FEB. 26: It is fucking snowing again. This morning, I came downstairs and opened the blinds and no light came in, just that oozing gray that has passed for daytime for most of the last several months in Massachusetts. Yesterday there was blue sky, and I could’ve danced. The days are getting longer, I keep telling myself and The Patient Mrs., looking at the math and almost believing it. We had a little melt this past weekend, so the lowest points of snow are down to about three feet. Piles where the plows have been, in parking lots and places like that, are over 10 feet tall. Some of them look like houses.

They say this isn’t going to accumulate much, but it doesn’t even matter anymore. Snow’s just an excuse to stay inside out of the cold. Another foot. Who cares? I must have been feeling particularly hopeful last night when I took my copy of Sólstafir‘s Ótta upstairs last night to put it on the shelf. The album, which the Icelandic band released last year on Season of Mist, has been an integral soundtrack for this winter to the point where I got so bothered at not having a physical copy of it that I ordered the CD during one of our several blizzards. Yes, deliveries still come, even though from what I hear the trains don’t run anymore.

I had caught wind of Ótta last year, via the usual too-easily-ignored digital promo, and the Reykjavík outfit received heaps of praise around its release, all duly earned. Their fifth full-length, the eight tracks of Ótta make for an hour-long masterpiece of melancholic heft. The lyrics are in Icelandic, but the melody transcends language barriers, and whether it’s the surge near the end of the title-track, which makes for one of the most particularly memorable standout moments, the understated drums of Guðmundur Óli Pálmason grounding the string sounds and keys as vocalist/guitarist Aðalbjörn Tryggvason‘s croons become shouts, or the more frenetic vibe of “Miðdegi,” with Tryggvason‘s and Sæþór Maríus Sæþórsson‘s guitars interweaving over a tense bassline from Svavar Austman, the atmosphere remains pervasive. This is true as well as they push through the quiet lushness of the penultimate “Miðaftann.” Just because I’d make a fool out of myself if I tried to pronounce any of it doesn’t mean it’s not beautiful.

The ebow to organ shift in 11-minute closer “Náttmál” and the waves of blastbeats that accompany the apex are something special, but for much of Ótta, it’s the softer stretches that create the ambience. Piano and subdued vocals start opener “Lágnætti,” which picks up soon enough but holds firm to a contemplative impression, and the wide spaces crafted by “Rismál” seem to bring to life the unceasing bitterness of winter’s cold. They don’t shout about it. It’s a kind of resignation, to which the subsequent “Dagmál” and “Miðdegi” add further emotional and sonic depth, Sólstafir holding onto a heaviness in sound but making an even more resonant impression with the album’s spiritual weight. To me, it just sounds like this interminable season, and I know that in years to come, that’s how I’ll identify it. Already it has proved a haunting presence.

So much so, that when the snow started to fall this afternoon, I had no choice but to go back upstairs and retrieve the Ótta CD, put it on and make my way toward and through the desperate thrust of “Nón” again. I’m sure it won’t be the last time before the snow melts. Yes, it’s brilliant and progressive and all that other shit “critics” say when they like something, but mostly, I’m glad to have the bit of comfort Sólstafir offer.

Sólstafir, Ótta (2014)

Sólstafir on Thee Facebooks

Sólstafir on Bandcamp

Season of Mist

I have continued to enjoy putting together these posts, and hopefully, whether you listen to The Obelisk Radio or you don’t, you get some use out of them. The fact is that it’s a pretty overwhelming amount of music being released these days — I feel like I’ve been behind all week, and for good reason — but it’s a good problem to have, and all you can really do is your best to keep up as much as you can. Accordingly, some of the stuff joining the playlist this week isn’t out yet, some is newly released and some of it has been out for a long time. Months are irrelevant. Riffs are timeless.

Let’s get to it.

The Obelisk Radio adds for Feb. 6, 2015:

HARK, Crystalline

UK heavy proggers Hark — also stylized in all-caps and with spaces between the letters — have all the noodly twists and turns one might expect in the shouty post-Mastodonic sphere of modern heavy, but what the trio do even better is use those turns toward building crescendos, so that songs like “Palendromeda,” the opener from their 2014 Season of Mist debut, Crystalline, isn’t just a mash of technical indulgence, but it actually moves somewhere too. Later cuts like “Sins on Sleeves” and “All Wretch and No Vomit” have some straightforward heavy rock to them as well — guitarist/vocalist/cover artist Jimbob Isaac used to play in Taint — but as one might expect, neither he nor bassist Nikolai Ribnikov (who seems to have since been replaced by Joe Harvatt, unless I have that backwards; things like who plays on what don’t matter in the age of digital promos) and drummer Simon Bonwick stay in one place too long. A guest appearance from Clutch‘s Neil Fallon on 10-minute closer “Clear Light of…” follows some particularly fervent tapping and presages another in Crystalline‘s series of crescendos, a long fade following topped by heady swirl that finishes out. Parts can be a bit much, but the full-on sprint that starts “Breathe and Run” and the weighty groove that follows make Hark‘s debut a solid fit for those seeking blinding fretwork that doesn’t necessarily sacrifice dynamic on the altar of technicality. HARK on Thee Facebooks, Season of Mist.

