It can be hard for any band to stand out in a style like folk metal with there being all sorts of different ways you can go about it with only the finest able to bring about a sound that manages to hit that sweet spot that isn’t often hit in a sound like that. As such, when a band does come around that manages to deliver, glory is sure to follow. Digging through places like Bandcamp can offer some insight as to what’s still pretty unknown if you look in the right places. After coming upon Soltur tonight, I’m confident I definitely did look in the right place.

Even harder than making an impression in a scene like folk metal is to try and do so with only three tracks to call your own. It has certainly been done before with bands like Domhain showing us exactly how it could be done just last year, but such examples are few and far between, yet Soltur didn’t let that stop them from doing just that. Only eleven minutes in length, “V​í​ð​arrs​á​ga” is a surprisingly diverse offering that gives us three incredibly distinct pieces that all standout on their own merits with there not being a single missed opportunity hit to on several of the key elements of this style be it the melodic factor, folk instrumentation, a diverse set of vocals, and a sense of atmosphere that really puts a nice bow on an album looking to make an impression. In no small way, Soltur certainly did leave quite an impression with it not just setting the foundation for further exploration into the world of “V​í​ð​arrs​á​ga”, but opening the door for a promising act that I will most definitely be keeping an eye on. Tapping into all of the aspects that has always made folk metal like this stand out, it’s every moment of “V​í​ð​arrs​á​ga” that lends to the idea that Soltur has much more to unveil. We need only wait, and hopefully not long.

Not often enough do we see names like this come around even if what we have here is an act at the very beginning of its journey. Yet, given all that the mastermind behind Soltur has already accomplished in this offering, I can’t help but feel as though “V​í​ð​arrs​á​ga” is just the glorious start of a journey that will be epic in scope.

LISTEN to “V​í​ð​arrs​á​ga” on Bandcamp here.

FOLLOW Soltur on Instagram here.