Sólstafir | |
|---|---|
 Sólstafir at Brutal Assault 2015 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Iceland |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Labels |
|
| Members |
|
| Past members |
|
| Website | solstafir |
Sólstafir is an Icelandic post-metal band formed in 1995 and currently signed to Century Media. Originally a black metal band, they transitioned to a post-metal-influenced style with slight traces of their earlier black metal.
Sólstafir was formed in 1995 by guitarist/singer Aðalbjörn Tryggvason, bassist Halldór Einarsson, and drummer Guðmundur Óli Pálmason. [1] The band's name is the Icelandic word for sun beams (crepuscular rays). [2] They soon recorded the demos Í Norðri and Til Valhallar. [3] Halldór then left the band, and Aðalbjörn and Guðmundur recorded a promo tape as a duo in 1997. [3]
During this period, Svavar Austmann joined as the new bassist and the band began recording their debut full-length album, Í Blóði og Anda . The album was not released until 2002 due to various recording delays and label disputes. [1] Shortly after that album was completed, second guitarist Sæþór Maríus Sæþórsson joined the band and made his debut on the 2002 demo Black Death. [1]
After shopping around a three-track demo of new songs, Sólstafir signed with Spinefarm Records in 2005. [4] Their second album Masterpiece of Bitterness was released by Spinefarm later that year. The album received positive reviews, with Metal Storm stating "the perfect mix of non-Metal elements with metal ones makes it a necessary album for any Metalhead looking for something that breaks the mold of pre-established genres." [5]
Their third album Köld was recorded in Sweden and released in 2009. [6] Reviewers compared the band's sound to Enslaved and Neurosis, among others, while noting their unique post-black metal sound. [7] The album was also noted for its addition of atmospheric passages. [1] Sólstafir began to tour Europe regularly in 2010 and made their first of many open-air appearances at the Roskilde Festival that year. [8]
Sólstafir's fourth full-length album, Svartir Sandar , was released by Season of Mist in 2011. The song "Fjara" [9] remained in the 2013 list of Iceland's top 100 songs of 20 years. [10] This album signaled Sólstafir's retreat from black metal and move toward experimental atmospherics of the type practiced by fellow Icelanders Sigur Rós. [11]
Their fifth album Ótta was released by Season of Mist in 2014, and was noted for its additional experimental elements like strings and piano. [12] Three official music videos were released and the band performed Iceland's national television channel, RÚV's Stúdio Á. [13]
In January 2015, the band announced that longtime drummer Guðmundur Óli Pálmason had left the band for "personal reasons". Guðmundur replied immediately via the band's Twitter account, explaining that he had been "stonewalled by ex-bandmates" and forced out of the band by Aðalbjörn Tryggvason. Guðmundur was replaced by Hallgrímur Jón Hallgrímsson. [1] After his departure from the band Guðmundur formed post metal band Katla.
Sólstafir released their sixth full-length album, Berdreyminn , in May 2017 on Season of Mist. [14] Upon its release Berdreyminn entered international charts, mostly top 50, across Europe. [15]
On 6 November 2020, Sólstafir released their seventh studio album, Endless Twilight of Codependent Love . [16]
Moonsorrow is a Finnish pagan metal band formed in Helsinki in 1995. Musically, the band incorporates elements of black metal and folk metal in their sound. The band call their sound "epic heathen metal" and try to distance themselves from the term "Viking metal". They have distanced themselves from other folk metal bands, emphasising that their music is pagan and spiritual and is challenging for its listeners, rather than happy or danceable. The band members have varying levels of pagan belief but they draw on pagan spirituality for lyrics and inspiration.
Skógafoss is a waterfall on the Skógá River in the south of Iceland at the cliff marking the former coastline. After the coastline had receded, the former sea cliffs remained, parallel to the coast over hundreds of kilometres, creating together with some mountains a clear border between the coastal lowlands and the Highlands of Iceland.
Ensiferum is a Finnish folk metal band from Helsinki. The members of the band label themselves as "melodic folk metal".
Shape of Despair is a funeral doom metal band from Finland.