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Lucifer, Anubis

Born out of last year’s hot-shit-and-then-gone The Oath, London/Berlin four-piece Lucifer make their Rise Above debut with the Anubis/Morning Star 7″, vocalist Johanna Sadonis crooning out vaguely devilish incantations over The Wizards‘ riffs, Dino Gollnick‘s bass and Andrew Prestidge drums. The results on “Anubis” are probably the most Sabbathian bit of Sabbathery that’s come along since Orchid wandered along — the progression of “Anubis” is almost singularly indebted to “Snowblind.” “Morning Star” is likewise familiar, nestled somewhere between a theatrical take on ’80s proto-doom and ’70s cultistry and bolstered by the craft of Sadonis and former Cathedral guitarist Gary “Gaz” Jennigs. Hey, if it works, fair enough. One imagines that by the time the single arrives in April, word of Lucifer‘s coming will have spread far and wide, and if the single is meant to intrigue and pique interest ahead of a full-length to be issued later in 2015, I’ve no doubt it will do precisely that. Lucifer on Thee Facebooks, Rise Above Records.

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Diesel King, Concrete Burial

If you’ve got a quota for burl, London sludge metallers Diesel King will likely meet it with their When Planets Collide debut long-player, Concrete Burial, an album that hands out grueling, ultra-dudely chugging like a beefed-up Crowbar, vocalist Mark O’Regan offering shouting and growling extremity bordering at times on death metal. Shit is heavy, and it lives up to the violent threat of its title on songs like the catchy “Inferis” and “Horror. Disgust.,” the latter of which actually manages to make the lumbering guitar tones of Geoff Foden and Aled Marc move, propelled by the metallic drumming of Bill Jacobs while bassist Will Wichanski adds to the already pummeling low end. The 80-second “Mask of the Leper” is straight-up grind, but don’t be fooled by shifts in tempo — Diesel King‘s bread and butter is in sludged-out chug-riffing and growled chestbeating, like a testosterone supplement you take via your ears. Diesel King on Thee Facebooks, When Planets Collide.

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Planes of Satori, Planes of Satori

Made for vinyl and pressed in that manner by Who Can You Trust? Records as the follow-up to last year’s Son of a Gun 7″ (review here), Planes of Satori find easy sanctuary on uneasy ground, smoothing out jagged edges and uncautious twists on their self-titled debut full-length. Bassist Justin Pinkerton doubles as the drummer in Golden Void, but though Planes of Satori share a West Coast affinity for the golden age of krautrock, cuts like “Eyes,” “Gnostic Boogie” and “The Ballad of Queen Milo” are on a much different trip, psychedelic afrobeat rhythms unfolding their insistence under the echoed out vocals of Alejandro Magana while Raze Regal tears into jazzy solos and Chris Labreche somehow manages to make it swing. The airier, more rhythmically settled “KTZ” retains a progressive feel both in the underlying tension of its bassline and in the open, creative vibe through which it careens. Call it “manic peace,” but it works well for Planes of Satori on a cut like the earlier “If You Must Know,” which reimagines ’90s indie weirdness through a lens of what-if-it-wasn’t-so-cool-not-to-give-a-crap, and “Green Summer,” which follows a building course without tipping off its hand until you’re already wrapped up in Regal‘s live-sounding leads. The closing solo guitar echo of “The Snake and the Squirrel” speaks to yet-unexplored drone dynamics and further delving into psychedelia to come. Sign me up. I have the feeling that the more bizarre Planes of Satori get, the more satisfying the trip is going to be. Their debut already shows a pervasive adventurous spirit. Planes of Satori on Thee Facebooks, Who Can You Trust? Records.

