Hin helga kvöl blends SÓLSTAFIR's signature melancholic sound with elements from their past, creating an album that is both reflective and innovative, not only in scope but in song-craft. On their next level of pushing their song-writing to the limit, Tryggvason elaborates:
"It always feels like you walk into a blackened room with paint and start painting, then after a while you turn the lights on. One thing we did try this time around was to make songs shorter. It's somewhat harder to write good short songs, so that was a real challenge."
Hin helga kvöl runs the gamut between SÓLSTAFIR’s Black Metal roots and their penchant for tuneful, anthemic rock, all while maintaining sprawling instrumentation where it counts most. From guests, Borgar Magnason’s double bass soundscapes on "Freygátan" to Jens Hanson’s saxophone and haunting female vocals by Erna Hrönn Ólafsdóttir on "Vor ás", SÓLSTAFIR expertly twists and contorts through a range of styles and eclectic elements, but all woven within their Icelandic tundra expanse. It is Tryggvason's voice that brings Hin helga kvöl’s message, tortured vitality and dramatic earnestness to the forefront. The signature orchestration of SÓLSTAFIR’s innate riff, tone and rhythm balances lush production and stripped-back vigor, with exhilarating time signature changes. At the heart of Hin helga kvöl are the heartfelt and electrifying personal performances of the band that highlight SÓLSTAFIR’s ability to merge genres seamlessly into something unheard of.
