Isafjord Hjartastjaki - Review (Addi Solstafir and Ragnar Zolberg)

[@metalandrockzone]

Here is a link to the bands page on Svart Recordswww.svartrecords.com/en/product/isafj%C3%B8rd-hjartastjaki/10745 Fb page of Isafjørd - facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085179454357 IG - instagram.com/isafjord_official/ Spotify - open.spotify.com/artist/0nJUOx3w1tVD057YaG7Jr9?si=nA4xH85HTeyEwmcTwjBgBA Ragnar Zolberg - ragnarzolberg.com/ Addi - instagram.com/tryggvason/?hl=en solstafir.net/ Svart Records - svartrecords.com/en Tracklist - Hjartastjaki Falin Skemmd Mín Svarta Hlið Hjartastjaki Heiðin Kuldaró Fjord of Hope Njálssaga Andvök

[@Devilghost1000]

Thanks for the extensive presentation of the album. Sounds interesting and very enjoyable. I'm going to buy the album and I'm looking forward to it. 😊 Greetings from Germany

[@metalandrockzone]

Thanks for watching and glad that you enjoy the album! All the best from Prague

[@GabrielMatula]

Solstafir is one of my all time favourite bands, this albums sounds like something very intereting. Thank you for bringing it to my attention!

[@metalandrockzone]

Thank you for watching. This album for sure is something different! There is a bit of Solstafir in there but somehow in a different dimension.

[@dorinauka8968]

I saw Solstafir live once and it was magical, I really look forward to hearing this album since their singer is involved. The examples you have in this video are great, these guys are great artists

[@metalandrockzone]

thanks for watching

[@NikitinVD]

Never heard of this band, but after watching your review I'm adding them to my playlist 👍

[@metalandrockzone]

Thanks for watching, happy you found it interesting.

[@Elgin670]

I been digging this album since release . Just a Chinese boy from Singapore listening to this and knowing the story behind it feels bless to know this band!

[@metalandrockzone]

Great to hear Elgin, thanks for watching.

[@iceland1007]

Sounds like a great band! Never heard of it so def going to check them out. Great review🤘🏼

[@metalandrockzone]

thanks for watching Embla, it is indeed a very interesting band and album

[@elviranadyrshina]

This sounds very interesting, the pictures from that town look amazing!

[@metalandrockzone]

Yes Isafjordur is a magical place and probably inspired these guys a lot

[@vernhardurr.sigurdsson4562]

I must check this out. Sólstafir is amazing and Addi is one of my favorite persons in metal

[@metalandrockzone]

Thanks for watching. It is definitely an album worth checking out!

[@joonnasilberman2558]

I found this review to be one of the most interesting and honest I've heard in a very long time. Very refreshing. knowing a completely different side of Ragnar's work, and nothing about Addi at all (I'm American). It seems to me, you know Addi more, and seemingly not Ragnar as well. I became familiar with Ragnar's work when he was with the band Pain of Salvation (which I found it strange that you left out of your introduction by the way, you mentioned Sign, but Ragnar was with PoS from 2011-2017 where he did incredible work by the way). I am truly glad I got to hear your review because this album is a bit uncomfortable for me as well, albeit, interesting. You are correct it is sad, overwhelmingly so. Raw is a great word for it. But I also think that Bipolar & Manic are appropriate. The tracks are deep, and ambiguous. There are parts of it that are perhaps a bit too electronic in places for me (think I would have preferred guitar,) however, that might be just needing to get used to the sounds. I realize after listening more that this is what they were aiming for so I am giving it space, and listening to it in part and parcel helps. I think one actually has to take it song by song or two songs at a time. Not knowing the language, I am in the opposite boat as you are. I don't think that it can be listened to all the way through or one may succumb to despair and this overshadows the compositions... The tracks I love the most are the first, Falin Skemmd, Mín Svarta Hlið, Heiðin, Fjord of Hope and Andvök and I love the out of tune piano. I think that it's a testament to Ragnar's musicianship to take something old and out of tune and make it work. Glad to hear this review, glad to hear the album, because I had been looking to fiind where Ragnar had ended up and what he was doing now. Strangely I was unable to listen to Pain of Salvation any longer after he left because of his voice. His voice is one of the purest voices I think I have ever heard in music. On my top 10 list of vocalists. For the record, I would not call this pop, perhaps it is the language barrier. I would call this more Proto Prog with a hint of Blues and art rock. I'm unsure if you know my references, but I will say if Procol Harum, David Bowie and Syd Barrett were to have a baby it might end up sounding like something like this. I am going to follow you. I think I would like to learn a bit more about Icelandic music. Thanks much JoOnna Silberman, the Forgotten Woman at Forgotten Man Productions.

