Going to sleep at night really is just that, right? Lying down and going to sleep. Same with taking an intense nap. Just floating off into your mind. Or is it something more than just slipping out of consciousness? Do we take ourselves to another plane and gain access to knowledge or slip into another dimension, visiting places that may await us later?

Icelandic/U.S. black metal power Martröđ are on that wavelength with “Draumsýnir Eldsins,” their debut full-length record and first release in nine years. For a record that basically means “dreams of fire,” it certainly tears into your psyche and expands what is possible mentally when your body is at rest, but not your mind. The band—vocalist/guitarist H.V., guitarist A.P., bassist M.H.P., drummer J.B.—uses four tracks to carve a pathway into something greater, materials we can’t access when we’re walking around awake, a record that cracks open your skull and lets new juices flow inside.

“Sköpunin” tears open, stirring howls smearing, the playing churning, dissolving, and then reigniting. The battle continues as guitars boil and dive bomb, eventually working into calmer waters, a frost front slowly moving into the picture. Cavernous, pained wails echo as the bass reverberates, guitars melt, and pastoral choral strains turn monstrous, strings stretching into “Líkaminn” that glazes before the vocals bathe you in acid. The pace whips tornadically, the carnage worked into a hypnotic storm, zapping and surging into chilling keys. The ghostly feel sweeps as infernal calls unload, whipping up the humidity, sounds chiming and warping into space.

“Tíminn” delivers spacious guitars that hover overhead, wrenching vocals that reach a gurgle, and spacey fire that fuels the adventure. The playing cools, letting clouds form, a dream state setting up and making you question reality. The chaos sprawls as the tension builds, guitars storming with a dizzying attack, voices echoing over a dramatic end. Closer “Dauðinn” simmers in organs as the guitars sheen, the melodies gently sailing though you know chaos awaits. Speed and fury combine, roars maul, and the angles dart at you from unpredictable points. The attack is rubbery before bursting with daring colors, warped crumbling, and an implosion that swirls with menace.

If Martröđ were seeking to develop a pathway to greater understanding with “Draumsýnir Eldsins,” they do achieve that sonically as this is music that feels like it is transferring you elsewhere. These four tracks carry more than just riffs and metallic jolts and, if you allow yourself to sink into the madness, you will find an experience that surpasses mere album. These are ideal sounds for the darker days when sleep becomes plentiful and our chances to branch beyond here are at an apex. 

For more on the band, go here: https://martrod.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://debemurmorti.aisamerch.com/

Or here (International): https://www.debemur-morti.com/en/24-pre-orders

For more on the label, go here: https://www.debemur-morti.com/en/