Sigur Rós -- Von

4/10

Talk about an inauspicious debut! In 1999, Sigur Rós released an all-time classic album, but you wouldn't suspect it after hearing this hodgepodge, confidence-lacking ambient sound collage freshman effort, released just two years before.
Von is a mess, a combination of icy found sounds, electronic manipulations, chopped up actual instrumentation, and weird, gagged-and-locked-in-a-closet screaming. There's little of frontman Jónsi's trademark falsetto, and even less of his famous violin-bowed electric guitar. In its place is this mess, which only comes together in a few actual songs throughout Von's meandering 12 tracks. One look at the liner notes shows that Jónsi is only accompanied here by the band's bassist, and a drummer who left before their second album was even released. Little wonder this sounds nothing like the Sigur Rós music fans around the world would come to know and love.
Listenable as a curiosity only. And that album cover...


1997 Smekkleysa
1. Sigur Rós 9:46
2. Dögun 5:50
3. Hún Jörð … 7:17
4. Leit að lífi 2:33
5. Myrkur 6:14
6. 18 sekúndur fyrir sólarupprás 0:18
7. Hafssól 12:24
8. Veröld ný óg óð 3:29
9. Von 5:12
10. Mistur 2:16
11. Syndir Guðs (Opinberun frelsarans) 7:40
12. Rukrym 8:59