Sigur Rós Kveikur

Best known for ethereal and atmospheric post-rock, Sigur Rós's seventh studio album, Kveikur, makes a bold departure from that sound in favor of tracks that are darker, heavier, and louder. Filled with industrial crunches, cymbal crashes, and moody synths, Kveikur is both stunningly aggressive and intricate. The band's signature sounds—Jonsi's featherweight falsetto and bowed guitar—ring out across each song like a church bell in a thunderstorm. The impenetrable weight of tracks like "Brennistein" makes its uplifting songs ("Stormur," "Rafstraumur") glow with transcendent warmth. All told, Kveikur is an exceptional achievement—simultaneously harrowing, heavy, and beautiful.