Author: Birkir Fjalar Viðarsson
Ophidian I: Solvet Saeclum
‘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
by Birkir Fjalar Viðarsson and Bob Cluness
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
Anything Beneath touches oozes experience and focus. When they have something new out, people get anxious. Will they put everyone…
Ojba Rasta: Ojba Rasta
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
Calm and commendable. Supplementary dynamics, such as a surprise tempo change or bombastic instances of some sort, would have made…
Appetite For Self-Destruction
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
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!
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
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
What was supposed to be an anal, sharp and critical review of Botnleðja’s first comeback show at Gaukurinn quickly turned…
The Legends Return
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
“We saw the fish on Klappastígur and thought it was somehow posh and that made us laugh,” Indriði Ingólfsson, guitarist…
Muck: Slaves
I do not demand 100% originality or wild surprises at every turn of a new album. Many original albums are…
Todmobile: 7
Finally the mighty Todmobile have returned. I figured the best way to engage with this new epic was to take…
ADHD: ADHD 2
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
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
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
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
Svartidauði have made unpleasantries their business for some time now. But despite a loyal cult following, they’ve hardly been prolific….
Melchior: 1980
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
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
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
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]!
Don’t be lame. Subject yourself to Icelandic metal. Trust me, it will pull you in all sorts of directions ‘cause…
Wormlust: Seven Paths
Everybody and their mother are talking about atmospheric black metal these days. Sure enough, there’s a tidal wave of bands…