Sigur Ros - Kveikur

Double LP reissue

Sigur Rós turns heavier and darker on Kveikur

That Kveikur translates to "candlewick" and phonetically sounds like "quake" is appropriate, as Sigur Rós's seventh album is their most explosive, writes Pitchfork, in its 2013 review. Kveikur is Sigur Rós' first without founding member and keyboardist Kjartan Sveinnson.

Best known for ethereal and atmospheric post-rock, Sigur Rós's Kveikur makes a bold departure from that sound in favor of tracks that are darker, heavier, and louder. Filled with industrial crunches, cymbal crashes, and moody synths, Kveikur is both stunningly aggressive and intricate. The band's signature sounds — Jonsi's featherweight falsetto and bowed guitar — ring out across each song like a church bell in a thunderstorm. The impenetrable weight of tracks such as "Brennistein," makes its uplifting songs ("Stormur," "Rafstraumur") glow with transcendent warmth. All told, Kveikur is an exceptional achievement — simultaneously harrowing, heavy, and beautiful.

Side A

Brennisteinn

Hrafntinna

Side B

Isjaki

Yfirbord

Side C

Stormur

Kveikur

Side B

Rafstraumur

Blaþradur

Var

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