01. Drottinn Fyrirgefur Allt
02. Svartir Svanir
03. Andvana
04. Valdníðsla
05. Kynjamyndir
06. Lof Mér Líf Þitt Að Taka
07. Hræ Hins Almáttuga
08. Barmafylltar Fjöldagrafir

The combination of ash from all those fiery volcanoes and icy cold winds blowing in from the Arctic seems to have created something in the Icelandic air for black metal to thrive the way it has been, and it's certainly been working wonders for Forsmán.

There's something very special about Icelandic black metal: the nation is shrouded in ice, fire, and mystery, making it the ideal setting for this extreme metal genre. This is the prime inspiration for its unmistakable sound and style, but there are also some similarities with the French, Polish, and Norwegian scenes, as you'll hear influences from each of them. Because of this, the scene has recently been gaining a large underground following and Forsmán are now at the very forefront of it. Forsmán emerged onto the scene in 2019 as a quartet consisting of musicians with ties to other local metal bands such as Draugsól, Úlfúð, and Múr. They released their debut EP, Dönsum í logans ljómahad, in 2021. This EP had an immediate impact on the scene for its dense, unsettling atmosphere and its blend of aggressive dissonance and melancholic songwriting. Now Forsmán return with their anticipated first full-length offering, Brenndar Rústir & Fuðrandi Fjörur, hoping to carry on that form.

The lyrical themes behind the album involve spirituality, existential nihilism, and the terrifying concept of an eternal nothingness with the album title Brenndar Rústir & Fuðrandi Fjörur (translated to "Burned Ruins & Raging Shores") representing the incredibly diverse and inhospitable geographic terrain of their homeland. "Burning ruins" represents the harsh primordial volcanic landscapes, whereas "Raging Shores" represents the freezing sub-zero environments. Along with the magnificent cover art itself, painted by the legendary Italian artist Paolo Girardi, the music vividly captures these soundscapes by balancing ferocious, cavernous intensity with the desolate, esoteric beauty that emerges from the destruction and decay. The unrelenting force of nature is heavily portrayed through the music's shivering cold, dark, and terrifying atmospheres and heavily layered instrumentation, where complex shifting rhythms with frantic blast-beats, ferocious dissonant tremolos, and vicious howls and tortuous shrieks portray the furious volcanic landscapes and the slower ambient passages with brooding synths paint a picture of the endless desolate winter. The production is of a high modern standard, being incredibly thick and dense but refined and still managing to hold enough clarity to allow every element to shine.

The debut EP was a solid start to the band's career, and now they've expanded on their horizons through 44 minutes of masterfully dynamic compositions and an unforgettable, dense atmosphere that represents Icelandic black metal in the best possible way and is up there with the best in genre today. The majority of the album is based on atmosphere, dissonance, and complexity, but it's also surprisingly melodic, making it relatively easy on the ears on your first listen. However, it only gets better with each listen as you'll uncover many more melodies and hidden moments beneath the surface that you never thought were there. This makes the album quite addictive in comparison to the majority of releases in black metal that these days you tend listen to and after a few spins you'll simply forget and move onto the next. What's remarkable is the musicians are still young (in their early 20s) but their musicianship is already showing a great level of maturity and professionalism, and in no way does this sound like it's only their debut album. They're already rubbing shoulders with local titans such as Svartidauði, Sinmara, and Misþyrming and they might be mentioned further afield from the Icelandic scene if they carry on in this tremendous form.

Performance:	8
Songwriting:	9
Originality:	7
Production:	9