VON

"Von" is the debut full-length studio album by Islandic post-rock act Sigur Rós. The album was released through Icelandic label Smekkleysa Records in June 1997. The recording sessions were spread over a 2 year period, and the end result was not what the band expected when they began. "Von" made only very little impact upon release and only sold a few hundred copies in the band´s native country and it wasn´t until the international success of their sophomore album ("Ágætis byrjun"(1999)), that "Von" was noticed and began selling more copies.

Stylistically "Von" is atmospheric/ambient post-rock. It´s often layered and noisy droning sounds and almost avant garde in nature (which is established right away on the 9:46 minutes long eponymously titled opening track), but touches of melody can be heard throughout the album. Other then that and a few more "regular" structured rock oriented parts (tracks like "Hún Jörð ...", "Myrkur" and "Syndir Guðs (Opinberun frelsarans)" feature parts which are examples of that), "Von" is a completely uncompromising release. It´s also a very long release featuring no less than 12 tracks and a total playing time of 71:58 minutes. That feels like a very long running time, when the music is as ambient, experimental, and repetitive as it is here.

"Von" is well produced and the musicianship is obviously on a high level, but with material as uncompromising, droning, and ambient as this "Von" is arguably an aquired taste. I personally find at least half of the album tedious and outstaying its welcome, but thankfully Sigur Rós do manage to cram in something that doesn´t sound like whales song put through the grinder on repeat, and that does make those parts of "Von" a relatively listenable release. Still when at least half of the album feels like a long almost painful drag a 2 star (40%) rating it is.