Martröð – Draumsýnir eldsins

Martröð – Draumsýnir eldsins
Release Date: 12th December 2025
Label: Debemur Morti Productions
Bandcamp
Genre: Black Metal
FFO: Andavald, Wormlust, Skáphe, Entheogen.
Review By: Aeons Burning

If there’s one facet of black metal I like more than pretty much anything else, it’s the Icelandic scene. Bands such as Svartidauði, Skáphe, and Misþyrming helped kick it into the gnarled, heavily-layered sound we know today, and while sadly some of these bands have called it quits, there’s still some life left in the scene. Martröð is composed of veterans of the scene: Alex Poole and HV Lyngdal (as well as a few session musicians like Jack Blackburn – another scene veteran – and Magnús Halldór Pálsson). After a demo in 2016 called Transmutation of Wounds, there was radio silence from this project until a few months ago this year, and now nine years later we have the debut Draumsýnir eldsins. Because of the relatively few releases from this scene in the last few years, I had high hopes for this record, and I certainly wasn’t disappointed, because Draumsýnir eldsins is a phenomenal debut and exactly what I wanted. 

Every hallmark of what makes a great Icelandic black metal record is here: it’s layered, it’s nightmarish, and it takes multiple spins to understand just what the fuck is going on with it. There’s no slow build, either, as Sköpunin throws you into the deep end from the word ‘go’, and you’re left in a swirling maelstrom of chaotic riffs, tripped-out synths, and harsh ambience until the final notes of closer Dauðinn spit you back upon the shore. There’s no real standout track, either, as Draumsýnir eldsins flows so seamlessly from front to back, and that’s thanks to the two madmen at the helm of this ship. Poole and Lyngdal have a flair for this stuff, and Blackburn is an insane drummer, with everyone pulling out the stops. However, what I like most about Draumsýnir eldsins is the fact that every track is so deeply layered, and it requires multiple spins to process. The addition of the choir on Sköpunin adds a delightfully Lovecraftian atmosphere that clashes with the Christian iconography of the burning heart on the cover. The soft-spoken word in Tíminn feels like the last reflection of a damned soul, before they’re tossed in the fire in Dauðinn, with the last minute being distorted dark ambient, giving a hellish ending. I can’t stop listening toDraumsýnir eldsins, and this is a wonderful end-of-year treat.

Draumsýnir eldsins is exactly what I wanted from Martröð, and this is sure to put many end of year lists in jeopardy, or just wreck them entirely, like it did mine. I am enamored by every facet of this album, and I’m just happy that we’re finally getting more of the Icelandic scene that I hold in the highest regard. Draumsýnir eldsins is an excellent album, and you would be absolutely remiss if you skipped it.

(4.5 / 5)