Múr weren’t on my radar until two days before their debut was released, but I’ve already had 3 people independently say they are in contention for theirs, or their friends’ albums of the year. In a year like the one we’ve had in post-, progressive, doom, and all other manners of creative metal, it speaks volumes for this new band’s impact in just a week since release. The Icelandic team of five blends post-rock and progressive metal together for their foundations, layering atmospheric death on top. The result is a wall of sound that’s produced especially well, but retaining a lot of grit and rawness in the instruments.
The lead vocals are something you’ll hear referred to as one of the band’s strongest points, with lead singer Kári Haraldsson lauded to stalwarts such as Devin Townsend and Randy Blyth, whilst also having a higher-end range of Einar Solberg. I certainly enjoy them, but at times, I think they should be pushed deeper into the mix instead of obscuring some of the excellent instrumentation. That isn’t to say there aren’t ample instrumental sections though, with the grooves and atmosphere let loose aplenty.
If you did clock the three singles Múr dropped before the launch of the album, you might be tripped up by the docile nature of the first track “Eldhaf”. This atmospheric post-rock track is a far cry from what is due to follow and certainly feels like an ode to the beautiful volcanic isle from where they hail. The track is certainly also a homage to the pioneers in this space who came before as well, yet you can hear the unique flavours breaking through at times.
Following this, by far and away the best track on the record is “Múr”. Easy marketing for them aside, the track is full of fantastic Meshuggah energy, with the vocals switching to gruff to match the giant swelling guitars and furious drums. The man on the sticks, Árni Jökull Guðbjartsson has fantastic talent and you’ll notice his standout fills and omnipresence throughout the album, but during “Mur” he has some particularly good moments.
Tracks one to three are easily my favourite because the keyboards and synths are used well and fit the profile of the tracks. In “Múr”, the high-pitched shrill in the final third adds to the atmosphere created at the climatic furore of the track. But following the first three, in “Vitrun” and “Messa”, they are too present and drown out the exceptional guitars and drums. However, I very much appreciate this as my taste; I don’t like Devin Townsend, VOLA, or Sleep Token, which this is very heavily influenced by.
As an album enjoyer, I’ve hopped off here a few times. Track six opens like a Terminator movie with three long minutes of synths as well, which to me felt bad for the pacing of the record. But as I keep reminding myself, this is a debut from a young band, an opus is not to be expected just yet. Putting out seven tracks in a hotly contested space, you have to have USPs and I know for many, the above bands are causing an absolute ruckus in the marketplace and winning their hearts.
“Holskefla” is a brilliant album closer, putting all their best qualities on display with a massive climax after a brilliantly built song. Tracks like this make me see how much potential they have. The production on the album is also top-notch, with my only gripe being the already-mentioned weight on vocals and synths in the mix. As far as debuts go, this is a template for other fresh bands to work towards, to make their presence in the space known from day one.
Having recently toured with Wheel across Europe, the wind is certainly in Múr‘s favour, with a foundation of epic proportions laid for growth. I look forward to seeing where they go with their sound and hope they put more focus on the metal and less on the synths as they grow.
