Let’s get a few things straight before we skin the boar (not a euphemism, smut fans – this is pagan black metal and therefore entirely serious), light the smoky fires and ready our tales of legend and times long past to share with our brethren. Enough to say Árstíðir lífsins is a musical entity in a field of one. Sure there are bands that crossover at the fringes and within this thick fog of Dark Age pagan black metal that you might find in other bands to a greater or lesser degree. But for a sweeping, often uncompromising trip to times of yore in musical form, forget that twiddly, neo-folky nonsense that seems to be flavour of the month at the moment. Get your hands on a slab of Árstíðir lífsins and insert directly into your cerebral cortex for the full, weather-blasted experience of life under the yolk of pagan gods, the gleaming might of the sword and deeds of men whose bravery was eclipsed only by the brutality of their deaths.

This is the fourth of the band’s full-length releases which kicked off in full atmospheric style with 2010’s Jǫtunheima dolgferð. The band’s members are based in Iceland as well as Germany and include key recruits from Carpe Diem, Helrunar and Kerbenok. The strongest of those influences is Helrunar – largely, but not exclusively, because of Marcel Dreckmann’s incredible vocal powers. But as Helrunar has become more formidable and brutalist over recent releases, Árstíðir lífsins has remained true to its cause, weaving its musical narratives just as the Icelandic skalds of old would have stitched their oral sagas into the memories of those who heard them. With this latest release as the band delves yet again into the extended, complex song structures it has been working on for the past decade. But this also feels like one of the most accessible releases of the catalogue, particularly after the previous album Aldafǫðr ok munka dróttinn whose progressive waters ran very deep.

The opening track starts with a blast of those oh so familiar blast-beats, except that when on an Árstíðir lífsins release they sound even more elemental than ever. Swirling black riffs pave the way for layered vocals and varied techniques provided mostly by Dreckmann and which have never before sounded this breath taking. The track gradually begins to open up as each element is added, offering more and more expression and providing an epic and foreboding opener despite being one of the shortest tracks on the album. That’s followed by Sundvǫrpuðir ok áraþytr, another stunning showcase for Dreckmann’s vocal talents as well as for the band’s uncanny ability to slow the pace to a virtual standstill only moments into the release and yet still manage to pump up the atmosphere several notches at the same time.

What follows for several tracks after are some of the best examples of Árstíðir lífsins sound I could ever recommend as the band settles into everything that it does best. The band’s subject matter is thought provoking too – King Olaf II of Norway, later St Olaf. A Christianising king famous in Scandinavia and elsewhere and canonised after his death for his efforts driving through the final mass conversion of the country in the eleventh century. More recent historical interpretations of his reign have seemed less inclined to shy away from his more violent and brutal tendencies than other more sympathetic, earlier ones. The band is clearly, as it ever seems to be, inspired by its subject matter. Sand-blasted black metal soundscapes of killer riffs, sickeningly gratifying melodic lurches, mesmerising vocal arrangements, atmospheres and emotions that are conjured up so vividly they may as well be painted on a canvas in front of you.

By the time Dreckmann’s centrepiece performance arrives on track six Siðar heilags brá sólar ljósi it feels like you’re just coming up for air only to be suffocated by a dirge so heart wrenching it’s like a physical pressure whether you understand the language (all done in Old Icelandic) or not. Even after all that, it’s incredible to hear then that band has plenty of creative juice left in its tank, plunging us ever further into the miasma before the extended final track serves up a lengthy comedown. It’s a huge construction – an epic on a grand scale on its own even among the heavily embroidered decoration of the other tracks. From the thundering, multitude of vocals – with contributions also coming from the bands other two members Árni and Stefán – the rousing riff lines and expertly woven atmospherics that soothe and morn in equal measure.

I have often wondered why this band does not get more attention than it does. Sure the vocals – chiefly a sort of Benedictine choral symphony, meets black metal with spoken word sprinkled lightly in parts for good measure – may not be for everyone. And some might find the length of the albums a slog (here close to 70 minutes) if you’ve not completely bought into the craftsmanship of what the band is trying to achieve. Perhaps just because I’m more familiar than ever with the sound of both bands, but the Helrunar influences occasionally seep through. Not so much that it dominates – more than it becomes seamlessly engulfed into the overall sound along with the other parts of the musical landscape the band draws in.

But just as Marcel’s Helrunar project has become more introspective over time, so has Árstíðir lífsins breathed ever more life into its own expansive sagas. But here he seems to shine more than ever and this time round Árstíðir lífsins, helped by his strong bass vocals, to harsh vocals and narration, produces something between atmospheric black metal masterpiece and choral symphony. The best comparison I can give is Moonsorrow – another band which has a habit of producing albums that immerse in complete and cohesive atmospheric overload. All that’s left to say is that this is the first of two parts of a musical foray due to be completed by a second release later this year. Incredible in itself. But it also means it’s highly likely the band will have two albums in my end of this Top 20 list by if this is anything to go by. Árstíðir lífsins truly is a gift from the gods.

(9/10 Reverend Darkstanley)

https://www.facebook.com/arstidirlifsins

https://arstidirlifsins.bandcamp.com/album/saga-tveim-tungum-i-v-pn-ok-vi-r