full article)

•  •  •

To head to the bands bandcamp, click this fucker. (name your price buckos!)
To waste your time, click here.

Muck: Interview

I got in touch with Ási, drummer of the Icelandic hardcore band Muck and pretty much just wasted his time with some questions! Check these dudes out, they are grimier than those Chinese squat toilets and hoist the energy of an atom bomb.

•  •  •

What's the fuck is up Ási, how is the weather fairing in Iceland? Thank you for putting up with my stupidity and taking the time to answer some questions like you are in school again. Let's have fun with it.

Hey man. The weather is pretty good at the moment. LETS DANCE!

1) "Here Comes The Man!" fucking rules, it has the atmosphere of an insane asylum and a schizophrenic structure with plenty of wonky discordance. I smile every time I hear 02:25 - 02:40, I don't know what it is exactly about that section, but I think it has something to do with that distant guitar twanging in the background… just sounds so fucking groovy.

I realized I still haven't asked you a question yet, so I'll ask this: Do you have a cowbell on your rig? If not, have you put any thought into getting one? 01:29 - 01:33 could have been cowbell city, takes a man to successfully pull off the cowbell.

Thanks for the pleasant words. That part at 02:25 always makes me think of Mastodon for some reason. As for the real question; No I don't use a cowbell on my rig although I do own one. I think I might just try that one out, thanks for the idea

2) If you had to get a lyrical fragment from a Muck song tattooed on your kneecap which would you use?

I actually already have old lyrical fragments from Muck on my arms. What I would get now is probably this one from the song "Island"
"I'm getting sick and tired of the same spots

The same stops

The same walks

the same small talk
 
I'm sick of you Iceland

I'm sick of you all"

3) Which aspect of your drumming do you feel needs the most improvement?

Well. I think every bit of my drumming could improve all of the time but I feel that's a natural feeling. You have to always strive to get better, to improve more and more.

4) You guys as a band seem to keep pretty fucking busy, so which description mostly fits this reason:

A) We are a very hard-working productive group.

B) It's all about the fans man!

C) Truthfully, we are just bored, so we fill our time with Muck

D) We love the music, we love the reaction we get, and we love to bang fucking heads… and get naked… a lot.

I guess it's a mixture of all of the above. Mostly D though, we fucking love to bang heads!

5) Do you guys really get naked that often? I mean, I've seen a video of you guys jamming naked… once. What gives?

We've done a lot of shit. We've played naked a bunch of times, we've played in dresses, we've played in our underwear after pouring fake blood into them so it looked like we were having our period. And we'll probably keep on doing stupid shit like that.

6) Which would you rather get into a bare knuckle fist fight with a mid-sized great white shark or a crazed mother grizzly bear?

I'd definitely take on the grizzly bear since it made me think of Tekken. Man…I always used to play as the bear in Tekken.

7) I am going to list off songs that are all under a minute in length. Each song is devastatingly pissed off in its own way. Which song for most angry sounding? If Muck had to cover one of these songs live, which would it be? Lastly, which song will be looping on repeat during your fight with the Shark or Bear?

A) Living Hell

B) Eaten Alive

C) Erased Existence

D) Deluded

E) Flood

F) Maggots

G) Skeleton

H) Street Sweeper

I) Old Friends Don't Mean Shit

J) Rotten

K) Use of Weapons

L) Phoenix in Flames


The Ceremony song is definitely an old favorite and I'd put it on loop for my fight with the grizzly bear. I think the Low Places one is the angriest one. I'd love to cover Vile Gash for Muck. That'd be the shit!

8) Do you have a broad musical palette within more extreme music yourself?

I have a real open mind and I'm accepting of all types of music, be it extreme or not. I try not to think of genres but more to what intrigues me. That being said I've been getting a lot into old Icelandic disco stuff.

9) Mercyful Fate or Bad Religion?

Bad Religion

10) Which musical direction do you see Muck moving towards in the early future?

Our music is constantly evolving. I feel like we're always learning more and more what we like and where we want to go. Our new songs are pretty rock and roll.

11) Why the name Muck? Is it because you guys are scummy dudes who play some mucky tunes? Or was it more of a "It sounds rad!" type decision?

It was definitely more of a "it sounds rad" kind of thing. Kalli and Indriði (our guitarists) had been thinking about starting a band for a long time and they wanted it to be the heaviest band ever. Muck sounds fucking heavy ergo the name.

