Sigur Rós – Kveikur (2xLP)

Kveikur, the seventh studio album by Sigur Rós, marks a significant departure from their earlier ethereal soundscapes, embracing a darker, more aggressive tone. Released in 2013, the album showcases the band's evolution into a trio, following the departure of keyboardist Kjartan Sveinsson. The opening track, "Brennisteinn," sets the tone with its heavy, distorted bass lines and thunderous percussion, signaling a bold new direction for the band. This shift is not merely a change in volume or intensity but a deliberate exploration of more industrial and abrasive textures, adding a new dimension to their music.
Despite the heavier sound, Kveikur retains the band's signature atmospheric qualities. Jónsi's falsetto vocals soar above the dense instrumentation, providing a haunting contrast that maintains the emotional depth fans have come to expect. The album's production is meticulously crafted, with layers of sound that reveal new details upon each listen. Tracks like "Ísjaki" and "Rafstraumur" blend melodic elements with the album's darker tones, creating a dynamic listening experience that is both challenging and rewarding.

Reviews

"Kveikur is every bit a return to form, tapping into its predecessors' bottomless emotional wellspring for a Sigur Rós album that can be listened to casually or intensely." – Pitchfork

"Post-rock can be an awfully passive listening experience... Sigur Rós get sonically adventurous with their seventh album, Kveikur, which finds the Icelandic three-piece delivering a darker and more aggressive sound on one of their most daring albums to date." – AllMusic

"On seventh album ‘Kveikur’, Sigur Rós are at their blackest and most sinister, sounding not so much reborn as in the ferocious throes of an almighty exorcism." – NME

"Kveikur is a more pointed effort, stripped of the lavish, often self-serving production the band indulged in the past." – Slant Magazine

"Whatever strands they pull from other genres, Sigur Rós are still filling their own mold. It may be plated in new texture, but Kveikur is unmistakably a Sigur Rós record." – Consequence