The Fanpage of the Icelandic band Hellvar by Wim Van Hooste

Friday, January 22, 2010

Subpopstar blog about Hellvar's Song of the Day "Nowhere"

I found a review by Steve Bingham of Hellvar. He compares the band with Alex Carlier's Belgian band Hooverphonic (previous called Hoover, due to legal problems renamed Hooverphonic). Remember the song "2Wicky" (from the album "A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular") featured on the soundtrack to Bertolucci’s movie "Stealing Beauty" (Io Ballo da Sola).
Hellvar is something of an enigma. A band founded in 2004 by Icelandic philosophy students studying in Berlin, the quartet has blended influences without becoming easily lumped in with any particular scene. My own personal comparison would run something like this: combine a Björkish singer with the ominous basslines of Curve during early Hooverphonic. There. Clear as mud, right?
Seriously, the first thing you notice is the driving, insistent beat providing a sense of foreboding. When the bass kicks in you know it's ominous. A wall of guitars borrowed from a lost shoegazing band joins in the fray. And when Heida sings it all makes sense. This band is trying to lift you up while simultaneously pummeling you with sound. It's beautiful, it's scary, it's foreign...almost like the beautiful, cold country Hellvar calls home. When "Nowhere" ends you're left wondering what just happened to you.
A new album may be in the works for 2010. In the meantime look for the 2007 release "Bat Out of Hellvar" (Kimi Records) though it may prove tough to find. Definitely check online for this one or order from the band through the link on MySpace.
Source: Subpopstar

No comments: