( )

( ) is a darker, more brooding album than its predecessor Agaetis Byrjun, which, in what may be a deliberate irony, is very much the opposite of its brighter cover art. I recommend it to anyone interested in PINK FLOYD, RICK WRIGHT, or even RADIOHEAD for their musical aspects, but they are more ambient than any of those--more along the lines of later TALK TALK. There are even some classical overtones, despite their seeming to move past the full-orchestra approach for a more minimalistic one. Don't be daunted by SIGUR ROS' deliberate air of mystery--this is truly a worthwhile album.

This album has new emotions for SIGUR ROS--sadness, even full-blown rage at the end of Track 8. The first group of four songs is closer to the old SIGUR ROS, more delicately beautiful, and while mournful at times, also uplifting. Track 2/Track 3 are the perfect examples of this, especially Track 3, which is a pure instrumental (no singing at all), with a gorgeous piano sequence. It's one part elegy, one part celebration. For all its sadness, it slowly builds up an amazing amount of power, and even as it dies away, you can't help that remaining sense of lingering joy. It is achingly bittersweet.

Over the second half of ( ), SIGUR ROS moves into its new emotional territory. Discord, heavy, brooding arrangements, and much more anguished, sometimes bitter vocals set this section apart. I appreciate the Hammond organ, which becomes more prominent on the second half of the album. Track 5 in particular shows them off well. I am reminded in part of the way RICK WRIGHT used the Hammond on PINK FLOYD's classic "Us and Them", and for that feature especially, I commend Track 5.

You have to be patient to listen to ( )--the songs build very gradually to a crescendo that does not always come. Track 7 moves closer to bitterness--and then there is the explosion in Track 8. At first it sounds like it will be a triumphant closing anthem and then--WHAM! I've heard few better expressions of such blinding anger...it's actually stronger because it has no recognizeable words. Rather than a momentary and someday laughable teenage-angsty outburst, this is an expression of pure emotion itself almost up there with PINK FLOYD's "One of These Days" (which does have one distorted lyric, but is otherwise an instrumental). That is why I can appreciate it so much as SIGUR ROS explodes into rage with JONSI's chilling voice hovering over the chaos.

The only weaknesses of this album, in comparison with Agaetis Byrjun is, as other reviewers have pointed out, that Jonsi seems far less creative with his made-up language than before. And...I have to admit there are places where this album does begin to try my patience, which is why I don't listen to it as frequently as others. Still, it's a good, solid album worth a 4.

This album goes together beautifully with the previous one, this release being more organic, dark and sad than the one before which was filled with hope. From the very opening track there are great looming bass sounds and organic piano works making this an instantly recognizable post rock album.

The vocals on here sound better as they are less high pitched and sound a lot more mature. Instead of being filled with hope they give at an impression of sorrow. This is backed up splendidly with the dark basslines and the touching piano running through the opening track. This is one of my favourite pieces by this band as it has so much raw emotion in it. A very moving piece of music.

The lyrics, although sung in a made up language called hopelandic which is a variation of icelandic I can only guess, work really well. It doesn't seem to matter that I can't understand what they are singing, and perhaps it doesn't distract me from the actual music by trying to follow the lyrics because there is no need to. As mentioned earlier the emotion in the vocals, expressed beautifully with the gloomy music, works wonders.

"()" is perhaps a journey of different emotions through a warm range of music. The last track is a standout piece, serving as an incredible climax. This piece favours the guitar over the piano and has a great change in tempo to show frantic, stressed and perhaps angry moods as the guitar piece speeds up. This is a great moment for a great album.

Similarly to Godspeed You Black Emperor!, this music takes patience as it can take a while to build up or progress. This applies with Sigur Ros probably on a lesser degree as none of the tracks reach the epic lengths of Godspeeds work. This album can be compared to "Yanqui UXO" as it sounds a lot more organic and displays darker, more depressing emotions than say "Ágaetis Byrjun" or "Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven", which had a positive and uplifting mood to it. This does not detract from "()" as although it is gentle, slow moving and sad music, it is far from dull and boring, maybe somewhere inbetween exciting and boring, but hopefully anyone who listens to this album will be patient. Those who are patient will be rewarded with a great feeling of beauty, stained with sadness. Very emotional, a great album to have.

