Moouristin

"There’s something to be said for the willingness to change. Some bands get stuck in the mud, developing a signature sound and then finding that they are unable to shake free of it. Iceland’s Momentum is not one of those bands. The band technically started in 2002 as a one-man black metal act called Afsprengi Satans. The first transformation came a year or two later as drummer Kristján Gudmundsson began to add musicians that could help play his music in a live setting. Those early sounds ranged from black metal to death metal, and the Momentum moniker arose out of the realization that this wasn’t the same band that Gudmundsson had started.As the band has progressed, from their first recorded demo Death to Christianity to their newest release The Freak is Alive, they have mutated into a three-piece progressive sludge/doom act. Kristján Gudmundsson is still playing drums, with bandmates Ingvar Sæmundsson and Hörður Ólafsson handling guitar and bass duties, respectively. With tinges of post-metal and deep clean vocals that are reminiscent of some kind of Gregorian chant, Momentum certainly does not rest on their laurels.he Freak is Alive is an album I picked up simply because I thought both the title and album artwork were a little ridiculous. I had no prior experience with Momentum, but I was immediately taken with Holaf’s vocal stylings. The album’s lead off track ‘Bury The Eyes Once Gold’ is one of my favorites, and demonstrates the range in Holaf’s voice. His howls are intense and full of emotion, while his clean singing is low and haunting. The track starts off heavy and sets the tone for the rest of the record. ‘Between Two Worlds’ has opens with a clean, melancholy guitar progression. Other standout tracks include ‘Gauntlet’, a six-minute journey that makes use of a sitar, and ‘Creator of Malignant Metaphors’ with its intricate guitar lead. The record has a gloomy, heavy feeling that is well represented in the first two tracks and carried through final seconds of sound. Whether the guitars are clean or distorted, whether the vocals are clean or howling, The Freak is Alive stays heavy and a little sad.Momentum makes good use of odd time signatures, strings and sitar, and melds progressive and post-metal with sludge in a really interesting way. My only issue with the album is that by the time I get to the final two tracks, ‘Undercover Imagination’ and ‘Depth of the Whole’, the melancholia is played out. The last two tracks don’t grab your attention the way the earlier songs do. It leaves the ending of the album weak. Overall though, I appreciate and enjoy what Momentum has done on this record. I’m very glad to have discovered this treasure from Iceland, and I certainly recommend you dive into their previous albums." - Echoes And Dust 

"Sólstafir have created yet another incredibly luscious record, filled to the brim with many ideas and emotions that will leave a mark on your soul, but only if you let it.The moment I first feasted my eyes on the beautiful album art for Endless Twilight of Codependent Love, I was left with nothing but high expectations for this record. Historically, Sólstafir have never been a group to disappoint in any way and have consistently been pumping out quality records. Love them or hate them, their music is something unique to them and them alone. Endless Twilight of Codependent Love is a slow, melancholic journey that will only move you if you let it move you. The question is, are you willing to open yourself up?Sólstafir have never been known to compose songs that provide instant gratification. They’ve always strived to write their songs to be incredibly organic and not be confined to any rules or defined structures. Although once a black metal band, Sólstafir have evolved over the years into something that is genuinely unique to them, with that sound being rooted in post-rock, with folk and other various influences. Whenever I think of music that represents Iceland, I always immediately think of Sigur Rós, Björk, and Sósltafir as the ‘big three’.Listening to this record without any lyrical context, as I did the first couple of times, led to a very underwhelming experience in all honesty. At first, it felt like the songs were just too long and didn’t go anywhere interesting. It seemed as if Sólstafir were just aimlessly wandering throughout these tracks, with the songs going nowhere. But once I sat down and read about the conceptual background, my next playthrough was a wholly different experience. I couldn’t believe that I was listening to the same record, given that I was now aware of what inspired the music.At first, Sólstafir’s lyrical content was based around Nordic mythology but their recent efforts, including Endless Twilight…, have taken a different, much more personal lyrical approach. As of late, their lyrical content focuses more on various issues such as depression, alcoholism, and