Sól án Varma, translated to “Sun without Radiance”, was originally a singular 70 minute commissioned piece for the Roadburn Festival back in 2018 featuring many Icelandic Black Metal scene veterans. Now, in 2023, this piece finally sees recorded form. There is a lot of different talent present here, as members hail from acts such as Misþyrming, Svartidauði (RIP), Wormlust, Árstíðir Lífsins, Carpe Noctem, and many others. Being an avid fan of this microcosm of a scene, I went into this hoping for a great album and was not disappointed in the slightest. The best way to describe this album is in three parts: the build-up (I-III), the fury (IV-IX), and the afterglow (X-XII). The build-up starts the album off quite slowly, as “I” introduces you to the different elements at play. “II” gives listeners tastes of the 3 different vocalists at play here: D.G (Misþyrming), S.V (Svartidauði), and Á.B.Z (Árstíðir Lífsins). “III” wraps up the introductions with a track that sounds straight out of an Árstíðir Lífsins album with its haunting atmosphere and whispered storytelling. The fury brings the fucking riffs, as waves upon waves of that classic Icelandic dissonance crash and flow over you for the next six songs.
All vocalists shine here, with Á.B.Z’s hypnotic chants present in the background and D.G and S.V‘s trademark snarls permeating the crushing atmosphere. The drummer M.S is another star of the show here, going absolutely wild particularly on the bridge between “VI” and “VII”, with the end result being one of the most impressive drum performances I have heard all year. Lastly, the afterglow ushers in the end of an era. Svartidauði called it quits at the end of 2022, and this album is the last time we will hear them on record sounding as they do. “X” and “XI” are the two final proper Black Metal tracks on the album, and the affair ends with the synth-laden “XII”, showing off H.V‘s (Wormlust) adeptness with synths and electronic elements. It’s a warm end to a bleak album. This is a love letter to the Icelandic microscene as a whole and I love it. I expect this album to end up in my year end list, and while I have strong doubts we will ever hear another album by this collective, it’s a proper send off to the progenitors of the microscene as a whole (Svartidauði). Phenomenal release.
