Doomed Confessionary: Gestur Stefánsson (Morpholith)
Photo by Marton Bodnar
Morpholith is a psychadelic doom/sludge metal band based out of Reykjavík, Iceland. Formed in 2015, the band consists of Snæbjörn Þór Árnason (vocals), Víðir Örn Gunnarsson (guitar), Hörður Jónsson (guitar, keyboards), Stefán Gestur Stefánsson (bass) and Jónas Hauksson (drums).
With more amplifiers than band members, Morpholith has been taking Reykjavík’s underground-scene by storm since the band’s live debut in 2017. The five-piece plays psychedelic stoner-doom that sounds like a tripping bulldozer falling from a 12-story building. Morpholith released their first EP, »Void Emissions«, in April 2018 to critical acclaim. It’s a 30-minute sonic descend into the most ferocious depths of hell. It is massive, loud, fierce, and dirty, yet delivered with uttermost precision.
The band’s sophomore output, »Null Dimensions« was released in December 2020 via Ozium Records and Sludgelord Records. Morpholith’s new full-length album »Dystopian Distributions Of Mass Produced Narcotics« is scheduled for release on October 9th, 2024 via Interstellar Smoke Records.
Can you say a few words about your band?
We’re Morpholith, a five-piece psychedelic doom metal band from Reykjavík, Iceland. Our mission is simple: to be the heaviest band around, and we like to think we’re doing a decent job at it.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
Honestly, it’s fitting all our gear on smaller stages. We’ve got more amps than band members, and each of our pedalboards are rather big. Playing live with all that gear takes some logistical magic.
What can you be most proud of so far?
We’re proud of our part in building up the Icelandic doom scene. In 2018, we started ReykjaDoom, our own all-things-dark-and-heavy-festival in Reykjavík, and we’ve brought some serious heavyweights to the stage.
What was your biggest regret?
We don’t really do regrets, but if we had to choose one, maybe it’s taking this long to get the debut album out. But we’re about to fix that with »Dystopian Distributions Of Mass Produced Narcotics« coming in october.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
Wacken Open Air 2019, our first time abroad on a big stage, it was huge for us. But also gigs at Eistnaflug and Sátan, Icelandic heavy fests, tore the roof off in slow motion.
Photo by Svörtuloft
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
Not a surprise as such but something we have noticed is how invested and connected the underground doom community is, not just in Iceland but all over the world.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
A lot of Black Sabbath, Electric Wizard, Sleep, and Cough. You can’t go wrong with the pioneers and those pushing the genre forward.
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
“Always soundcheck the amps.” A great piece of advice that we follow religiously, given how important our gear is to our sound.
What are your guilty pleasures?
I’ll listen to most things, don’t consider it a guilty pleasure, but I guess unexpected artists might include Bubbi Morthens.
Can you say something more about the current music scene in Reykjavík?
The Reykjavík scene is tight-knit and heavy. We’ve got some great people, killer bands, and the scene keeps growing. We’re doing our part with ReykjaDoom, and there’s no shortage of riffs to go around.
With so many great bands around we have a vibrant scene and even five other metal festivals doing great stuff. We recommend checking out Sátan, Ascension, Reykjavík Deathfest, Andkristnihátíðin and Norðanpaunk along with of course ReykjaDoom if you have any plans of coming over.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
We have the album coming out in October and we’re playing the Hostsabbat festival in Norway that month and then we have a few UK shows lined up in November. Other gigs on mainland Europe and locally are in the works.
What are your plans for the future as a band?
World domination through sonic oppression, plain and simple. The debut album drops in October, and then we’re aiming to hit the road and crush eardrums everywhere.
How can people best support your band?
Listen to our music, come to our shows, buy our merch, and spread the word. We’re all about the live experience, so getting people to see us perform is key.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Check out »Dystopian Distributions Of Mass Produced Narcotics«, out on Interstellar Smoke Records on the 9th of October 2024!
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well