Review by Paul Gary Nixon

Hellvar
Just having grown from a four piece to a five piece with the addition of drummer Oli the next band come from Iceland. A mix of electronica and rock probably puts them into the category of electronic rock. Of the eight tracks here there are two live performances that emphasise the heavier, rock edged side of their music persona. American readers can check them out on a few dates in early August and the two live tracks ‘Nowhere’ (which also appears in a studio version) and ‘To Late, Liar’ certainly illustrate their ability to craft a tune around the Heida’s strong vocals. I have been trying to avoid typing the second part of the sentence, because if I were in an Icelandic band I would hate it, however, I have to bow to the inevitable and say that, particularly on ‘Stop That Noise!’ she sounds like Björk. In the interest of blogging balance, I can say that that they in no way remind me of Sigur Ros. There, now that’s over we can move on. My favourite track was a track to gossip about, ‘Kjaftaedi’. The backing keyboards somehow reminded me of The Eurythmics’ ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)’ and it’s stripped down simplicity appealed to me. I also liked both of the live tracks, ‘Nowhere’ (studio version) and ‘Stop That Noise!’. Let’s hope they don’t take their own advice.
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