Auðn, Sicarius and Kadavardisciplin.
Atmospheric Icelanders forge their own, expansive path
The vast and unyielding landscapes of Iceland give rise to a multitude of emotions, ones that Auðn have fashioned into their deeply atmospheric take on black metal. Where their fellow countrymen take a more vicious approach – Misþyrming, Naðra, Sinmara, Svartidauði for example – Auðn are treading a path that sees them preferring to term their music in a slightly different way, as their guitarist and lyricist Aðalsteinn Magnússon explains.
“We want to go our own route when it comes to playing black metal and the mix seems to be working in our favour. Who knows, one day we might even shake the term – it’s just dark, atmospheric music.”
As well as stepping away from the standard black metal sound, Auðn have also turned away from the usual tropes associated with the genre and removed the inhuman aspect from their stage aesthetic.
“For us the corpsepaint was about becoming someone else when performing and after a while we figured we didn’t have to. We unmasked and became ourselves; the music is grand and we dress for the occasion.”
It’s a method that’s working well for them. Since their self-titled debut in 2014 they’ve been melding ethereal melodies with harsher elements in order to express how their homeland has affected their music.
“Iceland is a big influence,” Aðalsteinn explains. “We are surrounded by unforgiving nature, harsh landscapes and weather. The dark winters and the sleepless bright summer nights are all a factor in our music.”
For the forthcoming Farvegir Fyrndar full-length (due for release this November) and its gorgeous textures, all of those components permeate the work – the record is a sweeping, grandiose arrangement that is coloured by light and dark.
“When I write lyrics for Auðn I try to paint a picture,” Aðalsteinn says. “There is a certain feeling or colour in every song; for instance a song can be cold and raw and while others feel hot and fierce or even beautifully sad.”
Despite the lyrics being entirely in Icelandic, those feelings translate perfectly through the music and in frontman Hjalti Sveinsson’s voice – a tool that bring Auðn’s soundscapes to vivid life. Farvegir Fyrndar is the sound of a band finding their place in the world, although it’s one that they see themselves outside of.
“Someone once said that there is the Icelandic black metal scene and then there is Auðn,” Aðalsteinn reveals. “And I guess we are outsiders in that sense. But I believe there is a certain element of isolation living in Iceland that the whole of the scene shares and that makes it special to outsiders.”
Iceland certainly has been seeing a boom in bands in recent years and the island produces music that is unique and truly heartfelt. Auðn are an exceptional addition to that sphere and with Farvegir Fyrndar they’re staking a firm place with a much more mature album that speaks volumes as to the amount of work the band have put in.
“We dug deeper on this record,” Aðalsteinn says. “We recorded the whole album live in a room just like we would play at rehearsals and captured the feeling of the music.
It’s all about capturing the emotion the songs portray.”
And what does the future hold for them? “Auðn has really taken off in recent years and we are ecstatic about the following and reception we have been getting. We are going to continue on this route, we are here to stay.”
“We dropped the corpse- paint and became ourselves” AÐALSTEINN MAGNÚSSON