[@metalandrockzone]

Thank you JoOanna so much for your comment. I am not sure where to start or end. Reading something like this makes it more valuable for me to do this sort of content than getting 10.000.000 people to see my videos. I have been listening to the album a lot since then as I got it on vinyl from Addi when I met him in Iceland, you are right I know him quite well and I am less familiar with Ragnar. I did not leave POS out on purpose, it was more of a fluke when I was writing down my points for the video. But I know mainly his work with Sign as there were guys in that band with him that I know. These two guys are the most honest people of rock/metal in Iceland but both are somewhat on the fringes there in terms of mainstream recognition which I find bizarre. I totally agree with you on Ragnar's singing skills, I have been listening to some of his cover songs, like Judas Priest The Sentinel and he is just flat out amazing there. On the language and the ability to listen to this in one go then this album is really hard on me even in small 1-2 song doses. There is just so much sorrow and honesty in the lyrics that it cuts really deep. Thanks a million for watching and commenting and I hope you will find some more stuff interesting on my channel. There are some videos here with Solstafir (Addi's band) as well as a concert review of their latest gig here in Prague last month. Take care Almar

[@joonnasilberman2558]

@@metalandrockzone It is my pleasure. Rarely do I listen to a review all the way through, so I am glad it makes you happy that I took the time. I'm glad that you do it in English...LOL. I will watch more of them. I liked your page on FB, so hopefully that will enable me to watch more of them. I actually saw this on Ragnar's personal page as it is set to public. It just so happened that I was researching where he was now, because a particular song from PoS had popped into my head, an that is Falling Home kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3isfZ99r7xkgMU I'm glad I did find your video, and his personal page, because I learned about this album and it seems he will be releasing another one on his own. Which is great. I am a rock music advocate, and although our company was destroyed during Covid, I still keep my music page alive because I feel that it is important to promote the music, the roots, the artists, new and old of all rock genres, even the ones I don't like so much example computer generated electronic music. For me it is all about the musicians and the instruments. Thank you for taking the time to respond. I'm glad it made you happy, and I do believe this album deserves a 10 more so, because it took risks. Feel free to send me the odd review on FB if you wish, facebook.com/ForgottenManProductions (don't worry, I have nothing to sell). I will certainly listen and promote when I feel it is of good use. Looking forward to the next review. Cheers, JoOnna

[@hallaeidekristinardottir632]

Such a great album and you're review both useful&pro. Thanx 💥

[@metalandrockzone]

Thanks for watching, this is indeed a very interesting album.

[@clovisnicknich446]

Good music! I’m from Brazil, I like solstafir! I think Iceland beautiful country 🇮🇸

[@metalandrockzone]

bom dia ! Thanks for watching and welcome to my channel

[@guddabeip]

I know these guys, had no idea they were making such interesting music together, sounds amazing

[@metalandrockzone]

Thanks for watching.

[@alexandrahirjakova8210]

I saw Solstafir many times in Prague, this music in this video sounds a bit different but still sounds amazing

[@metalandrockzone]

Thanks Alexandra, you know that Solstafir are playing here in Prague in January 2023!

[@lucierosecka5013]

I know these guys personally !!!! .... they are sooo cool

[@metalandrockzone]

Yes they are very good, thanks for watching Lucie

[@keithschmieden1834]

A very late contender for album of the year. Do you know if there is an English translation of the lyrics available anywhere (you really made me want to understand what they are singing about when you mentioned the lyrics)?

[@metalandrockzone]

No unfortunately the lyrics do not exist in English. Thanks for watching Keith and happy new year.

[@stefanorneinarsson2397]

I usually learn something new on your channel, and this time was no different. I'm from Iceland, but I had no idea who these folks were.

[@metalandrockzone]

Thanks for watching, yes these guys are more known outside of Iceland.

[@alyonasumara9067]

Nice review!

[@metalandrockzone]

Thanks for watching !

[@_hojaverde_]

i love isafjord

[@metalandrockzone]

yes this album is amazing

[@MJump]

Nice!

[@metalandrockzone]

Thanks for watching Anastasia