Writing a correct review of a post rock album is maybe the trickiest and hardest thing to do on the Archives. This is mostly due to the lack of explanation coming from some bands regarding their music. But clearly one of the most mysterious groups is Iceland's Sigur Ros and their obscure but sometimes-exhilarating ambiances come as adventurous as their compatriot Bjork can manage to be. This gives you an idea on how abstract Sigur Ros can get? How can one review an album when the number of tracks are not listed or even named (at least not on the record but apparently they did give names to them on their website)? How many musicians? That very album having no name but also being a neat object with the booklet being entirely in plastic and it is sung in a strange invented language (not Kobaian). Not that easy but listening to the album is also not easy, either. Not that the music is difficult, but it will require the average listener a good dose of patience (as it is usually the case with post rock groups) because of the very slow evolution of most of the tracks to climax that sometimes do not happen.

Musically Sigur Ros, although a full-fledged post rock group, they are rather different sounding than the usual GYBE! or EITS. In that regard, as far as originality is concerned, they are rather a pleasant surprise even if their music is not experimental in the way Tortoise or some Tarentel albums can be. There is something really amazing with Nordic groups - even if Iceland is not Scandinavia - one can consider that the groups coming from that country all have that typical Scandinavian melancholic feel that one hears and feels with Anekdoten, Anglagard, Landberk etc. To say that the music is sad and depressing is maybe exaggerating a tad, but it is reflective and allows for much room for personal interpretations from the listener. Another thing that sets Sigur Ros apart from many groups is that they use vintage and analogue KB and instruments but they manage not to sound like retro-prog like many other Nordic groups. The album seems to be divided into two parts with the first definitely more positive-minded than the latter half which is more brooding and even a bit menacing, while remaining calm. The vocals can, at times, be trying on your tolerance level, as the high-pitched yells can get irksome if not in the right mood.

Overall Sigur Ros is one of the more enigmatic groups listed in our beloved ProgArchives, but also one of those really worthy of your interest if you enjoy highly atmospheric music bordering on the lunatic spirit of most Icelandic artists. "Uncanny masterpiece" would've said Mr. Citystart

This is gorgeous music. Like most post rock albums you need a lot of 1. Time and 2. Patience. But in the end, it is a very rewarding cd as long as you keep an open mind. the vocals are a mix of Icelandic and an invented language. However, this new language is much more appealing than Magmas of the 70s. The vocals are beautiful in this case and don't go overboard. This is a largely instrumental affair. I have one gripe: I feel that GYBE got a nice ratio of buildup to climax. But Sigur ros lingers in the buildup a little to long and doesn't expand on the climaxs quite as long, sadly, because what there is of the climax is stunning. Pick this album up!

A very curious album by a very curious band. Sigur Ros has made another excelent album with ( ) and very different from their previous efforts.

( ) can sometimes can be described as haunting, dark, melacholic, slow but most of all beautiful in every way. As other people have commented in previous reviews, the album is divided into two halves. The first one is very sad and kind of atmospheric but it still has melody concidering how it is described. The other half is more instrument based compared to the first one and a tad more uplifting than the first half but its still very melancholic and little trases of anger in their playing .

This is also Sigur Ros's (?) slowest work to date so It might not be recommended to everyone unless they are well familiarised with the post-rock genre or if they have a very high dose of concentration and patience because the album could strike them as boring, but if you enjoy slow music then this could easily be a highly enjoyable album.

IMO this is not a masterpiece but its one step they will take and learn to form their true masterpiece.

"() "is a peaceful ambient album with a lamenting fell across the whole album. "()" is slow moving and quite mellow but it succeeds in producing wonderful atmospheres which remain constant throughout the album. On the other hand there are only couple of good moments and the album can get too mellow and lifeless sometimes. Good for background music for when doing homework or something the wait for some of these songs to start are just too long. The idea of having all the tracks and album untitled is a very interesting one; I think the empty CD booklet is a good touch as well.

1. Untitled Track 1 (4/5) 2. Untitled Track 2 (3/5) 3. Untitled Track 3 (3/5) 4. Untitled Track 4 (3/5) 5. Untitled Track 5 (4/5) 6. Untitled Track 6 (3/5) 7. Untitled Track 7 (3/5) 8. Untitled Track 8 (4/5) Total = 27 divided by 8 (number of songs) = 3.375 3 stars Good, but non-essential

"()" probably isn't the best place to start with Sigur Ros, I'd recommend getting "Ágætis Byrjun" and "Takk." before this album, they are easier to get into. "()" is a good album but there just isn't enough substantial material to make it worth 4 stars in my opinion.

