Hof úr Holdi by ZAKAZ

Hof úr Holdi

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Since 2012 Zakaz have been an ominous presence in the Icelandic black metal scene, but never have they been more vital than in 2020. Following a sidestep that resulted in 2018’s minimalistic dungeon synth album Kvalir, they return with the towering Hof úr Holdi, which redefines what the band are capable of. “I wanted it to combine the melodic content of Myrkur og Dauði (2016) with the harshness of Sjálfsvíg (2016), and make something incredibly positive,” states multi-instrumentalist and sole member I. “I believe that depressive music is healing for the one that is depressed. I know it has saved me from those disharmonic feelings, and I hope others will feel the same while listening.” The writing process got under way with the song “Forgotten Ancient Past”, which would become the basis for the album. From there, I went on to pen “Upp úr minni þjálu sorg” and “Eilífi Drottinn Holds” through which he mastered the theme of the album, and realised he was on to something special. “It’s hard to describe your own music, but technically the album features a new form of folk songs with a very aggressive twist. All of the songs are transcribable to acoustic guitar/vocal, and genre-wise I would lean towards post-black metal, as there is a lot of post-metal influence.” With songs clocking in at five to eight minutes, it is quite a broad, far-reaching collection, and the epic canvas on which he paints contains a suitably grandiose subject matter, based on the intertwining themes of depression and Icelandic folklore, the title translating to ‘Temple Out Of Flesh’. “It is the notion of being the master of your own reality, your own god of destiny. We are all our own sacred entity and we should nourish and take care of ourselves as followers would with any religious entity.” The entire album was tracked solely by I with no outside contributions, working in Reykjavik in Studio Krummafótur, a studio built in his childhood home. Working methodically, he tracked one instrument at a time, every song - including lyrics - written before he started. “I usually track guitars first and then track drums with bass, so that the melodic framework is divided from the percussive elements. The hardest part was mixing for sure, the guitar sound was a challenge, and when making something unique it requires alternative methods”. I also exerts control over the album artwork, which ties intricately into the themes of the record. “As an avid sacred geometry fanatic it has a lot of meaning to it. The Hendecagram signifies the natural (the flesh), as it has been shown that prisms of Hendecagrams approximate the shape of the DNA molecule. The Pentagon above the dual triangles signifies the rigid/unnatural (the temple). Together they form a harmony that is Hof úr Holdi.” With plans to play shows in support of the record commencing in June 2020 and ambitions to tour Europe, I is also already looking ahead to what comes next musically for Zakaz. “I think the next material will be even more different from this one. It will be a natural evolution.”… Expand

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