Reykjavík Grapevine - 25.09.2009, Qupperneq 31

19
the reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 15 — 2009

Preserving quality
is our business
Open daily for lunch and dinners
Special off er on Monday
and Tuesday – 3 course dinner
for only 4200 ISK.
Reservation: tel. 552 5700,
e-mail: gallery@holt.is
Bergstaðastræti 37 s. 552 5700
holt@holt.is www.holt.is
Elegant surroundings
Superb cuisine
Modern comfort
MTSN are a noisy four piece who
have been wowing crowds all this
year with their energetic live shows
and positive reviews. And finally their
debut EP is out to the baying public.
Thankfully some of their live energy
has transferred onto record. The title
track “She’s a maniac” and “Marske
by the Sea” are the strongest tracks,
both showing a great line in dirty,
scuzzy, blues-tinged rock. Allied with
Binni's screaming lead vocals, it’s
rather reminiscent of Minutemen and
a harder Blues Explosion. They do fall
down a bit however with a cover of Jimi
Hendrix’s “Purple Haze” that should
only ever be done by schoolboy cover
bands. And while “3537 Dogs” is the
most expansive song, the production is
not as clean as the rest of the EP. But
this is definitely a band that’s on the up
and up. Long may it continue.
-BoB cluNess
What is it with the Finns when it comes
to music? Perhaps it's their landscape
or the lack of sunlight, but whenever
they make music it almost seems
that they are bound by law to make
it as twisted, dark and brooding as
possible. These guys are no exception.
While Circle of Ouroborus have been
labelled as “progressive Black metal,”
the bony fingers of 80's New wave and
post punk are all over their sound. The
best way I can describe them is if Joy
Division’s Ian Curtis listened to heavy
metal instead of David Bowie. Certainly
songs such as a “Root Casket” have
lashings of blackness and trepidation.
But all of this is undone by truly shoddy
production that overloads the guitars,
makes the drums almost inaudible
and the vocals sound like they’ve been
done in the studio toilets. Damn, so
close but a ruined opportunity to make
a new take on metal music.
-BoB cluNess
me, the slumbering
Napoleon
circle of ouroborus
Marske by the sea EP (2009)
Tree of knowledge (2009)
slumberingnapoleon
A bit rough around the edges but
a good debut.
circleofouroborusfinland
A great idea, but shitty production
robs them of any glory.
-
music | Album Reviews
+-
Sólstafir have come a long way from
their humble black metal beginnings
in the mid-nineties. Too few metal
bands dare to experiment. For
many metalheads, the onslaught of
thundering drums and wailing guitar
solos has reached such puritanical
levels that it is in many ways
comparable to religious obstinacy.
Those that stray away from the
well-trodden left hand path are
frowned upon as outcasts and pariahs.
Sólstafir have definitely experienced
this. But that is one of this strange
band’s most admirable traits: They do
not care whether you like what they’re
doing or not. They go their own way.
I remember seeing them in concert a
few years back, where the audience
was left shaking their heads as the
band left the stage (this writer being
no exception). They played only three
songs, but somehow managed to
stretch those songs to 45 minutes!
At times I found myself quite
bewildered and confused, trying to
figure out what they hoped to achieve
with all this experimenting. Their latest
offering, Köld, does however hint at
an answer. It is an intriguing blend of
metal and indie rock, with raw and
emotional vocals that at times create
a haunting atmosphere. The mood is
one of both sorrow and beauty. This
is music you could listen to on a rainy
Monday while lamenting the turn your
dreary life has taken.
With Köld, Solstafir have stamped
themselves forever in Icelandic music
history as one of the most interesting
bands to date. It’s an awesome album
that leaves you in a daze.
-flosI ÞorGeIrssoN
Coliseum without the rock. Breach
without the crashing sadness. Like
a less hectic Breather Resist. A less
frantic, slow, riff-heavy Converge. A
drunker Hope Conspiracy. A dash of
hard hitting sludge. More straight
up Botch and Coalesce, Training
For Utopia. Oh my mind, why can't
you come up with strong words as
opposed to redundant comparisons?
These thoughts crept into mind and I'm
telling you about it. As you can clearly
see HARK evokes some serious mid to
late 90s feelings in me, and I applaud
that, ‘cause they are certainly the only
band locally to do that since Mínus and
Klink, and in an international context
this type of music is much needed.
Honestly.
But don't go thinking this is some
throwback stuff. That's not it at all. The
noise level, groovy riffs, headbangery,
complete disregard for pleasantness
and the fact this is a trio, firmly
puts Hark in a league with the most
current of acts. The only thing Hark
needs is a touch of uniqueness to cut
away from what is currently going on
internationally and what came before.
Until then, this EP will be in constant
rotation because it oozes attitude and
self assurance.
-BIrkIr fjalar VIÐarssoN
sólstafir hark
Köld (2009) EP (2009)
solstafir
Definitely one of the best
Icelandic albums of the year.
harkice
Akranes' ugliest, heaviest
and best.
+ +