Solstafir - Masterpiece Of Bitterness
Spinefarm

file under different metal


A band which call their debut album 'Masterpiece Of Bitterness' and opens the same debut with a twenty minutes track, blazes of self-confidence. Four marked faces look me straight into the eyes indeed in the middle of a geyser landscape. For Solstafir comes from Iceland. And they can keep this title, for this is a true masterpiece that got me in its grip from the very first spin. In the meantime I can imagine every innovative twist of this music.

Some write and cross out work happened this time. Spontaneously bubbling up feelings were not sufficient to catch this pulsing universe of enthralling sounds in words. Solstafir makes music that mirrors their home country: impulsive, intact and savage, explosive, steaming primeval powers united in mathematic structures. Let us take the first song 'I Myself The Visionary Head as an example. Be a bit patient with the screaming lady at the beginning, but then this pass into the rough essence of the band: ponderous bass lines and repetitive guitar-lines surrounded by various drawn out slightly psychedelic sounds, hectic drums and primordial screams, a bit suggestive of Neurosis. Thoughtful riffs dominate more and more. Hypnotic riffs, ebbing away every time and beautified by skilled, very melodious soloing. Mighty whirling of empyrean beauty, twenty minutes long! This has the compression of a Primordial, the natural roughness of Thyrfing and the unpredictability of their home geysers.

Though this is the first album, the band exists since 1993-94 and earlier they released a few demos and 7" records. They did a long journey to Helsinki to master this album at the Finnvox Studios. The band started their activities in the heathen black metal scene, but evolved over the years to something quite unique. Sometimes, a bit of these black metal roots still can be heard in pithy accelerations and things become hunky all the way when wah wah guitars are on top of those devastating speeds. 'Bloodsoaked Velvet' which made it to a Spine/Spikefarm Records compilation makes me consider: the desert sessions are now taking place on the sweeping plains of Iceland! Huge parts of this album are instrumental, only incidentally pierced through by icy screams. A healthy dose of psychedelics is presents and increases the very spatial and grand feeling. Yet it never induces sound-anarchism. There is a kind of link with bands such as …And They Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead and Mogwai. For 'Masterpiece Of Bitterness' has equal parts volcanic eruption and ice. That is why this album will appeal to fans of extreme metal as well as the (heavier) alternative rock.
source : http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/showreview.p ... 80&lang=en

Looking at the number of people responded, it's obvious I'll have to do the same next time I post about a new band to get any replies.

he he

I got that from Daniel & Misha

those guys are clever !

and do check out Solstafir, it's really good

I love them. Check their Í Blóði Og Anda album from 2002. All I can say about that one is !!!!!

And the promo you were speaking about was of 2004 8)

right :oops:

and send me Í Blóði Og Anda, I can't find it ! :cry:

Where and how are you searching? If you are trying to find it in dc++ then try typing "Solstafir" or "Sólstafir" and then look for an album whose name is close to "Í Blóði Og Anda", e.g. "H Blypi og Anda" or "I Blodi og Anda". If you still can't find anything then PM me.

Yes of course I will check this out. Finally you said it. But how about one of you be a nice person and upload this, so we can all listen to it and talk about it here ? I can't find it and I'm sure some of you can't either. So somebody, pleeeeeeze...

Yeah, I've only heard the myspace track Zad linked. Very cool though. Avant-Garde in the most accessible way possible, which is always nice.