the negative connotation regarding said topics in men; how they’re perceived as weak for expressing their struggles. The members in Sólstafir are all very open with one another regarding their hurdles and mental battles, and they all collectively create this musical safe space to express and learn about these feelings and perspectives. One particular theme emphasized in this record is mental illness. For example, “Her Fall From Grace” delves into experiencing a loved one slowly wither away due to their crippling depression. This is something no one should have to go through, but it happens in every dark corner of the world and people, more often than not, silently cope with this without any support. Given this context, the emotion and atmosphere captured on Endless Twilight of Codependent Love personify this feeling extremely well.Now having this all in mind, as mentioned earlier, every playthrough after was an entrancing experience. At first, I was just listening for the sake of listening, but once I invested my time and effort to further understand the record, the music just hit that much harder. It took me for a long rollercoaster ride of emotions and I did not buckle myself in properly. Although the lyrics for every track, with the exception of “Her Fall From Grace”, are in Icelandic, you can just feel the anguish and sorrow portrayed in the vocals, despite not being able to understand them. This is one of those records where in order to properly appreciate it, you need to lose all sense of time and any preconceived expectations. Sit down, kick back, and let this record consume you.Music-wise, there is plenty of variation throughout Endless Twilight…. At one moment, you’ll be embraced by luscious soundscapes with the inclusion of violins and piano, as heard on “Rökkur” and “Or”, as well as upbeat yet still melancholic passages that follow later in the track. The record starts off incredibly slow and moody with “Akkeri”, and shortly into the track, it kicks into high gear as it leads to a groovy jam session with some killer cowbell. “Drýsill” has a magical, massive outro I cannot get enough of, with layered background vocals as the rest of the band goes absolutely nuts. For the most part, the tracks tend to start off leisurely and sorrowful, but they build to something truly satisfying and emotional towards their end.Once “Dionysus” comes around you’ll want to strap yourself in, as this track takes a turn from the sound heard on the preceding tracks and is paced even faster. It has a galloped pacing that reminds me of “Barracuda” by Heart; it is this track in particular where you can really feel the anguish and suffering in the vocals. In addition, “Dionysus” reminds me quite a bit of the new Wayfarer record that recently dropped, with that Spaghetti Western, black metal/post-rock sound. “Or” is a groovy little ditty that makes me feel like I’m watching a noir film once it starts. Towards the end of this song, I am doing my best to sing along in Icelandic while I ugly cry. Despite being in an entirely different language than I am used to, this record is infectious when it means to be.I am not going to lie, Endless Twilight of Codependent Love definitely had me fooled. I was not sold at all on the record and felt that it was a huge snoozefest at first. But once I took the time to learn more about the album and was more patient with it, I had the complete polar opposite experience. This new adventure was one that was mystifying and had me head over heels for the dreamy and sorrowful soundscapes, along with the twists and turns that awaited in nearly every song. Add Sólstafir’s newest effort to the list of records that age like a fine wine, because this record just gets better and better with each successive listen, that is for damn certain." - Everything Is Noise

"Katla is an Icelandic band featuring ex-Sólstafir drummer and visual artist Guðmundur Óli Pálmason and singer/multi-instrumentalist Einar Thorberg Guðmundsson (Fortíð, Potentiam). Named in tribute to one of Iceland's greatest active volcanos, Katla creates powerful, panoramic music where shimmering guitars, crushing melodies and atmospheric density meet dark, entrancing power. Katla's debut album, "Móðurástin", shines a spotlight on the band's hook-heavy, horizon-stretching sound. The lyrics tell tales of living in a country of contrasts; a land where fire and ice co-exist and dark winters are offset by the summer's midnight sun. Iceland: a country where insular existence has spurred a rich and vibrant culture. "Móðurástin", Icelandic for (a) Mother's Love, might seem like a strange title for a metal album, but Katla dares to be different. What on Earth is stronger than a mother's love? Nothing. Not hate, not lust, not greed. Katla has shaped a towering sound sharpened by experience and forged for fans of heavy, atmospheric music. It is time for Katla to erupt again!"

