Review GÍSLI GUNNARSSON “Úr Öskunni – Live in Grindavík”

Does this album belong on MHMB? Somehow, yes. Even if riff enthusiasts might not find much here to sink their teeth into, Gísli Gunnarsson offers something that deserves attention. The Icelandic composer and multi-instrumentalist brings together modern classical music, post-rock and ambient, turning these elements into an intense musical journey.

In 2025, Gunnarsson released Úr Öskunni, an album built around a deeply personal subject. The title translates roughly as “From the Ashes.” Its inspiration came from the volcanic activity that threatened Grindavík, the small Icelandic town where Gunnarsson grew up. As the situation worsened, the town had to be evacuated. The album explores what followed for the people affected: loss, uncertainty, grief and the memories of a place they once called home.

During Iceland Airwaves 2025, Gunnarsson performed the album live in Grindavík, giving former residents an opportunity to return to their hometown and share a musical experience together. That special evening was captured on film and audio, and the performance is now receiving a live release.

On one level, Úr Öskunni – Live in Grindavík is a document of a remarkable moment in recent Icelandic history. At the same time, the music offers something that feels almost therapeutic. Expansive layers of sound unfold throughout the performance, capturing the fragility of human existence while leaving room for a sense of hope. There is melancholy here, but the music never gets trapped in despair.

This is neither rock nor metal, yet it still feels relevant to what we cover on MHMB. Gunnarsson worked with Kjartan Harðarson and Samúel Örn Böðvarsson, two musicians familiar to us from the Icelandic extreme-metal band Cult of Lilith. Fans of bands such as Alcest should also keep this release on their radar.

Úr Öskunni – Live in Grindavík is a deeply moving record that explores an intense range of emotions. Its impact goes beyond the music itself. It is about a community, a lost sense of home and the role music can play when people are trying to find their way forward. Sometimes an album has a place on MHMB for reasons that go well beyond guitars and riffs. This is one of those records.