Though I personally wish it weren’t the case for the sake of curiosity, Solbrud has smartly excluded the details on which member contributed each of its four acts. Even without foreknowledge, these acts are clearly distinct, and impressively, IIII is a cohesive experience. There’s a shared affinity between the four songwriters for no-frills, bittersweet atmosphere and blastbeats, yet each provides distinct flair. The second and third acts are particularly arresting; the former is a self-contained four-part suite that echoes the grandiose dichotomy of triumph and tragedy perfected by Der Weg einer Freiheit, while the latter alternates between Darkthrone homage (the mid-point of “Ædelråd”) and a waltz of bluesy, blackened doom (“Sjæleskrig”). “Sjæleskrig” in particular exemplifies IIII at its best, namely in that it shakes up what could have otherwise been a largely textbook example of the genre.
Speaking of textbook examples of the genre, let’s talk acts one and four. Act one, while more purely elemental than the remainder of IIII, ultimately comes across as superficial Wolves in the Throne Room worship. This doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing, but the seventeen-minute “Hvile,” while pretty, is begging for a sturdier structure to support its sagging, nonsensically colossal frame. Meanwhile, act four, while the most straightforward in terms of aggression, is also IIII’s least memorable. Or at least, that’s the case outside of the four-note chord that introduces each of act four’s three tracks, but that theme ultimately serves no identifiable purpose aside from establishing which scale Solbrud is playing in. Acts one and four aren’t bad by any means, but they are lacking in the features and personality of the innermost acts. It’s like eating artisanal meat and cheese, served between two slices of store-bought bread.
Compositional inconsistencies aside, IIII certainly sounds nice. Aside from a weirdly loose, floppy kick sound, the tones and mixing are basically right on the mark for what I hope for in atmospheric black metal: ethereal, but with enough traditional grit and texturing to stay legible and engaging. The dynamic engineering also allows for some truly soulful moments from lead guitarist Adrian Utzon Dietz, who I am all but certain wrote either the second or third act based on their excellent solos and general moments of electric guitar exuberance. New vocalist (and rhythm guitarist) David Hernan proves to be a great fit for this record’s dynamic nature as well, as he delivers generalized blackened screeches appropriate for IIII’s most atmospheric passages, yet packs venomous annunciation when tasked with punctuating the album’s meanest moments.
IIII is a pretty good EP (act two) and a pretty great EP (act three) that Solbrud has sandwiched between two EPs that I probably would not have bothered getting to know so well, were they not requisite for an honorable review. Even so, there is a full LP’s worth of legitimately worthwhile atmospheric black metal to be found here. While I failed to connect with the other half, I think that this package as a whole will be warmly embraced by those who live and breathe this type of music. For everyone who doesn’t fall into that category, I recommend scouring this record for whatever parts you personally deem salvageable. Now get the hell outta the lean-to, Solbrud! Der Weg einer Freiheit’s gonna be back any second!
Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 10 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Vendetta Records
Websites: solbrud.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/Solbrud
Releases Worldwide: February 2nd, 2024
