Sólstafir
An Icelandic post-metal outfit with roots in progressive, black, and Viking metal, Sólstafir emerged in the early aughts with a sound steeped in the icy depths of traditional black metal. They adopted a more atmosphere-driven post-metal style on their acclaimed sophomore effort, 2005's Masterpiece of Bitterness, and have continued in that vein with subsequent outings like Svartir Sandar (2011) and Endless Twilight of Codependent Love (2020).
Sólstafir were founded in 1995 by longtime friends Aðalbjörn Tryggvason (guitar, vocals), Halldór Einarsson (bass), and Guðmundur Óli Pálmason (drums). After cutting a series of demos, Sólstafir scaled down to a duo (Tryggvason and Pálmason) and began work on their debut full-length. After recruiting Svavar Austmann to replace Einarsson, they set about laying down tracks for what would become Í Blóði og Anda. A series of setbacks (label woes, lineup changes) kept the LP from being released until 2002. By that time, Sólstafir were operating as a quartet with the addition of second guitarist Sæþór Maríus Sæþórsson, who made his studio debut on the 2002 EP Black Death.
In 2004, Sólstafir inked a deal with the Spinefarm imprint Spikefarm, which issued their sophomore long-player, Masterpiece of Bitterness, the following year. Arriving in 2009, Köld saw Sólstafir adding more post-metal atmospherics into their sound, an aesthetic they would further distill on subsequent outings like Svartir Sandar (2012), which landed the group their first big hit in "Fjara," and Ótta (2014), both of which were released via Season of Mist. Co-founder Pálmason left the group in 2015 and was replaced by Hallgrímur Jón Hallgrímsson. In 2017, the newly minted quartet issued their sixth full-length outing, Berdreyminn, which made a strong showing on the European charts. 2020's Endless Twilight of Codependent Love saw the group continue to blur the line between ambient post-rock and cavernous black Viking metal.
© James Christopher Monger /TiVo
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Discography
17 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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Svartir Sandar
Metal - Released by Season of Mist on 30 Aug 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Endless Twilight of Codependent Love
Progressive Rock - Released by Season of Mist on 6 Nov 2020
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
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Berdreyminn (Deluxe)
Metal - Released by Season of Mist on 26 May 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Berdreyminn
Hard Rock - Released by Season of Mist on 26 May 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Masterpiece Of Bitterness
Metal - Released by Spinefarm FI on 27 Dec 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Endless Twilight of Codependent Love (Bonus Single)
Progressive Rock - Released by Season of Mist on 6 Nov 2020
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
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Fjara / Runaway Train
Metal - Released by Artoffact Records on 4 Feb 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Í Blóði Og Anda (In Blood and Spirit)
Metal - Released by Season of Mist on 11 Nov 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Silfur-Refur
Alternative & Indie - Released by Season of Mist on 28 Apr 2017
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Her Fall from Grace
Progressive Rock - Released by Season of Mist on 2 Oct 2020
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
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