Let me say outright that this album is far from Sigur Ros' finest. To me this album seems a bit uninspired, given the fabulous 'Agaetis Byrjun' (a 5 star album to say the least), and their quirkier album 'Von'. This album qualifies more in the 'Ambient' music category rather than Experimental/Post-rock. There seems to be very little experimenting going on musically. To me, the songs seem to run together and not differ much from beginning to end (which is saying a great deal, i think, coming from a so-called 'Post-rock Specialist'). This is in contrast to the strong melodies and variant dynamics of the AB and Takk... albums.

The one major progressive point on this record (which has been pointed out before) is that the lyrics are in a made up language, with the intention of the listener coming up with his/her own interpretation of the song. This is a great idea on paper. But being the ignorant American I am, I don't know a word of what they're saying when they're actually singing in real Icelandic, so I end up doing the same thing. However, this fact truly speaks to Sigur Ros' abilities as composers, and the singer's emotive capabilities. When I listen to them I haven't a clue what they're saying, but I know EXACTLY what they're feeling.

In the end, this is not the Sigur Ros album to start out with. Get their masterpiece Agaetis Byrjun' or the more accessible 'Takk...'. This album is not bad by any stretch, but this band is capable of so much more.

This album will always have a special place for me, as it was what got me into "post-rock" more or less. This is one of the most depressing albums I have ever heard. The vocals always seem as if he is "crying out for help" and that something awful has just happened, which is especially noticeable on tracks 1-4.

The gloom is mostly gone when we reach the halfway point on the album, and the rest of the tracks build toward the "journey track" of Untitled 8. This is my favorite track on the album, with a broad range of ideas and the real feeling you get of having been somewhere and gone to somewhere else. It really "takes you away and let you fly". No, I didn't listen to this stoned or anything, this is the general feeling you get.

A very pretentious concept for this album, but the band succeeds and creates an excellent album for listening to on those rainy days.

2.8 Stars

() is a good ambiental and melancholic album from Sigur Ros. However, there is not a lot of experimentation here as it's basically Agaetis with a more bittersweet tone, more stretched songs, less complex songs, the made-up language taking over, and a subdued use of the orchestra. Also, the booklet is quite empty.

The First 4 tracks is the strongest half as the songs stand on their own as opposed to the last 4 tracks which sound similar to each other and could lose my interest quickly. Track 1 is probably the most successful track with a memorable theme introduced on a piano that is developed nicely over six minutes under a mournful tone. Track 2 is a bit darker but it also can sound hopeful as well. It is very repetitive as it contains the same rhythm throughout the whole 7 1/2 minutes but it's good background music. Track 3 uses a piano theme and develops it, just like in the first song, though the style is getting a bit old. Track 4 is one of the strongest tracks here as the melodies are excellent, and it has the soaring reverb guitar they are known for. The song ends with organs.

The second half sounds different, sadder, and unfortunately dull. For example, Track 5 is probably the weakest as it sounds like it crawls with noise and droning for 10 minutes. Luckily, there's a good climax at the end, but it doesn't redeem the boredom preceding it. Track 6 is better. IT uses a simple, yet effective drum line and slowly grows into a memorable climax with the guitar (or bass guitar) on reverb. Track 7 is similar to track 6, but longer and probably less effective as the song is too long. The climax is extremely powerful here. Track 8 is another good ambiental piece that takes too long to reach its climax and I think it is overrated as the climax isn't much better than the average () climax.

This album is good when you are not paying attention to the music. If you want to pay attention to it, it might bore you to sleep.

Good, but not essential. Get Agaetis or Takk instead.

Highlights: Tracks 1 and 4

Letdowns: Track 5

My Grade : C-

The first week of October may well be the perfect time of year for listening to Sigur Rós, and in particular to their anonymous 2002 album, identified by title only with a pair of parentheses. This is music for marking the Vernal Equinox, when the long evening light of Summer gives way to the low overcast skies of early Autumn.

Pardon the dime-store poetry, but the sound of this Icelandic quartet can sometimes have that effect on a sensitive listener. And with an untitled album of eight untitled songs the spell is even more hypnotic, engaging the imagination at a level not possible in a more explicit musical arrangement (obviously, the language barrier is an added bonus here).

At its best, and I have yet to hear anything by them that qualifies for anything less, the music of Sigur Rós combines an almost liturgical sense of serenity with moments of joyful pagan release. A few of the songs here still rise to that familiar cinematic crescendo (notably tracks 5 through 7), but for the most part there's less emphasis on the high- decibel guitar and string drones of other Sigur Rós recordings.

The pace is slower, the soundstage even less cluttered than usual, and the writing is more open and organic, sounding almost acoustic despite the heavy emphasis on Eno-inspired ambient electronics. Like the wide arctic skies above their native Iceland, it's an album of stark, introspective beauty, best experienced between a pair of good headphones, without any distraction.

