Branching outward from the glowing doorway that indicates an entrance to the metaphysical realm, the illuminated sceptre of a fiery god emerges through amber plumes, taking residence within the material plane. A levitating cavalcade precedes the seraphim’s appearance before his six giant feathered wings force the sun’s breaching rays into a surrender. The perpetual violent defeat of mortal free will has forced this all-knowing archangel into a summons for divine corrective action. Like the power of this omnipotent angelic being, the heavenly arrival of a second album from Reykjavik’s Vafurlogi has caused a partitioning of the Black Metal sky. Two years have elapsed since last we witnessed the arrival of the band’s first full-length outing in the form of the ‘Í vökulli áþján’ album in 2024 (a review for this record can be found on our site). This quartet includes musicians who are highly active figures within the contemporary Icelandic Extreme Metal landscape and whose other projects include acts such as Nyrst, Sinmara and Ophidian I, to name a few. On album number one, Vafurlogi showcased their desire to write progressive, ascendant and reasonably complex music that offered a respectably distinctive sound. So, how does Vafurlogi demonstrate their mystical craft on this new release?
Whilst I am not here to review cover artwork, I must say that the abstract image adorning the release is quite curiously interesting. The Thergothon inspired title front is a nice touch and the obscured orange cloud-like main image implies something potentially referring to the divine. The record’s Icelandic title translates to “A Spark of the Fire of God”, which feels suitable given the somewhat magical and dreamlike nature of these compositions. The album features intensity in abundance and the record wastes no time with ambient atmospherics or world-building as the initial song ‘Af heilagri heift’ roars open with a grandiose cantering tempo and gorgeous, bright melodic lead guitars. The track progresses with a slightly brisk pace and a decreed spoken word section that feels reminiscent of those found on the classic Godkiller EP ‘The Rebirth of the Middle Ages’. It’s a track that manages to induce both compositional beauty and blackened attributes whilst including enough progressive substance to remain engaging throughout.
‘Þegar rykið sest’ features a more gloomy despondency whilst also showcasing more of the vocal atmospherics that reinforce the tone of the record. The track reminds me of the archaic spiritual atmospheres displayed on the ‘Blodhemn’ / ‘Eld’ albums by Enslaved. The more desperate intensity of ‘Að handan’ features gruff and cavernous vocals and a fantastic percussive performance by drummer Ragnar Sverrisson. The song’s mid section elevates the pace and heft of the instrumentation to a fierce, charging level and the song’s many guitar parts also offer plenty of excitement. I love the opening guitar riff on ‘Úr himinsölum’ and how the leads in the ensuing sections of the track remind me of those found on Deathspell Omega’s ‘Paracletus’ record. The transition of the song towards a short, calm folky interlude before then building back up with the dissonant guitars is also a great moment. The album closes with the nearly ten minute track ‘Earthly Vestiges’ which spends its initial moments meditating on various less intense hypnotising patterns, like gentle waves arriving at some shoreline. After this the track picks up with multi-layered guitars and a compositional stance that is quite tension inducing, it’s a gloomy but also somewhat regal dreamy beast that serves as an excellent closer for a very good album.
On ‘Gneisti Af Eldi Guðs’, Vafurlogi has officially laid down their roots as a unique beast within the Icelandic Black Metal world. I love the album’s atmospheric subtleties; be them the lucid piano sections that intersperse a couple of key moments on the track list or the varying spoken vocal approaches. The band manages to sound dream-like but also intelligent, and this sound is partnered with intriguing writing and quality production. This altogether coalesces into a great listening experience, and one that brings with it an ample amount of replay value.
