Sólstafir
Icelandic post-metal band
title: "Sólstafir" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["icelandic-black-metal-musical-groups", "icelandic-post-rock-groups", "musical-groups-established-in-1994", "icelandic-musical-quartets", "viking-metal-musical-groups", "post-metal-musical-groups", "season-of-mist-artists"] description: "Icelandic post-metal band" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sólstafir" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Icelandic post-metal band ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox musical artist "]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Sólstafir |
| image | S%C3%B3lstafir_-_Brutal_Assault_02.jpg |
| caption | Sólstafir at Brutal Assault 2015 |
| landscape | yes |
| background | group_or_band |
| origin | Iceland |
| genre | {{Flatlist |
| years_active | 1995–present |
| label | {{Flatlist |
| website | |
| current_members | |
| past_members | |
| :: |
| name = Sólstafir | image = S%C3%B3lstafir_-_Brutal_Assault_02.jpg | caption = Sólstafir at Brutal Assault 2015 | landscape = yes | image_size = | background = group_or_band | alias = | origin = Iceland | genre = {{Flatlist|
- Post-metal
- post-rock
- black metal | years_active = 1995–present | label = {{Flatlist|
- Century Media
- Season of Mist
- Spinefarm
- Ars Metalli | website = | current_members =
- Aðalbjörn "Addi" Tryggvason
- Sæþór Maríus "Pjúddi" Sæþórsson
- Svavar "Svabbi" Austmann
- Hallgrímur Jón "Grimsi" Hallgrímsson | past_members =
- Halldór Einarsson
- Guðmundur Óli "Gummi" Pálmason
Sólstafir is an Icelandic post-metal band formed in 1995 and currently signed to Century Media. Originally a black metal band, they transitioned to a post-metal-influenced style with slight traces of their earlier black metal.
History
Sólstafir was formed in 1995 by guitarist/singer Aðalbjörn Tryggvason, bassist Halldór Einarsson, and drummer Guðmundur Óli Pálmason. The band's name is the Icelandic word for sun beams (crepuscular rays). They soon recorded the demos Í Norðri and Til Valhallar. Halldór then left the band, and Aðalbjörn and Guðmundur recorded a promo tape as a duo in 1997.
During this period, Svavar Austmann joined as the new bassist and the band began recording their debut full-length album, Í Blóði og Anda. The album was not released until 2002 due to various recording delays and label disputes. Shortly after that album was completed, second guitarist Sæþór Maríus Sæþórsson joined the band and made his debut on the 2002 demo Black Death.
After shopping around a three-track demo of new songs, Sólstafir signed with Spinefarm Records in 2005. Their second album Masterpiece of Bitterness was released by Spinefarm later that year. The album received positive reviews, with Metal Storm stating "the perfect mix of non-Metal elements with metal ones makes it a necessary album for any Metalhead looking for something that breaks the mold of pre-established genres."
Their third album Köld was recorded in Sweden and released in 2009. Reviewers compared the band's sound to Enslaved and Neurosis, among others, while noting their unique post-black metal sound. The album was also noted for its addition of atmospheric passages. Sólstafir began to tour Europe regularly in 2010 and made their first of many open-air appearances at the Roskilde Festival that year.
Sólstafir's fourth full-length album, Svartir Sandar, was released by Season of Mist in 2011. The song "Fjara" remained in the 2013 list of Iceland's top 100 songs of 20 years. This album signaled Sólstafir's retreat from black metal and move toward experimental atmospherics of the type practiced by fellow Icelanders Sigur Rós.
Their fifth album Ótta was released by Season of Mist in 2014, and was noted for its additional experimental elements like strings and piano. Three official music videos were released and the band performed Iceland's national television channel, RÚV's Stúdíó A.
In January 2015, the band announced that longtime drummer Guðmundur Óli Pálmason had left the band for "personal reasons". Guðmundur replied immediately via the band's Twitter account, explaining that he had been "stonewalled by ex-bandmates" and forced out of the band by Aðalbjörn Tryggvason. Guðmundur was replaced by Hallgrímur Jón Hallgrímsson. After his departure from the band Guðmundur formed post metal band Katla.
Sólstafir released their sixth full-length album, Berdreyminn, in May 2017 on Season of Mist. Upon its release Berdreyminn entered international charts, mostly top 50, across Europe.
On 6 November 2020, Sólstafir released their seventh studio album, Endless Twilight of Codependent Love.
