Sinmara (Iceland): “Hvísl Stjärnanna”

The Icelandic scene is perhaps the one that has evolved most in the 2000s, and Sinmara is a piece of evidence that demonstrates the high quality level reached by the Icelandic bands. Founded in 2013 in Reykjavik, Sinmara imposed itself on the attention of critics the following year with Aphotic Womb. That album drew a lot from modern black metal with a wide, perhaps excessive, use of dissonance as a device to make listening to their music a painful experience. But as already mentioned, the five Icelandic guys abused this device, and the consequence was that the album was repetitive and perhaps even a bit monotonous. Perhaps they had listened too much to Deathspell Omega… However, after five years in which they have released two splits and an EP, Sinmara are back with a new album that attests to the maturity of the band. Hvísl Stjärnanna polishes and smoothes away all the unripe aspects of the youth album, and in my opinion this can be the album of their consecration. Hvísl Stjärnanna is an immense album and an absolute masterpiece; we can safely call it one of the best black metal releases of 2019.
 
Notes:
 Hvísl Stjärnanna (Icelandic for ‘The Whisper of the Stars’) was released on March 8, 2019 through Ván Records.
 
Personnel:
Bjarni Einarsson: Drums
Thorir Garðarsson: Guitars
Garðar S. Jónsson: Guitars
Ólafur Guðjónsson: Vocals
Sigurgeir Lúðvíksson: Bass
 
Text by Herjann
herjann@unholyblackmetal.com