I waited a long time before writing a review for this album by Sigur Ros. The reason for my waiting was to give the record a chance to catch on with me, to get to me, to grow on me. After the first listen I was so dissapointed I had the impulse to sit down and bash the album with all the words I could come up with; but that was not the right thing to do: the right thing to do was to listen to the work at least three or four times before making a judgement in regard to its quality. So that I did. And, surprise of surprises, the result is...

... the same.

This is the cd I like the LEAST in my whole collection (and a somewhat big collection at that, so it means something for me for an album to be the LEAST LIKED). I do not dare to say it's the WORST cd in my collection because I have some albums where the performance levels are worse or in which the recording or the songs are really low- grade. But even in those cd's I find some elements missing from this release: variation, control, hope...

...Light.

Yes, light. This album by Icelander Sigur Ros is the darkest collection of songs I've ever heard, and I don't mean that in a "darkness-hellish-black" kind of way; I mean it in a "enlightening my life" kind of way: this cd doesn't add anything to my experience on loife, to my musical journey, to me as a person. Because whoever wrote this music decided just to express his or their own inner depression and dispair for life and tried to reproduce it for the listeners in the most concise, boring, uninspired possible way. The result? A single-color album, just as the "booklet" is so bland and uncreative (I don't know who thought it was "pure genius" to devoid the cd of any graphic design or at least any credits....it's just over-pretentiousness and self-indulgence), the music is SINGLE-COLORED: white as ice, if you want, black as the NOTHING, if you prefer, but just ONE COLOR, no shades, no tonalities, no desire to ENLIGHTEN someone's life.

The songs in this album follow the same incredibly simple pattern or formula: each and every one start with a single idea played with the utmost delicacy, as if the performers were afraid to break some strings or drumheads or keys, in the lowest possible volume (pianissimo); then, a crescendo, the same idea gets repeated plays but with slowly increasing intensity; then.... more of the same; but, at last, finally, we get..... more of the same. I'm not exaggerating: the same slow, tedious, lamenting ideas are repeated till death with just a few adjustments in intensity; finally, a kind of climax when some instruments as the cymbals make their debut takes place, lasts for about 20 seconds, and dies out, slowly fading into oblivion and into... the next song which is very similar!

Someone may say this album is full of melody. I say: WHERE?!? Oh, excuse me, at the start of every song... but, that same melody is the ONLY one in each song! Where's some melodic development? Where's the playing around with a musical theme? Nothing of that to be found, only repetition.

The level of playing is hard to judge. Hard to judge because I don't know if I should rate it high because of the accuracy in playing pianissimo all the time or very low because of the utter lack of variation in the playing. And after some thought put into this, I'm going for the second choice. There's hardly any merit in playing a slow, repetitive melody over and over again.

One of the two things that bothers me the most is the "singing": this isn't done ina aconventional language like english, spanish, swedish, etc. It's just vocalizations performed by the singer in no particular language that are supposed to "fit the music". I would say they DESTROY THE LITTLE MUSIC THAT WAS THERE TO DESTROY. The "vocals" in () are the MOST ANNOYING EVER, period. NOTHING compares to the annoying-level of these "vocals": imagine being subjected to a high-pitched, spoiled- brat-like cry for something like 70 minutes! Medieval torture, isn't it? Well, add boring music to that and you get the recipe for the best possible torture device this side of the Iron Maiden (not the band, but the torture device).

The other element in this albums that gets to my nerves is, well, the mood of the music itself. This album is the most depressing, no-hope-left, suicide-apology, despair-for- creation, apathy-and-self-destruction inducing music this side of, well, some other post- rock band I reviewed a while ago. What's the point of this? Should we accept the depressive incoherent ramblings of a self-indulgent character that wants us to feel as crappy and worthless as he feels? I can accept some depressing music when it's in the right context, when it's not THE ONLY KIND OF MUSIC IN A 70 MINUTE ALBUM, and specially, WHEN ALL THE MUSIC DOESN'T SOUND THE SAME.

So, these are my thoughts on this "post-rock" atrocity. Pure genius? Maybe. Maybe I'm wrong and this un-developed, poor-thematic-variety music is the way of the future...

... I'm so glad that future is not for me. Who wants a future with music that gives no hope for one?

Recommended for: post-rock ultra fans, Sigur Ros fans, people who want to feel sad and low about their expectations in life.

