There is something about the bleak desolation of Iceland that has called like a siren to artists of all types over the years, a land that is capable of forming a creative bubble for inspiration to spring from, undisturbed by trappings of the modern world. So it was with Black Foxxes frontman Mark Holley, who found refuge and solace there following the Exeter band’s tour in support of their stunning debut I’m Not Well. Struggling to adapt to a more routine lifestyle as well as going through relationship problems, the singer decamped to a country he knew and loved – one whose influence would eventually bleed into this superb (and superior) follow-up album.

Following a debut that seemed to stare into an abyss, visceral and raw in its intensity, Reiði may contain the same feeling of a pressure cooker about to blow but musically it is a huge leap forward. Opener ‘Breathe’ kicks the doors down, Holley singing: “I want to set myself free” while Tristan Jane (bass) and Ant Thornton (drums) play with a furious yet controlled intensity. As strings swoop in at its climax, it is a breathless and stunning start but one that merely signals a band flexing their muscles for what lies ahead. It is very much an album of two halves, with a new lighter touch present in the opening tracks.

The effect of writing in Iceland are visible straight-away, with many songs appearing to form out of silence and space and speak of escape – ‘Manic In Me’ slowly builds while Holley laments: “I’ve got to get out of here”. ‘The Big Wild’ talks of: “Heading north past the canyons”, but the mood slowly darkens as the album progresses. Though not designed to be thought of as a concept album, it is hard to ignore the shades of black that creep into the brighter opening tracks. The impending wave that lurked on the horizon crashes in on ‘Oh, It Had To Be You’ as Holley storms: “Cheater, cheater…Liar, liar”. From there, the tension continues to ratchet up with each new track. As the second half of the album begins, it then becomes clear why the album was named after the Icelandic word for rage.

‘JOY’ explodes with anything but its titular form, searing guitars jostling with distorted vocals for space. As trumpets blare in the background, guitars swirl in a haze, bringing everything crashing down. On ‘Am I Losing It’, Holley describes a nagging fear of: “The willow creeping like a graveyard silhouette inside me” – perhaps indicative of the isolation of Iceland releasing previously pent-up inner demons once more. Each new song builds on the former, creating a whole that may not have been designed as a complete concept but surely became one somewhere down the line. Screaming: “I am rage…I’m on the edge!” on ‘Flowers’, there is a brief hint of salvation on ‘Take Me Home’ before the stunning climax of ‘Float On’. With guitars shimmering like Jeff Buckley, it gives Reiði a fascinating ambiguous ending.

In a hugely exciting period for British rock, this year has already seen several young bands making huge leaps forward with new albums, but Black Foxxes may very sweep them all aside with this. There is a magnificence coiled within it that slowly rears its head and, once awake, it grips the listener tightly and takes no prisoners. It is an intensely powerful listen – one that is destined to be a record to return to over and over again, the details and lyrics pored over endlessly. Like the country it was born in, it is unforgiving and wild – yet once visited, you will want to remain there forever.

Jamie MacMillan

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