TAKK...

This album is perhaps stronger than its predecessor, and if it's not quite the masterpiece that AGAETIS BYRJUN is, it shows the band moving in interesting directions. (Unfortunately, the next album, 2008's "Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust," found the band taking a step backwards, away from experimentation and towards accessibility and, for me, at any rate, mediocrity.)

"Glosoli" is a fantastic way to open up the album, with what sounds like feet marching across a snow-swept landscape before erupting in the kind of guitar noise-fest this band does so well. "Hoppipolla" is one of the poppiest moments on the album, and it's a fantastic song. "Saeglopur" is the masterpiece of the album; after peaking early in a rising crecendo of noise, it continues post-eruption for another 3 minutes in transcendent beauty.

In between many of the sung tunes are instrumentals that might remind some of that other Iclandic band, Mum, particularly their electronic masterpiece YESTERDAY WAS DRAMATIC. I thought this was the direction the band might be moving in, and was excited by the possibilities.