Not recommended for: Fans of intelligent, diverse, challenging music; fans of variation in music; but mostly, not recommended for people taking anti-depressants...

...you may drink the whole bottle after this.

The sound of coldest winter and of thawing.

This album is so slow and brooding, so seemingly monotonous and boring on the surface, so pale and anonymous. It is not music I choose very often. Sometimes when I do choose it I just can't finish it. And yet I haven't been able to part with it either. There is a part of me that understands this and yet I don't really know that part of myself, if that makes any sense whatsoever.

I have mixed feeling about this album. I find it beautiful, constraining, calming all at the same time. Many feel it is quite depressing. But are we always supposed to enjoy our music in the usual way? Are we always supposed to grab our 5-star CDs and have the "up" experience? Is the only role of our music to entertain us or please us? Or are there other uses for this stuff in our lives? These are the kinds of questions I ask myself when I ponder selling a CD like this one. I think being a prog music lover means we need to challenge ourselves occasionally by playing music that confounds us, annoys us, makes us sad, or that we just plain detest.

The cold, barren, white landscapes of Sigur Ros are not where I am or want to be most days in my life. But I do have days like that. There are days where I sink lower than I want to, when life is stark winter, and when I need music that is ambient or drone one-level mood music to share those moments with. I have Eno albums that serve that purpose as well as Voice of Eye's "Vespers" which I can't believe is not on this site. Sigur Ros pulls the curtains on the outside world and the gentle piano and odd vocals can provide a useful emotional conduit for those days when ice is what our heart feels like. With that said, I also don't feel that this album is completely depressing. Not to me, anyway. I think it has passages that are sad and desperate, but also many that are hopeful and introspective. I find some songs have these nice piano runs that really sound like winter turning to spring. One example would be from about 4:15 to 5:15 in track 3. Beautiful and yes, hopeful. There are quite a few moments like this sprinkled throughout this album and playing this repeatedly lately for this review has made me realize I like this more than I thought I did.

This is an odd review that sounds more like a therapy session and I don't know if anyone will find it helpful. But an odd review for an odd band I guess. I don't know what else to say about Sigur Ros and perhaps that's what the boys want, just for the listeners to absorb and close their eyes for an hour.

Recommended for people who like to turn off their minds occasionally and just float away, for lovers of ambience and drifting. Not for people looking to rock. Definitely not for over-the-road truck drivers trying to stay awake.

Post Rocks version of Yes hit me hard with (). There is one word I can think of for this album: Cold. Unlike it's precessor, Takk, () is very dark and inhospitable, giving an atmosphere of a COLD feeling of being comfortable numb (ha), with moving music at an almost slow motion pase, it's easy to not be immediately turned on by this album. I was however, this was my first Sigur ros album, and I had no idea what to expect, and the second Untitled 1 came on, I was immeditely drawn into the COLD feeling it gives you. Once I got Takk, I was blown away wih how happy it was compared to this album, the comparison is so great, if didnt know any better, you'd think they were two seperate bands. So that should draw the line for ya, if your a Harmonium kind of guy, you want Takk, if your a universe zero kind of guy, you want ().

The music is prett much keyboard driven, consisting of oragans or piano's, with Jonsi's classic E-Bow guitar in the backround to complete the mood. Untitled one (vaka) is almost misleading, setting an almost positive and WARM mood, with a memorable piano riff, and little happy voices in the backround throught the song. This feeling is destroyed through out the next four songs, which are started by some weird ambient noises, then go on with super slow beats, and minimal lead action by either guitar or keys, these songs will build into a very small climax, where they thrwo in as much ambient noise as possible, then quicky decline into the end of the song. Good song structure IMO, but after four or five of these, it gets very predictable, and almost boring. Thankfully, staring at Untitled six (E-bow) the songs become more guitar oriented, more than weird backround noise and piano led. These song then build to a huge triumphant climax where the drums thrash around like crazy, and the guitar actually starts to strum, while the vocals are flying over the choas under them. The best song of these is the revered untitled eight, the darkest and most intense of the last three, and the whole album. Staring as the rest of the song typicaly do, then all helll brakes loose, after an eerie wait of just vocals, the drumming just becomes ferocious, and everyone is playing as hard as they canm while Jonsi is just wailing! GREAT SONG. One of the best post rock songs I have ever heard!

If it werent for the repetitiveness of the songs 3-5, This may have hit masterpiece level. A good album none the less, beautiful also being a good description. The awesome melodies, and sometimes moving arpegios of the guitar and piano are really what make the album, besides the intense climaxes. Going against the grind here, I'm gonna venture to say that this one is a better album than Takk, more subtlety, and less super jumpy happy moments.

