Sólstafir

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Sólstafir
Sólstafir at Brutal Assault 2015
Sólstafir at Brutal Assault 2015
Background information
OriginIceland
Genres
Years active1995–present
Labels
Members
  • Aðalbjörn "Addi" Tryggvason
  • Sæþór Maríus "Pjúddi" Sæþórsson
  • Svavar "Svabbi" Austmann
  • Hallgrímur Jón "Grimsi" Hallgrímsson
Past members
  • Halldór Einarsson
  • Guðmundur Óli "Gummi" Pálmason

Sólstafir is an Icelandic post-metal band formed in 1995 and currently signed to Century Media. Originally a black metal band, they transitioned to a post-metal-influenced style with slight traces of their earlier black metal.

History

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Sólstafir was formed in 1995 by guitarist/singer Aðalbjörn Tryggvason, bassist Halldór Einarsson, and drummer Guðmundur Óli Pálmason.[1] The band's name is the Icelandic word for sun beams (crepuscular rays).[2] They soon recorded the demos Í Norðri and Til Valhallar.[3] Halldór then left the band, and Aðalbjörn and Guðmundur recorded a promo tape as a duo in 1997.[3]

During this period, Svavar Austmann joined as the new bassist and the band began recording their debut full-length album, Í Blóði og Anda. The album was not released until 2002 due to various recording delays and label disputes.[1] Shortly after that album was completed, second guitarist Sæþór Maríus Sæþórsson joined the band and made his debut on the 2002 demo Black Death.[1]

After shopping around a three-track demo of new songs, Sólstafir signed with Spinefarm Records in 2005.[4] Their second album Masterpiece of Bitterness was released by Spinefarm later that year. The album received positive reviews, with Metal Storm stating "the perfect mix of non-Metal elements with metal ones makes it a necessary album for any Metalhead looking for something that breaks the mold of pre-established genres."[5]

Their third album Köld was recorded in Sweden and released in 2009.[6] Reviewers compared the band's sound to Enslaved and Neurosis, among others, while noting their unique post-black metal sound.[7] The album was also noted for its addition of atmospheric passages.[1] Sólstafir began to tour Europe regularly in 2010 and made their first of many open-air appearances at the Roskilde Festival that year.[8]

Sólstafir's fourth full-length album, Svartir Sandar, was released by Season of Mist in 2011. The song "Fjara"[9] remained in the 2013 list of Iceland's top 100 songs of 20 years.[10] This album signaled Sólstafir's retreat from black metal and move toward experimental atmospherics of the type practiced by fellow Icelanders Sigur Rós.[11]

Their fifth album Ótta was released by Season of Mist in 2014, and was noted for its additional experimental elements like strings and piano.[12] Three official music videos were released and the band performed Iceland's national television channel, RÚV's Stúdíó A.[13]

In January 2015, the band announced that longtime drummer Guðmundur Óli Pálmason had left the band for "personal reasons". Guðmundur replied immediately via the band's Twitter account, explaining that he had been "stonewalled by ex-bandmates" and forced out of the band by Aðalbjörn Tryggvason. Guðmundur was replaced by Hallgrímur Jón Hallgrímsson.[1] After his departure from the band Guðmundur formed post metal band Katla.

Sólstafir released their sixth full-length album, Berdreyminn, in May 2017 on Season of Mist.[14] Upon its release Berdreyminn entered international charts, mostly top 50, across Europe.[15]

On 6 November 2020, Sólstafir released their seventh studio album, Endless Twilight of Codependent Love.[16]

Members

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File:Solstafir, Barge to Hell 2012.jpg
Aðalbjörn Tryggvason on the Barge to Hell 2012

Current members

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  • Aðalbjörn "Addi" Tryggvason – guitar, vocals (1995–present)
  • Svavar "Svabbi" Austmann – bass (1999–present)
  • Sæþór Maríus "Pjúddi" Sæþórsson – guitar (2002–present)
  • Hallgrímur Jón "Grimsi" Hallgrímsson – drums (2015–present, on touring hiatus 2023–2024), backing vocals (2020–present)

Former members

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  • Halldór Einarsson – bass (1995–1997)
  • Guðmundur Óli Pálmason – drums (1995–2015)

Former touring members

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  • Ari "Sneakers/Strigaskór" Steinarsson – drums (2015, 2023–2024)
  • Kristján Einar Guðmundsson – drums (2024)

Timeline

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<timeline> ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:140 bottom:95 top:0 right:30 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1995 till:05/26/2026 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:mm/dd/yyyy ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1995 ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1995 Legend = position:bottom orientation:vertical columns:3

