May 2020 Feature Release - The Infinite Edition

It's now May which of course means that we'll be nominating a brand new monthly feature release for each clan. This essentially means that we're asking you to rate, review & discuss our chosen features for no other reason than because we enjoy the process & banter. We look forward to hearing your thoughts on these releases.        

This month's feature release for The Infinite is 2009's third album from Icelandic post-metal outfit Sólstafir entitled "Köld". The band had started life as a black metal band in the mid-90's however this release sees the band having fully transitioned into something remarkably different to their roots. We're very keen to hear what you think of it.

https://metal.academy/releases/3845

I'm really glad the Sólstafir album chosen for this month's challenge was Köld and not Ótta because for as good as that album is, I did want to talk about the album that really pushed Sólstafir over the edge from black metal into progressive/post-metal. And to be fair, this group did start moving this way before this record on Masterpiece of Bitterness. But this was the final step and it is good, but not among one of the all time classics.

For one, the production is wonky. The guitars almost never have a consistent mix from one track to the next, to the point where I have to question if these tunes were even created for the same album! From a compositional standpoint, while the songs are pretty and lush, tunes like "Pale Rider" just fall flat because thy have no melodic drive to them. The album could have fared a lot better if they could have developed some consistent hooks or grooves on some of these tunes rather than having them just feel like extended jam sessions.

That said, the album does have some good points; the melody on "Köld" is very nice as well as on "She Destroys Again". And the slow crescendo on "World Void Of Souls" is one of the better displays of dynamic control I have heard from a metal band.

I believe that this band refined this sound and made more complete records in the 2010s, but looking back on the O.G. reminds me about what can go right (and wrong) in post-metal in the following decade.

7/10

I wish I had more to say about Sólstafir other than "I really enjoyed it", but that's all I got for my first go at Köld. I really went back and forth, with the album losing me a bit towards the middle but pulling me back in at the end. I think I was expecting a bit more aggression or experimentation in general, but once I reoriented my expectations for a more Post-Metal experience I really had a great time with this one. Some of the songs definitely drag, but the slowness and overall aimlessness is definitely a feature rather than a downfall in this case. 

This is an album that needs more than one listen and a bit of patience, so it's very possible that I'm giving it too much praise. However, the rich Post-Metal riffs with an admittedly hit or miss vocal performance and a great sense of atmosphere made me really enjoy this one in the end. Definitely going to go back to it and see if it was a fluke in the future, and check out more Sólstafir in general, since the band seems to have a very interesting history. 

4/5

It may have taken me a long time to get around to giving this album a spin but boy was it worth the effort because I absolutely loved it. In truth, "Kold" is probably a little more post-rock than it is post-metal but the professionalism this band is capable of in creating these textured soundscapes is quite remarkable. The emotive vocals sound a lot like Primordial's A.A. Nemtheanga at times & Anathema's Vincent Cavanagh at others. The use of post-rock's trademark long repetitive build-ups moving into immense climaxes technique is beautifully executed & there's a class about everything Solstafir do here. "Kold" is not a single listen undertaking by any means. It's very long & only opens up after several listens however I strongly encourage you to give it a few spins & see if it's for you. For fans of Agalloch, Russian Circles & Toundra.

4.5/5

I did a review, here's its summary:

From the northern island of Iceland comes the band Sólstafir! First starting as a pagan black/viking metal band, they soon began to shed away their North sound for a style more ambient and thematic. In this album Köld, the bleak coldness still remains while blowing into the imaginative landscapes of post-rock/metal. This is pretty much haunting black-ish post-metal, a bit of sunshine glowing in the peaks on depressive winter valleys where the band's home sound runs through every phrase and tone. 8 tracks, many of which are around 8 minutes plus a 4-minute hit and two 12-minute epics, thoroughly create a compelling journey through an environment of pale empty space. Köld is a brilliant album of haunting immortality and the finest hour for Sólstafir. A superb recommendation for fans of post-rock/black metal!

5/5