Review: Martröð – Draumsýnir eldsins

December 2, 2025

226

A cacophonous symphony of transcendental insanity.

The breakthrough of the Icelandic black metal scene was in my opinion one of the better developments to have happened in the world of black metal; while the country already had a rich and storied music scene as proven by Björk and Sigur Rós, and post-metal band Sólstafir –who originally started as a black Viking metal band–this particular scene was formed around the release of Flesh Cathedral, the debut album by Svartidauði. Multiple bands formed or consolidated their footing from that initial burst and had their own breakthrough albums some years later to great acclaim.

One such band was Wormlust, the project of one H.V. Lyngdal who after the release of that project’s debut The Feral Wisdom, would come into contact with Alex Poole (Chaos Moon, Krieg, ex-Skáphe, ex-Esoterica, among others) and together join Martröð, a supergroup of sorts that at one point featured members from Blut aus Nord, Leviathan and Misþyrming. They released a single EP, Transmutation of Wounds, that was very promising and hyped people for a full-length. Many years and a complete lineup change later (which only left H.V. Lyngdal and A.P. at the helm), that debut album, Draumsýnir eldsins (Icelandic for Dream Visions of the Fire), finally materialized.

With such a background and the core members’ other work, the easiest way to describe this album is unorthodox and dissonant black metal in line with the Icelandic scene and the third wave of US black metal. This is a relentless and overwhelming record that combines oppressive and psychedelic atmospheres with sprawling, almost orchestral and off-kilter songwriting. At first listen it will be a lot to take in all at once, even in moments where the music slows down, the quieter parts still come off as unnerving. All in all, if you want to hear the lovechild of Chaos Moon and Wormlust, you’ll definitely get that, but you’ll also get so much more.

While Lyngdal and Poole are the ringleaders here, sharing guitarwork and composing respectively, this album is a collaborative work and not just between those two. On bass there’s veteran Magnús Halldór Pálsson, whose proggy and technical basslines compliment Lyngdal’s and Poole’s frenzied riffage and on drums, Poole brought his Chaos Moon compatriot Jack Blackburn to deliver an equally crazed but very technical drumming. Both Pálsson and Blackburn coalesce very seamlessly with Lyngdal and Poole.

Other guests that bring their unique talents to this mad opus include cellist Olivia Wilding, Sinmara percussionist Bjarni Einarsson and the ritual ambient group NYIÞ, all their contributions are heard in the opening and closing tracks–”Sköpunin” and “Dauðinn”–and each enhances the album’s otherworldly quality in subtle but effective ways. At 4 tracks that clock just under 10 minutes, this whole record is a very heady experience that’s equal parts awe-inspiring and dread-inducing, and while you can hear similarities to the core members’ other projects or the influence of the more well known dissonant black metal acts, Martröð is still its own beast, and this record itself also is a completely different showcase of sonic violence when compared to its preceding EP.

One of the hardest parts of reviewing this very specific style of black metal is articulating the right words; the technical prowess of the musicians involved speaks for itself the second you hear it, but what is truly engaging is the execution and the reaction it will elicit. While I and others truly enjoy and can get into this type of experimental black metal, for other people it may be too noisy, too overwhelming, or too technical and over-polished, or they’d simply find the music, aesthetics and presentation pompous or overly indulgent. That to me is part of the charm; it is art in the most visceral sense. From the cover art to the instrumentation to the swerves from aggression to psychedelia, it’s a record that will get a strong reaction in some form; overall I do in fact like this record, and even if you don’t share my enthusiasm, I still recommend hearing it for yourself to come to your own conclusions.