Hún andar by SÓLSTAFIR
- Jude Onions
- Sep 3, 2024
- 2 min read
SINGLE REVIEW - SÓLSTAFIR - ‘Hún andar’
Sólstafir is an Icelandic word meaning sun beams. And their new single, ‘Hún andar’ is an illuminating ray of light in what is a rather gloomy British August. With the band approaching their 30th anniversary, you’d be expecting their output to feel repetitive, but far from it.
‘Hún andar’ is the second single from Sólstafir’s upcoming album ‘Hin helga kvöl' (The Holy Suffering), the first being the title track, a heavier affair. But ‘Hún andar’, while firmly based in the band’s black metal roots, has an almost 80s goth pop feel. The song wouldn’t feel out of place in a noir crime drama.
Front man Aðalbjörn Tryggvason’s vocals have a haunting quality to them, which remind me of a muezzin calling Muslims to pray at mosque. Aðalbjörn comments on the single “’Hún andar’, meaning ‘She breaths’ is an obituary to a living person whom I love very much, but the mind is gone due to mental illness and drug abuse.”
The song opens with some beautiful guitar work and Aðalbjörn’s vocals, which is then propelled forward by a driving drum beat courtesy of Hallgrímur Jón Hallgrímsson, who also provides backing vocals. Additional guitar from Sæþór Maríus Sæþórsson and bass work from Svavar Austmann rounds out ‘Hún andar’, creating a rich soundscape which is infused with Sólstafir’s Icelandic heritage.
The band are touring the UK and Europe later this year, with the album due to be released 08/11/2024. Pre-orders for ‘Hin helga kvöl’ are available now via Century Media.
[7/10]
Review by Brett
*All reviews are the individual writers thoughts and are not necessarily those of Dropped Halo Media.
Comments