The number 4 is a recurring theme in the new album by the Danish black metal band Solbrud, which is set for release in February by Vendetta Records. It is the band’s fourth album, and thus its title is IIII. In addition, the band has 4 members, and for the new album they altered their usual compositional process by having each member individually compose music and write lyrics for one vinyl side each (though the full band performs all the songs) — and yes, the new album consists of 4 vinyl sides.
Moreover, the 4 classical elements of Wind, Water, Earth and Fire are vital parts of the album’s universe, and each member’s compositions thus constitute one element each.
One song from the album (“Tåge“) has debuted so far, and today we’re presenting a second one, an instrumental piece named “Sjæleskrig“.
The new album, in addition to being quite long, is also quite diverse, a consequence in part of the approach to composition described above. With respect to the song we’re presenting today, we have this comment from Solbrud guitarist Adrian Utzon Dietz:
On IIII we’ve re-recorded a more densely layered studio version of the mournful instrumental “Sjæleskrig“, which was initially released as a live edition on our live album Levende I Brønshøj Vandtårn (2021). The concept for a more heavy and slow song arose in part from the desire to give our drummer a breather in live sets, which are usually quite exhausting due to the amount of blast beats and double pedal parts involved in most of our other songs.
I’ve always been very much into classic rock guitar and doing harmonies in the style of Wishbone Ash, Queen, UFO, Scorpions, Iron Maiden, etc. and got further inspired as I was filling in as guitarist for the Copenhagen doom rock band Demon Head a couple of years back. So I thought it would be interesting to try and incorporate signature leads within the darker Solbrud sound.
That it became an instrumental track wasn’t actually the intention to begin with. We happened to not have any lyrics for it when we did the live album and still play it without, and I was actually working on two verses for it still when we were recording IIII, but eventually decided to discard them and keep it instrumental, apart from the one shriek when the distorted guitars kick in.
“Sjæleskrig” is indeed heavy, slow, and mournful, a different side of Solbrud than what they’re probably best known for. But it’s different in other ways as well.
The harmonized guitar leads ring and wail in ways that sound lonesome and soulful, like a meditation beneath a tapestry of stars on high plains, and the effect is spellbinding.
But as mentioned, a harrowing scream interrupts the dream, and the song as a whole becomes more harrowing, and more vast. Distorted guitars whir and whirl in despair, like the star-field beginning to spin. The beautiful melodies continue to ring high above, reminiscent of lap steel or bottleneck guitars performing as a stricken choir, as the drums remain slow and steady, but raking chords seem to moan in grief.
The guitars reach up, like pleading hands, and the glorious soloing near the end sends the music higher and heads spinning, a fantastic finale to a wholly captivating song.
Fans of Solbrud are probably aware that in the autumn of 2021 vocalist/guitarist Ole Luk left the band to focus on his solo project Afsky. But Ole Luk is still part of IIII, as he wrote and composed his part, and recorded it with the band before his departure.
Solbrud‘s new stage-center vocalist and guitarist is David Hernan, who became part of the band at the beginning of 2022. He has played several concerts in Denmark and abroad with Solbrud. And thus the current Solbrud lineup is:
David Hernan – vocal/guitar
Adrian Utzon Dietz – guitar
Tobias Hjorth Pedersen – bass
Troels Hjorth Pedersen – drums
IIII will be out on February 2nd in the new year through Vendetta Records on 2xLP, 2xCD, 2xMC and various digital streaming platforms. The album was produced by Solbrud with Markus F. Larsen, who also mixed the album, and it was mastered by Flemming Rasmussen (Metallica, Morbid Angel, etc) in Sweet Silence Studios. The album is available for pre-order now (see the link below).
Below we’re also including the transfixing official video for the debut single from IIII mentioned at the outset — “Tåge“.
That song is also captivating, also spellbinding, also vast, but an order of magnitude darker and more intense than the piece we’ve premiered, thanks in part to the wrenching screamed vocals. It’s also otherworldly and transportive in its atmosphere, though it’s anchored by heavy bass-and-drum grooves that are viscerally compelling. And near the end, Solbrud ratchet up the intensity even more, drums blasting and the sharp trill of the guitars becoming frenzied.
PRE-ORDER:
https://vendettarecords.bigcartel.com/
SOLBRUD:
https://www.facebook.com/Solbrud
https://solbrud.bandcamp.com/album/iiii