Band:	Sinmara
Album:	Hvísl Stjarnanna
Style:	Black metal
Release date:	March 08, 2019
A review by:	RaduP

01. Apparitions
02. Mephitic Haze
03. The Arteries Of Withered Earth
04. Crimson Stars
05. Úr Kaleik Martraða
06. Hvísl Stjarnanna

It seems to be a tradition in Icelandic black metal that one must take a long time to craft an album.

Icelandic black metal is in an interesting position right now. A fair amount of time has passed since its big breakthrough around 2012-2015, when most of the bands who've established their name released their debut albums and put Iceland on the map. Now, we're at a point where the world is watching and most of these bands are finally releasing their second album. Two years ago it was Auðn, then last year it was Carpe Noctem and Svartidauði. Now comes Sinmara. And hopefully we won't have to wait as long for Misþyrming and Wormlust. But most of these have had unusually long periods of time in between their debut and the follow-up, and Sinmara's five-year gap between albums is really not out of place in the scene.

But finally, it is here. Hvísl Stjarnanna is the logical continuation of everything the Icelandic black metal scene has done until now, moving further from being quality Deathspell Omega worship bands and more towards having a distinct identity. If Sinmara's previous EP, Within The Weaves Of Infinity, hinted at anything, it was that Hvísl Stjarnanna would be more melodic than its predecessor. Now worry not, the change isn't that stark and nor is Hvísl Stjarnanna a melodic black album. There's dissonance and atmospheric nausea galore, but often channeled in a more melodic way, if that makes sense. There are more riffs and moments that feel less abrasive atmosphere-focused and more songwriting-focused.

The album finds balance as to not lean too far into melody-driven black metal, as it is still very airy and ethereal in sound, mostly due to the great production that it has, where everything feels like it's in its place and forms a cohesive slob of sound where the sum is larger than its parts. So there's a very useful balance that doesn't sacrifice neither the evocative atmosphere nor the pummeling memorability. There are no original tricks at play here, just a band whose mastery of an established sound allows them to craft such an engaging album.

Most of all, Hvísl Stjarnanna feels both ethereal and triumphant, less evil than one would expect a dissonant black metal record to be. Just like Carpe Noctem and Svartidauði before them, they've loosened the original mold that they were made of and managed to create captivating and effective music. See for yourself.