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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.
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
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
Bræla
Frigid/Bag
Kaos
Burning at both ends
Sót
Falkor
Rene Russo
I´m the beholder
Light
-BRÆLA-
Rólega, hafið tekur á móti mér
Varlega, bátnum ýtir á undan sér
Hljóðlega, flytur mig fjarri þér
Bráðlega, steypist ég niður á botn
Breiði yfir mig lakið og tel
Þá hrynur yfir mig þakið
Hóf að finna mér leið
Vona að leiðin sé greið
Ég kveð, dýfi mér inn í brakið
-KAOS-
With frozen eyes, on the mirror
She’s hypnotized
If summer skies, could be clearer
then so can wifes
She’s a star, Made by others
She’s a star, Ruled by others
-BURNING AT BOTH ENDS-
i try to live a lie; i light up, light up to burn it down
i try to live a lie; i am warm, so warm i will close you in
i try to live a lie; see me burn, i’m burning at both ends
i try to live a lie; i’m the fire to fuel the strife
beyond my desire, the rarest moment of grace
hits me like thunder, and fills up this place
beyond my desire, you water down this phase
i look up from my life, you leave without a trace
i try to live a lie; i’m in need, in need of deliverance
i try to live a lie; i’m messed up, i’m messed up, this is my life
i try to live a lie; see me burn, i’m burning at both ends
i try to live a lie; i’m the fire to fuel the strife
beyond my desire, the rarest moment of grace
hits me like thunder, and fills up this place
beyond my desire, you water down this phase
i look up from my life, you leave without a trace
kill this burning sensation for fire
fill my life with the love i admire
-SÓT-
Ferðamenn, lenda senn
iljarnar, kolsvartar
Dimmblá nótt
Öldurót, ferðasót
falin glóð, yfir kalda slóð
Hún gufar upp og hverfur
Teygjum okkur nær
Flýtum okkur hægt
Og tökumst á að nýju
Langt utan seilingar
Nær þó en stjörnurnar
Handan við sjónarrönd
Rekur á hvíta strönd
Hún gufar upp
Teygjum okkur nær
Flýtum okkur hægt
Og tökumst á að nýju
Teygjum okkur nær
-RENE RUSSO-
I´ll take another one, any day
All the other ones, they can stay
What does it mean to you… everything?
I´ll take another one, any day
I´ll take another one, throw him in a cage
except my only son, and put myself to sleep
What does it mean to you… anything?I´ll take another one, any day
-I´M THE BEHOLDER-
i am sitting nearby this lake, it’s empty
it’s been long since water grew the dark trees
the clouds close in on me, you see…it’s getting colder
my eyes are wasted away with grief, i’m the beholder
i’m the beholder
gone today, who knows who will see tomorrow
let me fall into eternity
gone today, who knows who will see tomorrow
let me fall into eternity
forever and a day
forever and a day
will my name get ink, will i be marked?
will i gain the world and lose my soul?
gone today, who knows who will see tomorrow
let me fall into eternity
gone today, who knows who will see tomorrow
let me fall into eternity
forever and a day
-LIGHT-
shining in the dark, like a falling star
element of life stirred by silent wind
breathing through the night, coming from afar
soon to pass me by, going down on me
shining in the dark, like a falling star
element of life stirred by silent wind
breathing through the night, coming from afar
soon to pass me by, going down on me
safe me safe, show me light