Collector's edition in clamshell box including CD with bonus tracks 'Hrollkalda Þoka Einmanaleikans' and 'Hann fór Sjálfur' in Digipak with 20-page booklet + black teddy cloth wristband with embroidered SOLSTAFIR logo in white + printed fake-leather magnet + black webcam cover with white SOLSTAFIR logo.All items are exclusive to this collector's edition!"Sólstafir have created yet another incredibly luscious record, filled to the brim with many ideas and emotions that will leave a mark on your soul, but only if you let it.The moment I first feasted my eyes on the beautiful album art for Endless Twilight of Codependent Love, I was left with nothing but high expectations for this record. Historically, Sólstafir have never been a group to disappoint in any way and have consistently been pumping out quality records. Love them or hate them, their music is something unique to them and them alone. Endless Twilight of Codependent Love is a slow, melancholic journey that will only move you if you let it move you. The question is, are you willing to open yourself up?Sólstafir have never been known to compose songs that provide instant gratification. They’ve always strived to write their songs to be incredibly organic and not be confined to any rules or defined structures. Although once a black metal band, Sólstafir have evolved over the years into something that is genuinely unique to them, with that sound being rooted in post-rock, with folk and other various influences. Whenever I think of music that represents Iceland, I always immediately think of Sigur Rós, Björk, and Sósltafir as the ‘big three’.Listening to this record without any lyrical context, as I did the first couple of times, led to a very underwhelming experience in all honesty. At first, it felt like the songs were just too long and didn’t go anywhere interesting. It seemed as if Sólstafir were just aimlessly wandering throughout these tracks, with the songs going nowhere. But once I sat down and read about the conceptual background, my next playthrough was a wholly different experience. I couldn’t believe that I was listening to the same record, given that I was now aware of what inspired the music.At first, Sólstafir’s lyrical content was based around Nordic mythology but their recent efforts, including Endless Twilight…, have taken a different, much more personal lyrical approach. As of late, their lyrical content focuses more on various issues such as depression, alcoholism, and the negative connotation regarding said topics in men; how they’re perceived as weak for expressing their struggles. The members in Sólstafir are all very open with one another regarding their hurdles and mental battles, and they all collectively create this musical safe space to express and learn about these feelings and perspectives. One particular theme emphasized in this record is mental illness. For example, “Her Fall From Grace” delves into experiencing a loved one slowly wither away due to their crippling depression. This is something no one should have to go through, but it happens in every dark corner of the world and people, more often than not, silently cope with this without any support. Given this context, the emotion and atmosphere captured on Endless Twilight of Codependent Love personify this feeling extremely well.Now having this all in mind, as mentioned earlier, every playthrough after was an entrancing experience. At first, I was just listening for the sake of listening, but once I invested my time and effort to further understand the record, the music just hit that much harder. It took me for a long rollercoaster ride of emotions and I did not buckle myself in properly. Although the lyrics for every track, with the exception of “Her Fall From Grace”, are in Icelandic, you can just feel the anguish and sorrow portrayed in the vocals, despite not being able to understand them. This is one of those records where in order to properly appreciate it, you need to lose all sense of time and any preconceived expectations. Sit down, kick back, and let this record consume you.Music-wise, there is plenty of variation throughout Endless Twilight…. At one moment, you’ll be embraced by luscious soundscapes with the inclusion of violins and piano, as heard on “Rökkur” and “Or”, as well as upbeat yet still melancholic passages that follow later in the track. The record starts off incredibly slow and moody with “Akkeri”, and shortly into the track, it kicks into high gear as it leads to a groovy jam session with some killer cowbell. “Drýsill” has a magical, massive outro I cannot get enough of, with layered background vocals as the rest of the band goes absolutely nuts. For the most part, the tracks tend to start off leisurely and