EDIT FIVE STARS, I will redo the review soon!

Absolutely beautiful melancholic album. Like Gorecki's 3rd symphony there is sorrowful tranquillity and a depth of sadness that cannot (somewhat paradoxiacally) do anything other than give strength and solace to the listener.

This album has a sense of grandeur that is hinted at in the more immediate Takk and the inspirational Agaetis Byrjun. Both of which are amongst my most listened to albums. i'm not sure if that will remain so, I can imagine becoming much more selective about the tracks i lsiten to in those two albums. I have never picked out a track form this album. I've always listened to the whole.

it is absolutely essential.

Cripplingly emotive minimalist atmosphere and sad droning make ( ) an enigmatic mix of light/dark tones which will both uplift the listener and, more likely, throw them into the darkest corners of isolation through its long, slow compositions. The vocalizations throughout, but especially in the latter half of the album sound as if the singer is crying out for help, a reprieve from the shadowy textures and ambient tone.

( ) will take several listens to understand, but even then it might be too ponderous and bleak a payoff to make it worthwhile for everyone. The few occasional breaks in the ambience-- specifically in the form of roaring cascades of sound-- might not be enough to hold one's attention for the entire spin, which may make ( ) better suited to background music. However, there are some undeniable beauties in here, like Dial:Revenge which lightens the mood halfway through, and the amazing conclusion Secret Pint, which combines both light/dark into one savage sonic assault of pain, anguish, and beauty complete with screaming guitar and heavy drumming from Dryason.

Taken as whole, ( ) is an acquired taste, but worth the effort. Interested parties should check out other Sigor Ros albums first though, which have a more approachable feel.

Songwriting: 2 Instrumental Performances: 3 Lyrics/Vocals: 3 Style/Emotion/Replay: 3

( ) has generated some mixed reviews, and it's understandable why. First off, it's entirely in Sigur Rós' made up language hopelandic, which is a language with no meaning; the words are merely used as syllables with which Jonsi makes a melody with. Nothing more. It's a little more sophisticated than skat, but the purpose is the same: to use the voice as strictly an instrument. Second of all, it is a slow and largely ambient album. It's not ambient in the way that is just a series of lush soundscapes, but rather ambient in the sense that the pieces are very minimalistic and very ethereal. They have structures and riffs and what not, but the atmospheres are perhaps even more important than the instrumentation that drive them. Third, it's a long album. 71 minutes of ambient, low tempo music may be a bit much for some. But, for those who are willing to take the time, Sigur Rós' oddly titled album of untitled tracks will envelop you in their sheer beauty.

( ) is divided into two sections: the first half is a more bright and hopeful set and the second half, quite a bit longer I might add, is more along the dark and brooding side of music. It's all melancholic, all emotive, and it's all absolutely gorgeous. The vocals, while they may be an acquired taste, are very nice. The hopelandic works perfectly here. They convey such great emotion that words aren't even necessary! We all knew that to be true from Ágætis Byrjun, where even those who have not the slightest clue as to what the lyrics were (as they were all in Icelandic, with the exception of one hopelandic song) we knew exactly what they were feeling. It's quite a testament to their songwriting prowess. Truly, I can not say enough about how beautiful, emotive and powerful this band and album are.

Really, I feel unjust in singling out tracks, because they are all so stunning, but it's possible that the final song on this album is Sigur Rós' finest piece to date. It follows that traditional post-rock slow start with a build to a climactic ending, but it's done quite differently than the other post-rock groups. It should be noted that while this band is often identified as a post-rock band, they are in a group all their own. The atmosphere is dark and portentious. Tension starts to build until we are paralyzed by the finale. It must be heard to be understood. I have no idea how to describe this music; it's so darn ineffable. What's the deal with all of these bands that are just too awesome to be describable. It's ridiculous! And Sigur Rós is one of the hardest to describe.

All you need to know is that ( ) is a paralyzingly beautiful masterpiece. It's worth the effort, really. I'm not kidding. Why would I need to move when I could listen to this? I wouldn't As a matter of fact, I'm dictating this review to my brother from my bed because I can't move. And truthfully, I am content.

I think the main reason I like this album more than the higher rated "Agaetis Byrjun" is because this one is darker and more melancholic. I would describe this record as tranquil, beautiful and emotional. For me this is not depressing at all, as I find this style of music uplifting and moving. I know most people don't feel this way but I agree with Steven Wilson who finds dark and sad music beautiful and not depressing at all.

