ALBUM REVIEW: Myrkurs er þörf – Dynfari

DYNFARI are styling it back for their fifth full-length release – a more DIY approach leaves this album feeling rough and ready, a truly triumphant offering which sets them apart from their peers.

A sense of atmosphere is created in Myrkurs er þörf which sounds intense, but not necessarily in a heavy way. Like those who paved the way before them [ULVER, WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM, etc], they mix the light in with the heavy. DYNFARI opts for delicate textures placed atop a pounding beat and it serves to strengthen their sound with its gossamer finish. And that’s just the introductory track.

Langar nætur (í botnlausum spíralstiga) is kicked off with a pained howl, and the vocals of Jóhann Örn are instantaneously recognisable. The timbre is unique and he holds so much power and sorrow in his voice at the same time. The double kick pedal is relentless but never feels too much, and the layers of this song are handled carefully in the production. An album which deals with the darkness of the mental space of suicidal thoughts, Myrkurs er þörf is probably a more hopeful album than you’d expect it to be. By plumbing the depths of the human psyche, DYNFARI also manages to show the heights to which you can reach at the other end of the spectrum.

Svefnlag is an interlude which is truly touching. Not just in response to the darkness surrounding it, but on its own, the harmonics and rippling bass sound almost beatific, like a flower growing in mud. It’s an honest and heartfelt inclusion for this murky and dark record to contain this ambient track, in which you can hear the darkness swirling and gathering in the hazy background, but never quite touching the serene guitar part at the forefront. The last two album tracks see the concept begin to wear a little thin, with the inclusion of English lyrics destroying some of the mystery which we find in the rest of the album. It barely touches upon the triumph of the rest, but it is a shame to leave on probably the weakest song on the album, Of Suicide and Redemption.

The mixing of post, atmospheric and other flavours of black metal whilst still crafting a catchy song is something for which this band should truly be commended. Hope and sorrow are balanced perfectly within each song’s form, and this album should not be missed.

Rating: 7/10

Myrkurs er þörf is out now via Code666.

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