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NECROPOLIS

Thirteen’s debut CD was recorded under very primitive circumstances in a warehouse. The main hall was used for recording and the kitchen was used as a control room. Due to being a no-budget album the album was recorded over the multitrack tapes of Bleeding Volcano’s “Damcrack”.

Salt is perhaps Thirteen’s darkest album. Throbbing rythms and syrup thick guitars melt with the melodies accented by athmospheric noises.

Salt was released in Iceland in 1994 by Spor records, and in Europe by Koch International in 1995. Salt got great reviews and prepared the ground for the successful release of their next CD - Serpentyne.
[ SALT IS CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE ]

[ R E V I E W S ]

FULL OF HATE (Belgium)

(96 out of 100)

The music is best described as Gothic/wave. Hallur manages to conjure a sound that is darker than black, and evokes the excitement of the unknown. XIII's music is extremely gloomy, and could be fatally dangerous to depressed persons.
Salt begins with the hypnotic Zoot, and after that one highlight follows another and end an hour later in a sonic chaos that is in no way negative. It is indeed remarkable that a band can keep my attention for more than an hour. XIII have really done that.

PRESSAN (Iceland)

(2 out of 4)


The colour of Salt is as black as a leather jacket, the music is as heavy as a dead bull that falls on the listener and rams him to the ground, where he can do little more than bite his nails while this pressure lies upon him. It's supposed to be summer now so the release date of this album is all wrong. Those who hate the summer and prefer the dark winter can not get more help than this album.
- Gunnar Hjálmarsson.

DAGUR (Iceland)

If the word versatility was ever appropriate, it really applies for Hallur Ingólfsson. Not only does he sing, play guitar, bass, keyboards and drums on the album which would be more than enough for anyone, he also writes all the songs and lyrics, mixes and at last but not at least does all the artwork himself. One can not assume otherwise than here is a real "Jack of all trades", and what is more, he does it all very well and on an international level.
Salt is a real gem in the history of Icelandic rock.

INFERNAL ZINE (Internet)

(9,5 rabbits out of 10)

XIII are from Iceland and although it is tempting to give them a few exotic "bonus" points because of this, their music is worthy of every bonus point as it is. The thirteen songs on this CD roll out beautifully - the music being a more guitar-oriented doom-rock with a few influences of the "Twilight Of The Gods" Bathory sound...especially with the voice of Hallur Ingolfsson, which is fairly unusual.
In a nutshell, the vocals are "normal", but not high-pitched, and may remind the listener of a heavier Soundgarden on occasion. The album runs for 62 minutes, which is enough time for the listener to get completely accustomed to the unique melodies and almost alternative tinge the trio lends to the more doom elements. Most of the songs develop a comfortable groove straight away, making the album completely accessible - annoying choruses are very few and far between - instead, the band concentrates on keeping the sound compact and controlled.
This album may not be anything for extreme metal fans, but anyone with an ear for good rock music will find a lot of pleasure in this highly refreshing work.