Beherit is a Finnish black metal band from Rovaniemi. The band was formed in 1989 by Nuclear Holocausto Vengeance, Demonic Fornication and Sodomatic Slaughter, with the purpose of performing "the most primitive, savage, hell-obsessed black metal imaginable". "Beherit" is claimed to be the Syriac word for Satan, but this word does not exist in the language and the claim is falsehood. Through the uncommercial nature of their music, visuals, and live performances, the band quickly attracted a cult following. Besides the "raw" sound, the band's music is noted for its avant-garde side and emphasis on atmosphere. Beherit are now regarded as a pioneer in their genre.
Season of Mist is an independent record label and record distributor with subsidiaries in France and the United States. The record label was founded in 1996 by Michael S. Berberian in Marseille, France. From the start releasing black metal, pagan metal, and death metal records, the label moved on to releasing albums of avant-garde metal, gothic metal and punk bands as well. The label has two offices, one in Marseille, France and one in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Swallow the Sun is a Finnish death-doom band founded in 2000 by Juha Raivio. Their death-doom style emphasizes melody and atmosphere, and occasionally steps into gothic and black metal territory. They have released nine full-length albums, one triple album, one EP, one demo, and seven singles.
Solefald is a Norwegian avant-garde metal/black metal band that was formed by members Lars Are "Lazare" Nedland and Cornelius Jakhelln in August 1995, with Nedland singing and playing keyboard/synthesizer/piano and drums, and Jakhelln singing and playing guitar and bass. The duo experiment with a wide array of musical styles, frequently work on other projects, and rarely perform live under the Solefald name, leading them to describe themselves as "two stubborn goats pretending to be a band." According to the duo, their name is an Old Norse word for "sunset," taken from one of Theodor Kittelsen's paintings illustrating a poem of the same name by Theodor Caspari, published in the 1901 book Vintereventyr.
Laeknishendr or Læknishendr is a 1995 demo by the German Viking metal band Falkenbach. It contains some rerecorded tracks from older Falkenbach demos. According to Aðalbjörn Tryggvason of Sólstafir, this demo was recorded in one of Iceland's national parks, Þingvellir. The original version was limited to 33 units, but it was bootlegged by several labels.
Funeral Mist is a Swedish black metal band formed in Stockholm in 1993. To date, the band have released four full-length albums, three EPs and a compilation boxset. Since 2003, the band's sole permanent member has been Arioch, also known for his work as the frontman of the black metal band Marduk, which he joined in 2004.
Svavar Pétur Eysteinsson, better known by his stage name Prins Póló, was an Icelandic singer-songwriter and experimental artist. He was also part of the Icelandic band Skakkamanage.
Naer Mataron is a Greek black metal band which draws on imagery from Greek mythology. The band was formed in 1994 after splitting from Nar Mataron, and was soon signed to Black Lotus Records, with whom they released four studio albums. Moving through numerous line-ups, the band has seen influences from other genres of music, including a traditional black metal release and songs featuring elements of melodic black metal and industrial music.
Kraumur Awards is a music prize, organized by the Kraumur Music Fund, awarded for the best albums being released in Iceland.
myGRAIN is a melodic death metal band from Helsinki, Finland. They were signed to Spinefarm Records. They released five studio albums.
Köld is the third studio album by Icelandic post-metal band Sólstafir. It was released on January 21, 2009 through Spinefarm Records. The cover art was done by Guðmundur Óli Pálmason. It was recorded in Göteborg and all the songs are in English, except the title song "Köld".
Baldur is the début full-length album by the Icelandic Viking / folk metal band Skálmöld. It was first released in Iceland and the Faeroe Islands on December 15, 2010 through Tutl and re-released by Napalm Records worldwide in July – August 2011.
Svartir sandar is the fourth studio album by Icelandic post-metal band Sólstafir. It was released on October 14, 2011, by Season of Mist. A music video for the song "Fjara" was made in July 2011 and released in January 2012.
Ótta is the fifth studio album by Icelandic post-metal band Sólstafir. It was released on August 29, 2014, through the record label Season of Mist. The tracks of the album represent the traditional Icelandic times of the day.
Berdreyminn is the sixth studio album by Icelandic post-metal band Sólstafir. It was released on May 26, 2017 through the record label Season of Mist.
Endless Twilight of Codependent Love is the seventh studio album by Icelandic post-metal band Sólstafir. It was released on November 6, 2020 through the record label Season of Mist, and streamed two days early on YouTube. The album cover is a reproduction of a painting by Johann Baptist Zwecker of the Lady of the Mountain, the female personification of Iceland.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |