Solstafir - Ritual of fire

Solstafir Homepage: www.solstafir.com
Movie by Matthias Kristjansson
http://www.itscrapwithnocolors.com/video/ritualoffire.mov

After a few months of rocking together, making new songs, and mixing older stuff with newer, Sólstafir hit the studio to record the "Í Norðri" demo tape in May 1995. In December that same year, six new songs were recorded, which laid the ground for the band´s own style. After that an offer came from View Beyond Records to release four of them as a MCD entitled "Til Valhallar" in 1996. "Til Valhallar" got great reviews all over, and led the band to become rather known in the metal underground. In 1999 Sólstafir made a deal with Ars Metalli Records from Germany and they released the album "Í Blóði og Anda" (also known as "In Blood and Spirit") in 2002 after many delays. Shortly after it´s release Ars Metalli went under and the album became a rarity just a few months after it´s release.
In February 2002, five new songs were recorded, and for the first time Sólstafir recorded as a four piece band. "Black Death: The Demo" hit the streets.
Through the marvels of the internet some of those songs got into the ears of Ketzer Records, and they released three of those songs in co-operation with Neodawn Productions as a 7" EP. "Black Death: The EP" was released in December that year. It´s 500 limited and handnumbered copies sold out in advance.

"Til Valhallar" and "Í Blóði og Anda" were re-released for the Russian market in 2003 and 2004 by Oskorei Productions. "Til Valhallar" was re-mastered and included the two songs that had been excluded on the View Beyond release, along with a color cover, comments to all the songs and much better sound.

In 2004 a whole album´s worth of new material was recorded, and three of those songs released as a promo, which led to a deal with Spikefarm Records. All the songs were worked on a bit more and the album made ready for release and in December 2005 Spikefarm released Sólstafirs debut for the label, entitled "Masterpiece of Bitterness".
"Masterpiece of Bitterness" review scores:
Morgunblaðið 4/5
Rock Hard 8/10
Myrrthronth.de 10/10
Feindesland.de 15/15
Soundi Web 4/5
Subterra 9/10
Imhotep 8/10
Sonos Metallicos 4/5
Metalnews.de 7/7
Walls of Fire 5/5
Lords of Metal 94/100
Bloodchamber.de 10/10
Metal1.info 8/10
Metal.de 10/10
Metal-dungeon.de 9/10
Metal-reviews.de 11/13
Metalius.de 10/10
Shockmagazin.hu 10/10
Bleeding for Metal 9/10
Inferno Magazine 9/10
Ancient Spirit.de 12/12
Metal Observer 9.5/10
Deadfall.org 10/10
Legacy 15/15
Ancient Spirit Mag. 12/12

More information:
http://www.myspace.com/solstafir