Icelandic post-rockers Sigur Rós have released their first new song in seven years. The 10-minute Blóðberg comes from the band's upcoming, as-yet-untitled follow-up to 2013's Kveikur.
The video for Blóðberg – which translate as "blood rock" – was directed by former Stakko Bo frontman turned award-winning Chernobyl director Johan Renck, who has also directed videos for Madonna, Beyonce, Chris Cornell and David Bowie, as well as episodes of Breaking Bad and Vikings.
"I feel as nihilistic as one could regarding the future," says Renck. "We are powerless against our own stupidities. Some aspects of this came to merge with my impressions of the themes of Blóðberg. The music becoming a score to my own miserable thoughts, giving them beauty as only music can."
News of Blóðberg's release comes as Sigur Rós prepare to embark on an orchestral tour of Europe and North America, The run of 12 dates kicks off this week at the Meltdown Festival in London, which is curated by Christine and the Queens.
The European leg of the tour will see the band accompanied by the London Contemporary Orchestra, while the North American dates will feature the Wordless Music Orchestra. The setlist will comprise new material alongside fan favourites. Full dates below.
Sigur Rós tour 2023
Jun 16: London Royal Festival Hall, UK
Jun 17: Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Netherlands
Jun 18: Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, Germany
Jul 03: Paris Philharmonie Main Hall, France
Aug 14: Toronto Roy Thomson Hall, ON
Aug 16: New York City Beacon Theatre, NY
Aug 18: Brooklyn Kings Theatre, NY
Aug 19: Boston Wang Theatre, MA
Aug 21: Minneapolis State Theatre, MN
Aug 24: Seattle The Paramount Theatre, WA
Aug 26: Berkeley The Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley, CA
Aug 27: Los Angeles The Greek Theatre, CA
Check for ticket availability.