This album is the kind of music that for me works great as background music, or if I just want to think and drift away in my mind. And I like the fact that this whole album has this same mood throughout. In that sense it really works as one long suite, and the fact there are no song titles given only helps to experience it that way. This is mostly slower paced music with those wonderfully sad vocals as piano, guitars and drums mostly add support. There are a several outbreaks that are quite uplifting and effective but you could probably count those moments on one hand. My favourite tracks are 1, 4, 7 & 8. The last track ends the album in a surprisingly powerful way with the guitar tearing it up.

This along with "Takk" are important recordings in my Post-Rock collection. Highly recommended.

I get mixed feelings every time I hear this album... Maybe because this disc has also some mixed ideas.

I like the first half of the album very much... The most happier one, while the second half of the album is a bit boring to me. The first listenings I gave this album were really possitive, but after this four or five listening, I started to get tired of this repetitive music. At the beginning, I was pleased of this style of music, wich I had never heard before of buying ( ). I found this post-rock original, modern and exciting. But after this surprise, I was aware of the lack of depth this album has.

Maybe the tracks are too repetitive for me... Specially the second half of the album. While the first 4 tracks are pleasant background music, I find songs 5, 6 and 7 just boring. I like melancholic music, and sometimes I need to hear some sad feelings... But these songs are different. The usual Sigur Ros layers of instruments are great in the happier songs in ( ), while in the saddest and longer ones are just annoying.

Best tracks: 1, 3, 4 (the best track in my opinion...) and 8, the only sad song of the album I really like.

Conclusion: I can easily recommend this album to everyone who has never heard Sigur Ros... They are a different band. Maybe not really progressive (at least not usual progressive music), but very original, and sometimes surprising. And this is hard to say in music today... Nevertheless, this album lacks some variety in my opinion, and sometimes the tracks are too repetitive for me (they are a kind of Red House Painters, but in a post-rock form...) This fact made that I was a bit tired of this album after some listenings... Nevertheless, I enjoy to submerge myself between this layers of instruments and beautiful sounds wich Sigur Ros are.

My rating: ***1/2

"()" is the 3rd full-length studio album by Icelandic post rock act Sigur Rós. The album was released through FatCat/Bad Taste in October 2002. It´s the successor to the band´s successful second full-length studio album "Ágætis byrjun (1999)" (which has sold more than 500.000 copies) and features one lineup change as drummer Ágúst Ævar Gunnarsson has been replaced by Orri Páll Dýrason.

The slow building, atmospheric, and melancholic post-rock style of "Ágætis byrjun (1999)" is continued on "()", although the band are if possible even more subdued and mellow in their delivery on this album. This is the perfect soundtrack to standing alone on top of a windswept hill looking over the ocean, taking in the incredible beauty of nature. Understanding man´s symbiosis with nature and the fragility of that union. Sigur Rós have created a delicate, ambient, and quite exquisite release with "()", with layers of strings (played by the Amiina string quartet), keyboards, guitars, an organic and dynamic working rhythm section, and of course the fragile and high pitched vocals by Jón Þór Birgisson. It´s music requiring patience and peace of mind, because of the slow building structures of the tracks, but it´s an emotionally rewarding ride, if you enjoy ambient melancholic music.

It´s not the words which are sung, resulting in an emotional effect, because Birgisson sings the entire album in a made up language called Vonlenska (also known as Hopelandic), but it´s the way he uses his voice to convey feelings of sadness and deep melancholy, which have an impact on the listener and of course the multi-layered high volume climaxes of the music. The trick with singing in a made up language, was to give the fans a chance to make up their own lyrics for the music.

"()" is divided into two parts. After the first four tracks the album feautures 36 seconds of silence before "Untitled ("Álafoss")" opens the second part of the album. All eight tracks on the album were originally released as "Untitled", but Sigur Rós later posted song titles on their website, so the fans had a chance to tell the tracks apart and discuss them as individual compositions rather than just an untitled part of a full album.

"()" features an incredibly well sounding production, providing the material with the right atmospheric and organic touch. This is through and through a gorgeous sounding album. It´s a bit more introvert and not as easily accessible as "Ágætis byrjun (1999)" but it´s a strong release on its own terms and a 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

"The most beautiful music that has ever graced my ears."