12) So you guys are playing Iceland Airwaves and Eistnaflug 2012. Which are you more pumped for? Do you feel a tad out of place playing Airwaves, or is this an open-minded crowd in a festival filled with a more "top the radio charts" type sound?

Eistnaflug was this past weekend and it was fucking awesome. I was definitely way more pumped for that. The atmosphere was awesome and we played so fucking good. Regarding Airwaves I don't really feel out of place there. The festival is definitely open minded although they don't really cater that much to the extreme music crowd. It's a shame because Iceland has one of the most exciting extreme music in the world in my opinion.

13) How confident are you in your blast beat abilities? Could you and Ragnar Sverrisson of Beneath ever switch roles?

I'm pretty confident in my blasts. I might not be as fast as Ragnar but I'm definitely tight. I'd love to drum for Beneath.

Although I think the main question is; Could Ragnar drum for Muck???

14) There are 4 of you guys in Muck and there are 4 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, according to Ási who is Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michael Angelo?

FUCK. This is definitely the hardest question here.

Kalli is definitely Michael Angelo. He's the party dude

Loftur is Donatello 'cause he knows a bunch of shit.

Indriði he's probably Raphael

Which leaves me with Leonardo because he's the coolest.

15) When I first heard Muck, I thought of bands like Khann, Alpinist, and Botch. Though it doesn't fit in with any in particular, it rather hoists a variety of different influences. So, what are Muck's driving influences?

I think it's funny to hear Alpinist. We played with them when we went to Europe in 2009. That was a pretty fundamental year in Muck's evolution, it got me thinking of how much the Alpinist guys might have influenced our sound to date.
In my opinion Muck has so many influences. Right now I think we're all listening to Frank Ocean's new album…Oh, and Loftur is listening a lot to Castevet.

16) How big is your music collection?

I have an alright music collection. I'm kind of a vinyl nut so I have probably 200+ records in my catalogue right now. iTunes is pretty huge as well.

17) How was Muck's experience at the Eistnaflug festival? Any funny stories? In your opinion who put on the best show?

We had a lovely experience at this beautiful festival. We played on Saturday at a pretty decent slot and like I said earlier we put on a pretty stellar show. The reunion of I Adapt was a high point for me for sure. This festival is so nice and it's so amazing to see all these people come together in perfect harmony. I was wasted for three days and it was so awesome.

18) Finally, the most important question of all, and one I asked Ophidian I and Beneath; I'm trying really hard to visit Iceland again this September or October, where would I most likely find members of Muck hanging out on a Friday or Saturday? Who is likely to be the most drunk? Who is most likely to come stumbling to the hotdog vendor with me?

You'll probably find MUCK at Bakkus. We all stumble there at one point or another during the weekend. Our bassist Loftur he will be dead drunk trying to convince you about the pointlessness of life while you guys walk to the hot dog vendor. I might come to if I'm not too busy dancing.

END.

Land of Ice & Vikings

This Monday, me and three friends embark on a two week trip to Iceland. Arguably the coolest place on earth. Geysers spout, waterfalls topple, fjords weave, volcanoes erupt, mountains peek, obsidian's ridge...you get the idea. This place rules.

I'll be trekking along the same lands as the vikings had during the 8th century, so a plethora of viking/folk/power metal will be accompanying me on my 32 GB iPhone. Not Björk or Sigur Rós, fuck that.

Here, a list of albums I am most stoked to listen to whilst in the land of ice.

________________________________________________________________


Fortid - Voluspa Part III: Fall of the Ages

 
Folkodia - Forgotten Lore

Butterfly Temple - Earth

Empyrium - Weiland

Lemuria - Tales Ale & Fire

 

Winterfylleth - The Mercian Sphere

 

Heathen Foray - The Passage

Satanakozel - The Sun of the Dead

Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini

Neun Welten - Destrunken

Agalloch - Marrow of the Spirit

Avven - Kastalija

Borknagar - The Archaic Course

Crom - Vengeance

Wuthering Heights - Far From The Madding Crowd

 

Nàttsòl - Stemning

 

Wodensthrone - Loss

Wolfchant - A Pagan Storm

Svartby - Riv, Hugg Och Bit

Nydvind - Sworn To The Elders

Voluspaa - Åsa

Falchion - Chronicles Of The Dead

 Galar - Til Alle Heimsens Endar

Ásmegin - Hin Vordende Sod & Sø

Svartsot - Mulmets Viser