Solstafir-Otta

I first started listening to Solstafir a couple of years ago, but I don't think I ever got really into them. I spun their discography a handful of times and liked it, but never took it further. Then, about six weeks ago Rebecca from SubRosa got me into them again after she told me how great they had been at Hellfest. So here I sit, listening to the bands latest, and possibly greatest offering yet, the memorable and mysterious Otta. As the band sift through mysterious soundscapes to find strange vestiges of that rock and roll music they seem to be pulling back layers of our own reality.

There is something strangely muscular about the melodic content on this record. Tracks like Middegi provide a solid rock and roll blast that seems to directly contradict the epic atmospheric sounds of Rismal. Yet, after a few listens you start to realize how it all works. One track bleeds into the next very naturally, guiding you through soundscapes that are varied, yet clearly all part of a greater whole. For a band who have been constantly evolving, Otta shows Solstafir at their best, melding distinct rock vibes with the heart rending epic parts that make the band sound so huge. While a lot of the elements from Otta might seem disparate, the beauty of the thing is that it leaves us fulfilled, calm and whole, ready to carry on, wayward sons of a forgotten generation.

So, feel the melodies, but also the power of ancient Iceland. Solstafir konw how to rock, rattle and roll, and while they aren't afraid to show it, I feel like they truly find inner peace in the more laid back and epic parts of their music. Yet finding where you belong and where you need to go has always been a part of the beautiful world of this kind of music. Solstafir have crafted something that any music lover can jive too, yet also something that speaks to the greater power of their origins. Fall into the void and feel the vibe man, Otta is music unlike any you've ever heard, so come forth and revel in it.

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