The Icelandic post-metal pioneers “Sólstafir”, returning to Belgrade after nine years, thanks to “MM concerts” and “Serbian Hellbangers”, on the 10th of November at “Zappa Barka”.
The Icelandic quartet will make their long-awaited return to Serbia as part of their unique “Eastbound and Down 2026” autumn tour, a seven-date European run taking the band from Switzerland through the Balkans and all the way to Greece. The tour marks a special return to several countries that Sólstafir have not visited for an extended period. Sólstafir last performed in Serbia in Novi Sad, where the band also recorded an official live performance, capturing the extraordinary atmosphere created between the Icelandic musicians and their passionate local audience. This time around, “Sólstafir” will bring their latest studio album, “Hin helga kvöl”, released in November of 2024, while also taking fans on a journey through their remarkable career and extensive discography.
Founded in Reykjavík in 1995, “Sólstafir” have spent more than three decades developing one of the most distinctive sounds in contemporary heavy music. The band initially emerged from the Icelandic black metal scene before gradually expanding their musical vocabulary with post-metal, post-rock, progressive, psychedelic and classic rock influences. Their evolution can be heard across landmark albums including “Köld” from 2009, “Svartir Sandar” released in 2011, “Ótta” released in 2014, “Berdreyminn” from 2017 and “Endless Twilight of Codependent Love” released in 2020. The band’s atmospheric approach, emotional songwriting and ability to combine crushing guitar work with expansive melodies have earned them a devoted international following. Among their best-known songs is “Fjara”, from “Svartir Sandar”, a track that became one of the defining songs of “Sólstafir’s” career and helped introduce their atmospheric sound to an even wider audience. The band’s name, “Sólstafir”, translates roughly as “crepuscular rays” — the rays of sunlight that break through clouds around dusk. The imagery is particularly fitting for a band whose music constantly moves between darkness, melancholy, intensity and moments of striking beauty.
The Belgrade show will also spotlight “Hin helga kvöl”, the band’s ninth studio album, released on November 8, 2024. The title translates as “The Holy Suffering,” and the record draws heavily on Icelandic cultural heritage, landscapes and themes of personal struggle. The album sees “Sólstafir” balancing their atmospheric and melodic side with elements of the band’s earlier, heavier black metal roots. The result is a record that combines expansive rock arrangements, melancholic melodies and heavier passages while incorporating unusual instrumentation, including double bass, saxophone, piano and guest vocals. With “Hin helga kvöl”, “Sólstafir” continue to demonstrate why they have become one of Iceland’s most respected and individualistic heavy music exports.
Tickets will be available from the 25th of August for the price 2.500 for earlybird presale, 3.500 RSD for regular presale and 4.500 RSD at the door.
