The whole amount of bands is really passable in this country when we realize Iceland has like 280-300 000 inhabitants only. But frequency of gigs and festivals is not as high as in the other Europe?s parts here and there?s not so many bands coming to play to Iceland although some exeptions exist. So the scene of the country must be self-supporting somehow. Czech listeners may know bands as SÓLSTAFIR or FORGARDUR HELVITIS which were released through my own label as MCD and split 7?EP some years ago in Czechland.Totally unknown are not f.e. POTENTIAM (released through an Italian label) nor CURSE (Potentiam leader?s project)who are currently under German ?No Colours? the label.An another hope are MYRK f.e.to name a band of the youngest ones here.
The main and maybe even charismatic person of the contemporary Icelandic underground is Siggi,vocalist of Forgardur Helvitis and an organizer of the most of gigs and similar events on the island. Because of the fact I was spending April, May and June on Iceland and because I have been in a permanent touch with Siggi for years it happened I apperaed in his flat at Baronsstigur in Reykjavik in 30-31 days of May to be able to visit SÓLMYRKVI METAL- FEST(as I was said later then, the astronomic sun eclipse really happened within the days of the fest. For those Icelandic not speaking, the name of the fest should mean something in the vein). The fest was organized in Reykjavik and was split up to two following evenings. The whole event happened in two disparate buildings (so under a roof) as to organize similar events outside is-regarding the always changing weather on Iceland -a little risky thing.The first evening, or better said the first part of the fest, happened in ?Grand Rokk? the club(such a little better pub) and started at 23.00 to end around 03.00 morning the further day. One even did not realize the slightly uncommon time so much as Iceland means almost permanent light outside in this season. It gets just a little darker around the midnight. Furthermore the first evening was taken as an event for the adults if it can be said so.Booze was for sale (very expensiwe btw) and visitors had to pay an entrance fee. The other (2nd) part of the fest happened the next day in?Hitt Husid? in the middle of Reykjavik which is something like youth centre for teenagers and similar situated to the highest floor of one house on one of the Reykjavik?s streets.Start at 18.00, end at 22.00,no booze,no cigarettes nor drugs.Free entrance. First evening was opened by DARK HARVEST. Quite great band speaking for myself even if a little for witnesses already regarding the style. Bassist(Maddi)of Forgardur Helvitis, Kristian the drummer and mainly Gulli Falk the guitarist who is around 50 now being one of the best guitarists Iceland has ever had (a living legend of the Icelandic hard music) play instrumental tracks in the old hard?n?heavy style only. The whole sound is built on the shining Gulli?s guitar work mainly. A music for Satriani or Malmsteen fans let?s say.Great and for myself very pleasant start. Raw black metal MYRK followed(this style is said to be a trend on Iceland nowadays as I was revealed by Siggi though I met Myrk only speaking about raw black metal Icelandic newcomers). Guys around 20 averagely, typical black metal image including painted faces etc.I had downloaded some their mp3 before my trip to the north and I have to admit it sounded quite well. I liked it a lot. Unfortunately I can?t say the same regarding their live appearance as it was not that much intense. Anyway all informed Icelanders who know something about the wild music say Myrk to be a promising band.They should have a full-length CD under ?Ketzer Records? in Germany (www.ketzer-records.de) this year and their ?The Spell Promo 2002? is available there now already also(incl.?Atrocity? the demo?s track in mp3 to be downloaded). There are keybs to be heard on the mp3 track while the live set I saw happened (fortunately?) without?em. The Myrk?s set got followed by SHIVA?s one.Nothing for me here I must say.Mix of HC and metal, lots of energy and a big audience response maybe thanx to the relatively melodic and easy to remember music.There?re tons of similar bands everywhere I think.I endured them I must say though the domestic fans?crowd liked?em. And finally we have SÓLSTAFIR here.The greatest expectations and stars of the evening for me. The band?s line up is four membered now which is a change as regards the MCD I released. Great music,songs I have never heard sounded better than expected. The band has escaped raw black metal waters heard on my?Til Valhallar?MCD. The contempoary songs are longer and much better arranged which is a reality already heard through the?Í Blódi og Anda?CD released by ?Ars Metalli?the label in Germany. But this shift in production is not making the thing worse at all. The main motive power of Sólstafir is Adalbjorn Tryggvason. He?s the author of almost all the music of Sólstafir.Great vocalist and guitarist, considerablely an exceptional and-by my opinion-unappreciated person within the ug scene. The live appearance of Sólstafir was just a little disturbed by some technical poblems showed by long breaks between the tracks but as I was said later, this is pretty typical for the band?s live shows(looks like an exaggerated endeavour to be perfect).It was funny a little to see a dance of a Philippine?s origin middle aged woman in the space in the front of the stage (empty otherwise). How bizarre can a meeting of cultures be sometimes...it looks gigs of such a genre attract every kind of the Icelandic audience no matter what the music itself is about. The main thing in this world?s corner probaby is people have a place to visit at evening at all.
