If you have been following The Metal Wanderlust since its inception you will know that I am a huge fan of the Icelandic Metal Scene. There is something about the sound of the bands that come out of that small country that is unique and all together infectious. The sheer atmosphere is icy like glaciers and flows into being like chaotic lava spewed out the mouth of a volcano.
Sinmara are at the forefront of the scene, sharing members with other favorites such as Svartidauði, Wormlust, and Almyrkvi. Now after about 5 years of waiting with only an EP and a few splits to satiate the hunger they are back with a new full length album entitled
Hvísl Stjarnanna which will be released March 8th through Ván Records.
Aphotic Womb released back in 2014 was a fantastic album filled with cosmic misanthropy and one that I will always recommend for those looking to discover Icelandic bands. Their newest effort has already made its mark in my books and one that will be talked about for quite sometime.
The band has taken their familiar dense sound and molded it with a new air of eclectic mystifying enchantment. This is six tracks of pure enthralling Black Metal, dripping with that air of monstrous chaos through veiled vision.
Opening track Apparitions sets the pace, inviting the listener in with a melodic somber atmosphere which is immediately engaging. Mephitic Haze is a grandiose hypnotic track that illustrates a downward decent into oblivion. The Arteries of Withered Earth is teeming with catchy harmonious riffs in perfect tandem with the blackened rasps leading into Crimson Stars which is shaped in the form of a raw melodic approach that opens the door to a dark void. The final two tracks are the only ones in Icelandic which heightens the aura and fervor that is Sinmara.
All in all this album is an ethereal journey through the atmosphere of the living and the dead, and the listener is sure to take something away. It is an experience and a delight to continue to hear the talent coming from this band and one that I am confident all will surely enjoy.
Rating: 4.5/5
The Metal Wanderlust 