XIII Transmits - It is true what Hallur says that the music gets lighter as the album covers get brighter. This was remarked in an interview in Morgunbladid on the 12th of may. Thirteen's first album "Salt" had big rock music with a gothic veil on an industrial basis. The next album "Serpentyne" was a more traditional piece, but the big-ness that has always been with Thirteen was there as before. Now 7 years later comes the third album. The process has been long and sometimes hard. The sound is very different from what we have gotten used to, but the original spirit is far from being absent. In a way you could say that the music is more pop-ish than before... even more commercial. But I am not saying that any artistic ambition has been sacrificed. No far from it. Hallur has in recent years written a lot of music for movies, modern dance and stuff like that. One can not trace an direct influenceon this album but this has obviously opened his mind to new possibilities. The album begins with a "big" song "Transmission". By saying "Big" I mean that it is dramatic, both in the lyrics as in the arrangement. As before this style has always been with Thirteen and pops up here and there on the album. The first part of the album is almost flawless. The opening song is followed with very melodic, well written rock works. Tears almost fall as you listen to "Colder". "Love is colder than death" Hallur sings sincerely with a tender but powerful voice (I misheard at first, I thought he was singing "Love is older than pain" now I am getting a bit too dramatic!). The fourth song is a genuine giant hit, a magnificent rock song called "Wishbone", decorated with a clever use of the voice and a razorsharp hook. "Amorica" is then again the rock ballad of death. A Magnificent piece of work, where the performer stands alone on a weatherbeaten rock with a nasty wind in the hair. At least that is the image you get in your mind. It is in fact easy to detect some humour in this album. In a certain way,like in "wishbone" and "Amorica" you go over the top, though I can not insist that it is done voluntarily. What people seldom realise is that serious artists usually have a lot of sense of humour for themselves. I suspect that Hallur has his feet firmly on the ground while the ambition shines falselessly through. The powerful falsetto in "Wishbone" and the doomsday feel of "Amorica" - are good examples of Hallur's clever vision, as he looks you humorously in the eye over the rocksunglasses with a thoughtful expression. The later half of the album is not as inspired as the first. The songs are just as good but not as sparkling as in the beginning. "New years Day", "Daisy Chain" and "Wired" are examples of songs that float too easily by. The tenth song "Miracle Sun" is a good breaker where you can detect influence from the guitarscientist of the late and influent band My Bloody Valentine. Magnifico Nova is a work well done and amazingly solid, concidered that that it was done over a long time, with pauses and on top in different places. The fact that it is a work of one man somehow adds to the weight it gets in ones mind. But apart from all this it is first and furthermost a a cool piece; popish machine-music rock a la Hallur Ingolfsson where his writing signature is strong and deep and sums up a strong whole piece. The only complaint is the mentioned "low gas" in the middle. Dispite that, satisfied. [view article]

Arnar Eggert Thoroddsen

HARD ROCK (France) 13/13 (may 2002)