The mighty Sólstafir got followed by CADAVEROUS CONDITION from Austria who were the only foreign band playing the fest. I had not heard their music till the Icelandic appearance and to be honest,nothing so breathtaking was missed out.An average & inexpressive death/grind in a slower tempo. There?s many bands like that everywhere and all of them sound almost the same.I just dare to say they have been playing for a long time together judging the average age of theirs.A likable step was giving of free CD-Rs released specially for their two Icelandic gigs to the visitors. The CD-R contains even some covers of some Icelandic bands which were performed by the band alive also.The main problem of foreign bands coming to play to Iceland are expenses(what else..). The gigs?organizers on the island can hardly pay more than a part of the entrance fee?s incomes to the bands which is naturally not enough considering the island?s isolation&transport expenses.Foreign bands-if they decide to gig on Iceland-must usually take the whole adventure as a touristic trip and to pay the bigger part of all the expenses themselves. So it is not easiest regarding the money but on the other side, which band can say then?we have made some gigs on Iceland?? I think there?s not so many of them worldwide... The top of the 1st evening were FORGARDUR HELVITIS then. A frantic grind full of energy,fast,short and striking tracks equiped by lyrics with social themes mainly.All this raised by an uninterchangeable appearance of Siggi the vocalist.A blast,the whole audience moving and coalescing with the band in one unit.Unforgettable! The previous day?s?summer?weather changed within a few hours to a rainy,windy and cold one.
Reykjavik at 03.00 a.m.is like at 15.00 p.m. Crowds of people returning from pubs and restaurants to home or just changing a local. Tired we were returning to home by walking also.An evening never to be forgotten for me... As I have said,the 2nd evening or better said the 2nd part of the fest happened on a different place, in a house on a ?busy ?Reykjavik?s avenue. An average age of the audience around 15, even some parents with their small kids came. The whole atmosphere remembered some X-mas pupils?meeting or a benefit event for the 3rd world?s kids to me. There was nothing for sale on the place.Who did want to eat or drink had to downstairs to visit a shop not too far.Selling of music and merchandise so popular on gigs in continental Europe was almost dead within the fest. Just Siggi was an exception selling mainly anarchist kind of a literature and needy to add this his job was quite successful as he said afterwards. The whole performance started at 18.00 and the openers were DIMINISHED playing thrash/ death metal. A very young band inspired mainly by 80?s metal. It did not sound bad at all, almost perfect covers of Slayer and Motorhead, their own tracks then, quite a good start!The audience was calm, just a few parents with their kids lefting the place in woeful expectations this cultural event is not going to be the best for them nor their children.... LACK OF TRUST are the followers then and their first tracks makes me sure this is not going to be anything for me. Death/grind in the Cannibal Corpse vein (if we let the images speak) but much worse.Every next song as the previous one,not my cup of tea at all.But the audience does not share its opinion with mine, or its part at least.
Lack of Trust are leaving to let the POTENTIAM play then.An another band I have looked forward to hear and see. I have heard their CD mentioned in the beginning of this review and I liked it.It is the same good thing alive, raw and keybless black metal. Good music and a relatively high players?potential. I was not bored by their set at all and the audience thought the same as it seemed.But as I was said later then, the band does not fit to the Icelandic underground too much as they behave too arrogant and are not very willing to cooperate with the others(who knows). But the music itself is certainly on a high level. DARK HARVEST came afterwards and it was as good as the night before. Great music again. A big discovery for me (especially after listening of ?X-IZT-Giants of Yore? ?94 the CD which is a perevious band of Gulli Falk and of which there was ?Falkenweird? the track played during both the evenings). An excellent hard music, great achievement of the main protagonist. There should be the first independent Dark Harvest full-length CD out within this year?s rest there. I look forward to have it. It is interesting to see how this?old?music attracts also the new(young)audience nowadays. This(by my opinon positive) trend is as to the rest perceptible worldwide. A return to the real music. No wonder I guess.
The Dark Harvest are succeeded by CHANGER, an average or perhaps even worse HC/grind. A boredom since 2nd track to the very end.Their tatooed head?s vocalist did probbaly his best but it did not look so in the conclusion. Next time maybe if there is any there.But the audience enjoyed their set,the fans heard it otherwise simply said.A different generation?s problem... CADAVEROUS CONDITIONS are 100% the same as yesterday.A pile of free CD-Rs again, an arid music again.But it is interesting to see how things can be organized and how the band?s guys-paying everything themselves-can reach to come ,travel the island as tourists, play at gigs and leave back to home. Very likable attitude when the music itself is not the top... An end of the evening under FORGARDUR HELVITIS control again. The same as yesterday either but in a positive meaning. Maybe even louder and more pissed off. Siggi?s in his element. Killer tracks,one by one. The originally so tepid audience-its rest better said- boils now. Tourists on the street outside are certainly horrified by the terrible noise as everything is well heard out. An extreme, energic and mistakeless appearance... An end of the evening at 22.00,l ight outside. SÓLMYRKVI METALFEST 2003 has gone.
Pavel Tušl, Reykjavik, 1.6.2003
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