An Icelandic post-metal outfit with roots in progressive, black, and Viking metal, S?lstafir were founded in 1995 by longtime friends A?albj?rn “Addi” Tryggvason (guitar, vocals), Halld?r Einarsson (bass), and Gu?mundur ?li “Gummi” P?lmason (drums). After cutting a series of demos, S?lstafir scaled down to a duo (Tryggvason and P?lmason) and began work on their debut full-length. After recruiting Svavar Austmann to replace Einarsson, they set about laying down tracks for what would become their debut album ? Bl??i og Anda. A series of setbacks (label woes, lineup changes) kept the LP from being released until 2002. By that time, S?lstafir were operating as a quartet with the addition of second guitarist S???r Mar?us S???rsson, who made his studio debut on the 2002 EP Black Death. In 2004 S?lstafir inked a deal with the Spinefarm Records’ extreme metal imprint Spikefarm, with whom they issued their sophomore long-player, Masterpiece of Bitterness, in 2005. The album became a landmark of sorts, marking the beginning of the Icelander’s steep ascent to international fame and recognition as the originators of Nordic post metal.
