Following their first release on Darla, Eternal Horse is the ninth album of the Icelandic ambient rock band Stafrænn Hákon.
On Eternal Horse, Stafrænn Hákon move away from the DIY experimental drony ambient and the lo-fi indie-rock sounds of their last albums, Prammi and Kælir Varðhund, and revisit the sound-spectrum of their previous Darla album, Sanitas (2010).
Eternal Horse contains nine pop-oriented and vocally driven melodies. The album builds on certain elements heard on Gummi (2007) and Sanitas (2010), filled with soft and floating guitars mixed with heavier guitar sounds, layers of acoustic instruments and vocals. Vocals and lyrics on the album are in the hands of Magnús Freyr Gíslason and At The Close Of Everyday frontman, Minco Eggersman, who again collaborates with the band, providing his deep and soothing vocals to three songs on the album.
As heard on the opening track Bræla, Stafrænn Hákon combines heavy sonic pallette of guitars mixed with airy melodic vocals. On Frigid/Bag a familiar tone is presented, heard on his highly acclaimed album from Ventill/Poki (2004). The journey continues with poppier elements and almost doomy sounds of the composition "Rene Russo".
The band´s current line up consists of guitarists Ólafur Josephsson and Lárus Siguðsson, bass guitarist Árni Þór Árnason, drummer Róbert Már Runólfsson and singer Magnús Freyr Gíslason. Eternal Horse is the first Stafrænn Hákon album featuring the whole band collaborating on the songs in their studio, making the compositions more organic and fuller. Longtime and now previous member of the band, Samuel White contributes two songs.
Recorded at Vogor Studios between 2011-2015. All songs by Stafrænn Hákon. Mixed by Daniel Lovegrove. Mastered by Finnur Hákonarson.Produced by Ólafur Josephsson and Daniel Lovegrove.
Track list:
Bræla
Frigid/Bag
Kaos
Burning at both ends
Sót
Falkor
Rene Russo
I´m The Beholder
Light
Stafrænn Hákon:
Árni Þór Árnason: Bass guitar
Lárus Sigurðsson: Electric Guitar, Acoustic instruments..
Magnús Freyr Gíslason: Vocals on Bræla, Kaos, Sót and Rene Russoi. backup vocals on Burning at both ends, I´m the beholder and Light.
Ólafur Josephsson: Electric Guitars, Acoustic Guitar, Pianos, Organ, programming, percussion
Róbert Runólfsson: Drums
With..
Samuel White: Electric Guitar on Light and Falkor
Minco Eggersman: Vocals on Burning at both ends, I´m the beholder and Light
Additional Musicians:
Frank Aarnink: Vibraphone
Nói Steinn Einarsson: Drums on Falkor
Tumi Árnason: saxaphone
Þórður Hermannsson: Cello
Þröstur Sigurðsson: Trombone
Fredrik Robertsson Boulter: Additional piano on Burning at both ends
Artwork by Árni Þór Árnason
