Author: - The Reykjavik Grapevine

Ophidian I: Solvet Saeclum

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‘Solvet Saeclum’ hints at greatness, but the band has yet to control their overzealous enthusiasm. ‘Solvet Saeclum’ is crisp and…

The Winner Takes It All

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It’s that time of the year again! Since 1982, the annual Músiktilraunir (Iceland Music Experiments) competition has been waged to…

Beneath: Enslaved By Fear

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Anything Beneath touches oozes experience and focus. When they have something new out, people get anxious. Will they put everyone…

Ojba Rasta: Ojba Rasta

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There’s an indecisive Icelandicness at work here. The production values, line-up of instruments (clarinet, melodica, euphonium) and vocals are all…

The Heavy Experience : Slowscope

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Calm and commendable. Supplementary dynamics, such as a surprise tempo change or bombastic instances of some sort, would have made…

Appetite For Self-Destruction

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Let’s start at the end. “Did you get in here for free?” lead singer Páll Rósinkranz asked two little children…

Sudden Weather Change: Sculpture

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In conversation with myself the other day, I proposed that scene darlings Sudden Weather Change don’t sound excited or fun…

Nuuk Posse, Sume And Other Great Bands!

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I’m guilty of not tapping into Greenland’s culture. Hell, my brushes with this great island’s pop culture have been hurried,…

Tilbury: Exorcise

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When I heard Tilbury was a supergroup of sorts (with members from Skakkamanage, Jeff Who? Moses Hightower, Valdimar and Hjaltalín)…

Tight Like A Bumblebee’s Ass

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What was supposed to be an anal, sharp and critical review of Botnleðja’s first comeback show at Gaukurinn quickly turned…

The Legends Return

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Make no bones about it, Entombed are one of death metal’s pioneers and arguably amongst the elite that influenced and…

Haphazard Focus, Muck-Style

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“We saw the fish on Klappastígur and thought it was somehow posh and that made us laugh,” Indriði Ingólfsson, guitarist…

Muck: Slaves

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I do not demand 100% originality or wild surprises at every turn of a new album. Many original albums are…

Todmobile: 7

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Finally the mighty Todmobile have returned. I figured the best way to engage with this new epic was to take…

ADHD: ADHD 2

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I’ve made up my mind. ADHD’s latest album rules. This being my virgin foray into their world of sound, I…

Be There Or Be Square

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When I learned that a young artist that I had never heard of was putting on a show exclusively for…

PBP PUNK DON’T CARE ABOUT ANYTHING

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There’s a palpable air of “we don’t care what anyone else is doing or if they like what and how…

Tryggvi Hübner: 2.0

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Tryggvi Hübner is an accomplished guitar player. He’s tactful, tasteful and many other positive adjectives that end in -ful. And…

Svartidauði: Temple of Deformation

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Svartidauði have made unpleasantries their business for some time now. But despite a loyal cult following, they’ve hardly been prolific….

Melchior: 1980

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Melchior is one of those prototype renaissance artist groups, consisting of multi-instrument-wielding folks performing music as a vehicle for poetry….

Ask The Slave: The Order Of Things

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This is the type of music that experts and self-appointed authorities on what’s cool make fun of or are intimidated…

The Most Important Hard, Fast, and Heavy of 2001-10

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No one wants to make a list like this. You like to get stoned (no pun) to death by disappointed…

Swords of Chaos: The End Is As Near As Your Teeth

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Here we have a group of young dudes that are good friends. They’re horny, amped and there are no brakes….

Icelandic Metal Is [insert Eyjafjallajökull pun here]!

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Don’t be lame. Subject yourself to Icelandic metal. Trust me, it will pull you in all sorts of directions ‘cause…

Wormlust: Seven Paths

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Everybody and their mother are talking about atmospheric black metal these days. Sure enough, there’s a tidal wave of bands…