Black Metal
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Nyrst’s Ritual Of Pain
Black Metal Band Nyrst Introduces Forthcoming Release Völd In this Filthy issue, I met up with Eysteinn and Snæbjörn, lead guitarist and vocalist/lyricist, respectively, of mystical black metal band Nyrst. Though the focus of our conversation was their forthcoming release, Völd, I…
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Knife Play And DIY
Meet the Esoteric Queens from Svartþoka For the third edition of the Filthy Interview series, we are joined by two members of occult-inspired metal band Svartþoka: Ólöf, who supplies the band with vocals, theremin and synths; and Dia, who serves as the…
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Misþyrming Returns With Blunt Force — A Q&A with black metal royalty
In December 2022, the Reykjavík-based black metal band Misþyrming released their new album Með Hamri. The title translates literally to “With Hammer” and, just like a hammer, it hits. Violently. In this first edition of the Grapevine’s Filthy Interview series, Misþyrming guitarist,…
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Untamed Negativity: Adrian Brachmann’s Explosive Entrance To Icelandic Black Metal
For the last two years, Iceland has been cursed with a deluge of heavy albums and EP’s, bursting upon us like rats pouring out of Nosferatu’s crypt. With various projects including Äkth Gánahëth, Níðstöng, Fimbulþul, Spectral Full Moon, Úlfhéðinn and others, the…
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A Glorious Shrine To Nothing: Núll Is The Band To Not-Exist To
In years prior, I used to always describe Núll with silly epitaphs like ‘The Most Ungoogleable Band In Iceland’ or other such nonsense. I’m going to stop that now. There’s nothing funny about this group and to even approach their music with…
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Soundtrack To The Plague: Become Prisoner To Auðn’s Waking Dream
The newest album by Auðn, ‘Vökudraumsins Fangi’ (‘Prisoner Of A Waking Dream’), ends on the line “Minning þess sem aldrei varð.” It means “Memory of what never existed.” Vökudraumsins Fangi by Auðn Eeriness encapsulated “It’s open to interpretation, but it’s the memory…
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Celebrate The Filth: Örmagna Paves A New Path In Icelandic Black Metal
Throughout its lifetime, Icelandic black metal has never been linked to good vibes, smiles and rainbows. Nor has black metal in general. After hearing Örmagna‘s self-titled debut album, which came out in early February, this becomes abundantly apparent. One could argue that…
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Documenting Inner Fantasy: Hafsteinn Viðar Ársælsson’s ‘Svartmálmur’
In February 2016, the Grapevine profiled the burgeoning Icelandic black metal scene in a feature entitled, “Welcome To The Circle.” The piece documented the birth of Icelandic black metal and the newfound domination of the scene worldwide through the efforts of acts…
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Oration MMXVIII’s Final Charge: Stephen Lockhart Says Goodbye
This March marks the tragic finale of Reykjavík’s premier black metal festival Oration. Since its inception only two years ago, the event has grown from a local showcase to a destination festival with concert-goers traveling from all over the world to see…
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Making Of An Artist: Rotting Meat, Folk Songs, & Darkthrone With Tómas Ísdal
Tómas Ísdal could easily be called the backbone of Icelandic black metal. In addition to co-owning Vánagandr—Iceland’s black metal cassette label—Tómas himself plays guitar, bass, or drums in Naðra, Misþyrming, Carpe Noctem, 0, Grafir, Nornahetta, and a host of other acts, so…
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In The Black Midwinter: Auðn Album Release Show On Saturday
Feeling down in the perpetual Icelandic darkness? It’s time to get your black metal fix. To celebrate the release of their second album, Icelandic black metal band Auðn have a release show this Saturday at Iðnó, one of the oldest theatres in Reykjavík. Auðn…
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Sturla Viðar Jakobsson’s Perfect Day In Reykjavík
Sturla Viðar Jakobsson is the leader of infamous black metal band Svartidauði. Here’s his perfect Reykjavík day. First thing in the morning? On my perfect day, I don’t get up because I have long since evolved past the biological need for sleep.…
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Beautiful Desolation: Enter The World Of Auðn
Auðn make beautiful black metal. There’s no other way to describe it. After bursting onto the scene in 2015, the band developed an almost instant devoted following. Their sound is unlike anything else in Iceland or abroad—despairing, bleak and grim, but still…
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New Release And Tour From The Sadists Of Svartidauði
Looking for something dark? Black metal veterans Svartidauði have you covered. Their new 7″ EP “Hideous Silhouettes of Lynched Gods” came out on the 15th of April and it’s guaranteed to spook. The EP contains 2 songs. The first, “Hellish Visions,” is…
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Happening Tonight: Misþyrming X Muck
Belched straight from hell’s gut, Misþyrming leads a new wave of Icelandic black metal that is dark but not inaccessible, earning numerous accolades in the process, such as Surprise Of The Year from us at the Grapevine. They have also been selected…
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Oration MMXVI: All Hail The Kings
Almyrkvi. That one word could be my review of Oration MMXVI. Listen to Almyrkvi. Experience Almyrkvi. Live Almyrkvi. Never have I ever been so impressed with the first live performance of a band. Almyrkvi is the solo brainchild of Garðar S. from…
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Black Metal: A Beginners Guide
First Wave: The bands that inspired the second wave of black metal, typically dated from around 1980 to 1991. Check out: Celtic Frost—‘Morbid Tales’ Venom—‘Black Metal’ Bathory—‘The Return’ Second Wave: The Norwegian scene, which created the black metal “image” (corpse paint, church…
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Welcome To The Circle – Meet The Men Behind Iceland’s Thriving Black Metal Scene
Hafsteinn Viðar, the man behind the solo black metal project Wormlust, requested that our interview take place at the Cathedral of Christ the King, preferably in the confessional. If the confessional was unavailable, he said, then we could perhaps walk together in…
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The Blackest Metal In Winter’s Dark Heart: Oration Festival Cometh
Presented by Studio Emissary and the Oration record label, the upcoming Oration festival will bring some much-needed black metal to the Icelandic winter this February. And with bands like Svartidauði, Wormlust, Slidhr and Abominor on the bill, the two-night festival (concurrent to…
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Misþyrming’s DG On 2015, Their Upcoming Album, Icelandic Black Metal – And Hip-Hop
The past few months have been very eventful for young DG. In addition to finishing his final term of school, his band Misþyrming has enjoyed an incredible year. Following their performance at Eistnaflug, they were selected as the artists in residence at the…
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Happening Tonight: Anti-Christian Festival 2015
Iceland’s longest running metal festival, the Anti-Christian Festival, traces its roots all the way back to 2000 AD, when it was held to stick it to a nearby Christianity festival at Þingvellir—now it’s just sticking it to overly bland musical performances. This…
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Misþyrming Grows Stronger As This Planet Hurls Aimlessly Through The Ether
Newcomers on Icelandic Black Metal Scene, Misþyrming (“abuse”) are glorious. They’ve managed to perfect a poisonous mixture of volatile compositions, nihilistic worldview, and a spectacular live performance. Coming across a band like Misþyrming is a rare occurrence—most people go their whole lives…
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NORÐANPAUNK—MANIFESTO PROFUGUS BOREALIS: To be, or not to be, punk
“Difficult people listen to good music; Good people listen to difficult music.” This is the proverb of Norðanpaunk (“Northern Punk”), an annual family gathering of Iceland’s punk community in Iceland’s mid-west. Norðanpaunk is an event for difficult people, who like to listen…