Members
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Solstafir,_Barge_to_Hell_2012.jpg" caption="Aðalbjörn Tryggvason on the Barge to Hell 2012"] ::
Current members
- Aðalbjörn "Addi" Tryggvason – guitar, vocals (1995–present)
- Svavar "Svabbi" Austmann – bass (1999–present)
- Sæþór Maríus "Pjúddi" Sæþórsson – guitar (2002–present)
- Hallgrímur Jón "Grimsi" Hallgrímsson – drums (2015–present, on touring hiatus 2023–2024), backing vocals (2020–present)
Former members
- Halldór Einarsson – bass (1995–1997)
- Guðmundur Óli Pálmason – drums (1995–2015)
Former touring members
- Ari "Sneakers/Strigaskór" Steinarsson – drums (2015, 2023–2024)
- Kristján Einar Guðmundsson – drums (2024)
Timeline
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at:06/17/1995 color:lines2 layer:back at:09/08/1996 color:lines2 layer:back at:01/01/1997 color:lines2 layer:back at:09/01/1997 color:lines2 layer:back at:01/01/2001 color:lines2 layer:back at:12/25/2002 color:lines2 layer:back at:01/01/2004 color:lines2 layer:back at:01/24/2014 color:lines2 layer:back at:10/31/2014 color:lines2 layer:back at:11/14/2016 color:lines2 layer:back at:04/20/2017 color:lines2 layer:back
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PlotData = textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) width:11 bar: Addi from:01/01/1995 till:end color:Vocals bar: Addi from:01/01/1995 till:end color:Guitar width:3 bar: Pjúddi from:01/01/2002 till:end color:Guitar bar: Halldór from:01/01/1995 till:01/01/1997 color:Bass bar: Svabbi from:01/01/1999 till:end color:Bass bar: Óli from:01/01/1995 till:02/19/2015 color:Drums bar: Sneakers from:04/01/2015 till:07/09/2015 color:Drums bar: Sneakers from:04/01/2015 till:07/09/2015 color:Touring width:3 bar: Sneakers from:07/01/2023 till:07/31/2024 color:Drums bar: Sneakers from:07/01/2023 till:07/31/2024 color:Touring width:3 bar: Grimsi from:07/09/2015 till:07/01/2023 color:Drums bar: Grimsi from:01/01/2020 till:end color:Bvocals width:3 bar: Grimsi from:07/01/2023 till:09/08/2024 color:Drums width:3 bar: Grimsi from:09/08/2024 till:end color:Drums bar: Einar from:07/31/2024 till:09/08/2024 color:Drums bar: Einar from:07/31/2024 till:09/08/2024 color:Touring width:3
Discography
Studio albums
- Í Blóði og Anda, 2002 (Ars Metalli)
- Masterpiece of Bitterness, 2005 (Spinefarm Records)
- Köld, 2009 (Spinefarm Records)
- Svartir Sandar, 2011 (Season of Mist)
- Ótta, 2014 (Season of Mist)
- Berdreyminn, 2017 (Season of Mist)
- Endless Twilight of Codependent Love, 2020 (Season of Mist)
- Hin Helga Kvöl, 2024 (Century Media)
EPs
- Til Valhallar (EP), 1996
- Black Death (EP), 2002
- Ótta (Radio Edit) + Til Valhallar (EP), 2014
- Ótta Sampler EP / Bonus: Live at Hellfest 2014 (EP), 2014
- Tilberi (EP), 2016
- Silfur-Refur (EP), 2017
Demos
- Í Norðri (demo), 1995
- Promo Tape September 1997 (demo), 1997
- Black Death (demo), 2001
- Promo 2004 (demo), 2004
Singles
- 2011: "Fjara"
- 2012: "Æra"
- 2013: "Þín orð"
- 2014: "Ótta"
- 2024: "Hin Helga Kvöl"
- 2024: "Hún andar"
Splits/compilations
- "Fire & Ice - An Icelandic Metal Compilation" (Compilation), 1997
- "Fjara/Runaway Train" (Split with Legend), 2014
References
References
- "Solstafir: Biography". AllMusic.
- "Solstafir". Prog Archives.
- "Sólstafir: Discography".
- "Sólstafir – Original Rockers". Iceland Music.
- "Sólstafir - Masterpiece Of Bitterness review". Metal Storm.
- (14 March 2009). "Interview: Sólstafir". R.U.M.zine.
- "Sólstafir - Köld". Metal Reviews.
- (14 May 2012). "SOLSTAFIR - We are Fucking Bastards".
- (26 July 2012). "Video: Icelandic Highland Coffin Popular on YouTube". Iceland Review.
- "100 vinsælustu lög X977 í 20 ár".
- (31 January 2012). "Sólstafir – Svartir Sandar Review".
- (7 July 2014). "Solstafir: The Path Less Travelled". Metal Hammer.
- (6 November 2014). "Sólstafir - Dagmál". [[Ríkisútvarpið]].
- Moller, Alex De. (4 May 2017). "Solstafir's 'Berdreyminn' Exposes the Dark Side of Utopia".
- (10 June 2017). "Sólstafir Etner The International Album Charts With 'Berdreyminn'".
- (5 August 2020). "SÓLSTAFIR Reveals New Album Details; Livestreams New Single - BraveWords". [[Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles]].
- (4 August 2011). "Sólstafir announces new album ''Svartir Sandar'' details". Metal Underground.
- Keith Clement. (7 August 2024). "SÓLSTAFIR – Release "Hún andar" from "Hin helga kvöl"".
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