Already is it a task to stand out in the dense underground where competition is always at a fever pitch as bands try to get noticed doing one thing or another, but it’s a different feat altogether to make such an achievement a consistent occurrence for one band. That’s the sort of magnificence that we rarely see in any band be it big or small, fresh or veteran, but it’s even rarer to see such an example remain in the underground where it thrives and stews, becoming something that can only exist under specific circumstances with incredibly few comparisons to other names apt in any form. Árstíðir Lífsins has been around for sixteen years now, and, despite a devout cult following, this is a prime example of what it means to be a bonafide underground treasure. With its sixth full-length album, that fact is well and truly cemented.

This is metal that can absolutely be tagged as pagan black metal virtually without question, but it demands to be made clear before even diving into a piece like “Aldrlok” that this is metal unlike the great vast majority of what else is out there. Truly pulling from their homeland in the deepest and most captivating sense, Árstíðir Lífsins accesses its deep well of experience and talent to make an album that absolutely should be considered not just one of the most impressive and expansive works of black metal that we’re likely to get this year, but one of the most gripping works of extreme metal just in general. A truly powerful creation that is mythological in its scope and fascinatingly close to what even the boldest minds conjure when fathoming those frozen seas scoured by bloodstained axes, “Aldrlok” sees Iceland in a time of immense turmoil where the old ways are being forsaken for the new ways of life that have now arrived at the shores where this fictional story takes place with Árstíðir Lífsins a stunning vessel to bring about such a tale. Utterly overflowing with traditional instruments, mesmerizing vocals that really tap into a primal aspects of ancient history that metal can rarely ever tap into, and a scathing sense of undeniable black metal that delivers in virtually every capacity, Árstíðir Lífsins is nothing short of an absolute wonder of the old world brought before us in exquisite detail! From the very beginning, “Aldrlok” makes itself known as a work that demands reverence and reinvestigation in order to really eke out every bit of splendor that one can get from the material that pulls beautifully from its Skaldic and Eddic poetry roots with the whole album sung in Old Norse only furthering the authenticity, grandeur, and wonder of what’s taken place here.

While the translation of “Aldrlok” can be interpreted as “End of an Age”, that simply cannot be said for the likes of Árstíðir Lífsins. It’s a band that has stood steadfast to its core ideals for several years now with time only heightening their magnificence to the point that they are undeniable icons of their craft that are constantly setting themselves apart from their competitors. An entity that few others can come even close to when it comes to a side-by-side comparison, Árstíðir Lífsins is at the top of their game with “Aldrlok” a showcasing of mastery unbound.

LISTEN to “Aldrlok” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Árstíðir Lífsins on Facebook here.