MÚR

KÁRI HARALDSSON SPENDS his daytime soundtracking Icelandic films and TV shows. At night, he turns to his categorise-it-if-you-dare passion project, Múr. Grounded by the emotionally driven ambient textures that define his scores, his band use extreme dynamic changes as pawns for their Machiavellian storytelling. Icy electronic soundscapes play off Opeth-tinted melancholia, jazz and post-rock off Meshuggah-minded technical brutality, each change meticulously crafted. But, despite freely experimenting with such heavy sounds, Múr shirk away from the metal band tag. “I write from the approach of atmosphere and mood first,” says keyboardist/vocalist Haraldsson. “Metal is a tool to enhance the emotions and make it hit harder. It’s great for emotional intensity. Before this band, I’d never written heavy music before.” In a sense, this is metal music for those otherwise averse to…