sorrowful, but they build to something truly satisfying and emotional towards their end.Once “Dionysus” comes around you’ll want to strap yourself in, as this track takes a turn from the sound heard on the preceding tracks and is paced even faster. It has a galloped pacing that reminds me of “Barracuda” by Heart; it is this track in particular where you can really feel the anguish and suffering in the vocals. In addition, “Dionysus” reminds me quite a bit of the new Wayfarer record that recently dropped, with that Spaghetti Western, black metal/post-rock sound. “Or” is a groovy little ditty that makes me feel like I’m watching a noir film once it starts. Towards the end of this song, I am doing my best to sing along in Icelandic while I ugly cry. Despite being in an entirely different language than I am used to, this record is infectious when it means to be.I am not going to lie, Endless Twilight of Codependent Love definitely had me fooled. I was not sold at all on the record and felt that it was a huge snoozefest at first. But once I took the time to learn more about the album and was more patient with it, I had the complete polar opposite experience. This new adventure was one that was mystifying and had me head over heels for the dreamy and sorrowful soundscapes, along with the twists and turns that awaited in nearly every song. Add Sólstafir’s newest effort to the list of records that age like a fine wine, because this record just gets better and better with each successive listen, that is for damn certain." - Everything Is Noise

""It is a rare thing these days for a post-metal band to break the mold. So many bands play sludgy, lurching, epic metal that it can be hard to tell what band is trying to sound like Isis this time. This brings me to the breath of fresh air that is Secrets of the Sky.The Oakland based sextet takes what is a great but tired genre and adds a dash of black metal and a bit of prog. Imagine if you tossed Neurosis, more recent Immortal, and Porcupine Tree into a blender. Sounds like a fucked up mix, right? It's an awesome fucked up mix though.The Sail Black Waters consists of 4 tracks that are rooted in sludge, that manage to take twists and turns throughout it's all-too-short forty-one minute run-time. There are moments of dreamy soundscapes, harmonized clean vocals, and crescendos aplenty.A band they bring to mind is the Australian black-metal-with-a-violin band Ne Obliviscaris. They don't necessarily sound alike, especially because Secrets of the Skysimple aren't playing as fast, but their progressions are quite similar. Also, Secrets happen to employ a violin as one of the several talents of vocalist Garett Gazay. Their use of it is much more subtle than Ne Obliviscaris to the point where it becomes a game listening for it.In short, a phenomenal debut." - Metal Injection

"Chill metal? In our genre-naming culture, Zaius would do well to jump in front of that one in terms of colorful self-description. In all seriousness though, it does seem to pretty accurately describe what is going on with their music. The up-and-coming instrumental act has been at it for a few EPs at this point, with Prosthetic officially launching their full-length debut, Of Adoration.Casually blending metal with post rock, there’s never a moment on the album that feels abrasive or even aggressive in tone. While that might be a turn off for some, some of the strongest instrumental band work usually comes in this form. Without having to stick vocals in front of their music, they don’t have to feel relegated to the ‘verse/chorus/verse’ formatting and just simply go with gut instinct. Zaius have a good grasp on this, and never wander too far into random territory. Instead each track seems to focus itself on the mood and setting of the material, giving it just enough structure. It can all flow together if you let it, but each track on its own still stands strong. Gentle melodies still contain a fair bit of power (see “Echelon”), and they work best to stick into your head in an almost hypnotic approach. There’s a good blend of melancholy and tenderness, with songs like “Anicca” slowly building up towards something a bit heavier in their back-end. The type of material that you could easily imagine being the soundtrack for a video game on the dreamier side of things. Some moments of heaviness level things once in a while, such as “Magnolia,” and give the band a chance to flex some muscle in a way that doesn’t feel out of character.Of Adoration carefully strings together floaty, airy music that still has enough riff power to keep you attentive as they weave pensive melodies. Some really beautiful passages to be had, which will whisk you away to a peaceful journey." - Dead Rhetoric