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Stonebride, Heavy Envelope

Late 2014’s Heavy Envelope is the third Stonebride record behind 2010’s Summon the Waves (review here) and their 2008 debut LP, Inner Seasons. Released by Setalight Records, it finds the Zagreb, Croatia, four-piece’s sound way solidified as compared to the psychedelic sprawl of the prior release, a ’90s-style rolling crunch riff to “Lay Low” following the distinctly Alice in Chainsian vocal melodies of “Lowest Supreme” and preceding the effectively replicated Queens of the Stone Age bounce of “Coloured Blue.” Some intervening solidification in the four years between the second and third albums might explain the shift in sound — the opposite could also be true — but drummer Steps and guitarist Tjesimir, bassist Alen and vocalist Sinisa work well within their newfound sphere, even finding room to branch out a bit on the more extended closing duo of “Sokushinbutsu” and “Venomous,” never quite hitting the same psyched-out feel of Heavy Envelope‘s predecessor, but definitely adding further individual sensibility to an engaging take on heavy rock. Stonebride seem ripe for a new beginning, and Heavy Envelope boasts precisely that kind of energy. Stonebride on Thee Facebooks, on Bandcamp, Setalight Records.

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For the complete list of what went up today and everything else that’s been added recently and everything played going back I don’t even remember how long at this point, be sure to check out The Obelisk Radio Updates and Playlist page. Hope you find something you dig and that you think is worth hearing.

Thanks for reading and listening.

If you haven’t heard it yet, Sólstafir‘s 2014 outing, Ótta, is fricking brilliant. I won’t pretend to be Johnny Groundfloor with the Icelandic band, for whom this is album number five, but in terms of its patient melancholy and the masterful hand with which they guide the overarching atmosphere, there’s little I’ve heard this year that can really stand up to it. The four-piece begin a US tour tonight in Oklahoma City alongside Pallbearer and Mortals. They’ll hit Roadburn next year as well — they also played in 2012 — and having just finished a European tour at the end of November, they have another one on deck for early 2015, but whether you get to see them or not, Ótta (discussed here) is worth your time.

The PR wire sends notice:

SOLSTAFIR kick off US tour

Enigmatic Icelandic rock band SOLSTAFIR are kicking off their US tour tonight in Oklahoma City, OK. The band are touring the Western US with support from PALLBEARER and MORTALS. A full list of confirmed tour dates can be found below. SOLSTAFIR are touring in support of their critically acclaimed new album , ‘Otta’. The album, which has made Decibel’s top 40 albums of 2014, is streaming here, and is available now at the Season of Mist E-shop.

SOLSTAFIR has also recently announced new European tour dates in early 2015. Starting on January 27 the band will trek throughout the France, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Russia, and more.

SOLSTAFIR recently appeared on Icelandic national television’s Studio A program, performing two songs off ‘Otta’. Footage of the band playing Dagmál (at the 12:23 mark) and Rismál (at 32:40) can be found at the official Icelandic National Television’s Studio A website.

SOLSTAFIR has also announced their inclusion into Roadburn’s 2015 lineup, where the band will play alongside FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM, label mates FLOOR and DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT, and many more. More information about Roadburn Festival can be found here.

Updated SOLSTAFIR news will be made available at the Season of Mist website, and the SOLSTAFIR website, Facebook and Twitter pages.

SOLSTAFIR North American tour dates:
All dates with PALLBEARER and MORTALS:
12/2 Oklahoma City, OK @ The Conservatory
12/3 Albuquerque, NM @ Sister Bar
12/4 Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
12/5 Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy
12/6 San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
12/7 San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
12/9 Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater
12/10 Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore
12/11 Seattle, WA @ Barboza
12/12 Boise, ID @ The Shredder
12/13 Salt Lake City UT @ Kilby Court
12/14 Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
12/16 Kansas City, MO @ The Riot Room
12/17 Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock
12/18 Chicago, IL @ Subterranean
12/19 St. Louis, MO @ Firebird

SOLSTAFIR 2015 European tour:
1/27 Paris (FR) @ Nouveau Casino
1/28 Nantes (FR) @ Le Ferrailleur
1/29 Toulouse (FR) @ Dynamo
1/30 Lyon (FR) @ CCO Villeurbanne
1/31 Aarau (CH) @ Kiff
2/1 Weinheim (DE) @ Cafe Central
2/2 Bochum (DE) @ Zeche
2/3 Hamburg (DE) @ Uebel & Gefährlich
2/4 København (DK) @ Pumpehuset
2/5 Göteborg (SE) @ Sticky Fingers
2/6 Oslo (NO) @ Rockefeller (+Black Debbath)
2/7 Stockholm (SE) @ Debaser Medis
2/9 Jyväskylä (FI) @ Lutakko
2/10 Tampere (FI) @ Klubi
2/11 Tallinn (EE) @ Tapper
2/12 Riga (LT) @ Melna Piektdiena
2/13 Vilnius (LV) @ New York
2/14 Minsk (RU) @ Republic
2/15 Moscow (RU) @ Volta
2/16 St. Petersburg (RU) @ Zal Ozhidaniya

http://www.solstafir.net/
https://twitter.com/solstafir
https://www.facebook.com/solstafirice
http://shopusa.season-of-mist.com/

Sólstafir, Ótta (2014)