Colors = 

 id:Vocals     value:red        legend:Vocals
 id:Bvocals    value:pink       legend:Backing_vocals
 id:Guitar     value:green      legend:Guitar
 id:Bass       value:blue       legend:Bass
 id:Drums      value:orange     legend:Drums
 id:Touring    value:yellow     legend:Touring_member
 id:Lines      value:black      legend:Studio_album
 id:Lines2     value:gray(0.7)  legend:Other_release

LineData = 

 at:01/08/2002 color:black  layer:back
 at:12/30/2005 color:black  layer:back
 at:02/21/2009 color:black  layer:back
 at:10/14/2011 color:black  layer:back
 at:08/29/2014 color:black  layer:back
 at:05/26/2017 color:black  layer:back
 at:11/06/2020 color:black  layer:back
 at:11/08/2024 color:black  layer:back

 at:06/17/1995 color:lines2 layer:back
 at:09/08/1996 color:lines2 layer:back
 at:01/01/1997 color:lines2 layer:back
 at:09/01/1997 color:lines2 layer:back
 at:01/01/2001 color:lines2 layer:back
 at:12/25/2002 color:lines2 layer:back
 at:01/01/2004 color:lines2 layer:back
 at:01/24/2014 color:lines2 layer:back
 at:10/31/2014 color:lines2 layer:back
 at:11/14/2016 color:lines2 layer:back
 at:04/20/2017 color:lines2 layer:back

BarData = 

 bar:Addi     text:"Aðalbjörn Tryggvason"
 bar:Pjúddi   text:"Sæþór Maríus Sæþórsson"
 bar:Halldór  text:"Halldór Einarsson"
 bar:Svabbi   text:"Svavar Austmann"
 bar:Óli      text:"Guðmundur Óli Pálmason"
 bar:Sneakers text:"Ari Steinarsson"
 bar:Grimsi   text:"Hallgrímur Jón Hallgrímsson"
 bar:Einar    text:"Kristján Einar Guðmundsson"

PlotData = 

 textcolor:black  align:left  anchor:from  shift:(10,-4)
 width:11
 bar: Addi     from:01/01/1995 till:end        color:Vocals
 bar: Addi     from:01/01/1995 till:end        color:Guitar   width:3
 bar: Pjúddi   from:01/01/2002 till:end        color:Guitar
 bar: Halldór  from:01/01/1995 till:01/01/1997 color:Bass
 bar: Svabbi   from:01/01/1999 till:end        color:Bass
 bar: Óli      from:01/01/1995 till:02/19/2015 color:Drums
 bar: Sneakers from:04/01/2015 till:07/09/2015 color:Drums
 bar: Sneakers from:04/01/2015 till:07/09/2015 color:Touring  width:3
 bar: Sneakers from:07/01/2023 till:07/31/2024 color:Drums
 bar: Sneakers from:07/01/2023 till:07/31/2024 color:Touring  width:3
 bar: Grimsi   from:07/09/2015 till:07/01/2023 color:Drums
 bar: Grimsi   from:01/01/2020 till:end        color:Bvocals  width:3
 bar: Grimsi   from:07/01/2023 till:09/08/2024 color:Drums    width:3
 bar: Grimsi   from:09/08/2024 till:end        color:Drums
 bar: Einar    from:07/31/2024 till:09/08/2024 color:Drums
 bar: Einar    from:07/31/2024 till:09/08/2024 color:Touring  width:3

</timeline>

Discography

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Studio albums

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EPs

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  • Til Valhallar (EP), 1996
  • Black Death (EP), 2002
  • Ótta (Radio Edit) + Til Valhallar (EP), 2014
  • Ótta Sampler EP / Bonus: Live at Hellfest 2014 (EP), 2014
  • Tilberi (EP), 2016
  • Silfur-Refur (EP), 2017

Demos

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  • Í Norðri (demo), 1995
  • Promo Tape September 1997 (demo), 1997
  • Black Death (demo), 2001
  • Promo 2004 (demo), 2004

Singles

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  • 2011: "Fjara"
  • 2012: "Æra"
  • 2013: "Þín orð"
  • 2014: "Ótta"
  • 2024: "Hin Helga Kvöl"
  • 2024: "Hún andar"

Splits/compilations

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  • "Fire & Ice - An Icelandic Metal Compilation" (Compilation), 1997
  • "Fjara/Runaway Train" (Split with Legend), 2014

References

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