This is one of the few albums in my collection in which I hold a very meaningful and emotional connection with. I often listen to this album in times of sorrow, stress, or "angst" because of it's incredible power to carry my soul away from this universe. That is not to say that it cannot be enjoyed within a brighter mindset (and I have, many times), but it has an uncanny ability to cleanse my spirits in times of darkness. Once the melancholic hymns of Untitled I (Vaka) sound, an amazing progression of emotional (and if I was of faith I would state, undoubtedly, "spiritual") excavation is undergone and by the time that the resounding piano of Untitled III (Samskeyti) is processed through my eardrums, I have truly drifted away from the universe... drifting... as if in a dream... these melancholy hymns guiding me through this mild state of astral projection until I am utterly lost within this sweet reverie.

This album contains a rare form of beauty. It is, in my opinion, the most beautiful album ever created. But what this album contains, is not your "average" beauty. It is an exchange that I believe only SIGUR ROS , as detached as they are from the superficiality of modern (and more specifically American) culture, could present. What this album contains is an honest and thorough beauty... it is the beauty of falling into the arms of a lover that you have passionately and strenuously longed to be with... it is the beauty of experiencing a dream that you have forever wished for... it is the beauty of positive reflection at the end of a life... it is all of these things and more, all contained within the aural pulsations of the compositions.

I honestly pity those that have bestowed a low rating upon this album, as they will never experience the power of these sounds. I wouldn't trade the feelings I experience when listening to ( ) for anything in the world...

5 stars is an understatement...

Listen to most of this album on Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/album/35aAMMFurDWUvb6DAxFttv

Honestly, if I had reviewed this album right after I first listened to it, the rating would be far worse than this. It didn't help that the first four tracks sounded like a slow funeral procession, and I first listened to it at night when I was mentally tired. I could have given up on () at this point, but curiosity ended up getting the better of me, and I've slowly grown warm to ().

The thing to keep in mind here is that all of the compositions (none are given names anywhere on the CD or booklet) develop very slowly and many times just seem to swamp on time. It's basically this eerie, organic atmosphere that draws the attention; those who enjoy the album might know what I'm talking about. It's very hard to describe this to a newbie or non- fan, so it's a matter of listening to the album and seeing if it sucks you in. The tension and intensity in the last track is just too good to pass up. By the way, the album kind of gives me a mental picture of a winter forest.

'( )' - Sigur Ros (8/10)

My first experience with Sigur Ros was suffice to say; not an impressive one. 'Takk...' and it's incessant optimism left a sour taste in my mouth, and turned me off from further exploring the band's music. Luckily, I found this record at discount lying around and having heard it was much different from the one I'd already heard before, I picked it up.

I have to say, while there are some things about Sigur Ros that irritate me still, the cleverly named '( )' has opened this band up to a new listener. Instead of getting the 'progressive chipmunk' treatment, there is alot of depth here, and a penchant for melancholic emotion that I've rarely heard trumped.

The band has implied before that the reason the work is titled so cryptically and it's song titles are (originally) without names is to let the listener come up with their own idea of what the album is all about. This lends a very personal experience for the album, and due to the fact that the lyrics are all sung in a fictional, non-sensical language, it truly is completely at the listeners discretion.

The album is broken into two halves; the first being lighter and more melodic and the second half being much darker in nature and more drawn out. While the first half is certainly more memorable than the second (in no small part due to the fact that I listen to it a good deal more,) the second half seems to have more going on in the music, and a more 'epic' feel to it. A good twenty second silence in between the two sides really gives the impression that the band means for this to be an album listened to on vinyl, which -considering the sonic depth- makes perfect sense.

The main focus here is atmosphere, and ambience. The songwriting itself is here (and quite strong at that) but '( )' would be nothing without it's masterful execution. Each note and timbre played here seems right for it's particular job in creating an atmosphere, although the lack of real dynamic can get boring at times. Sonically speaking '( )' is perfect; with the exception of a few overly shrill vocal sections at the hand of frontman Jonsi. With a little more range and variance here, this album would really be one of the crowning achievements in modern music.

Beautiful music is still possible.

With ( ) (my first Sigur Ros album) the band really created something great. Melancholic, emotional, melodic, hypnotizing, amazing. It's a true masterpiece of music.

Vaka is my favorite track on the album, a very slow piano driven song with beautiful falsetto vocals by our beloved Jonsi. With about two minutes left the mood uplifts from melancholic to almost floating and Jonsi's voice glides you along. It's a real awesome feeling.

Fyrsta is pretty melancholic track from start to finish, although somewhat more upbeat than the previous. It's probably my least favorite track on the album but the atmosphere it creates is still great.

Samskeyti is slowbuilding beast of a song that really gives you a trippy melancholy effect, an insane experience. The tension it builds is just amazing.

Njosnavelin is almost a dreary little pop tune with more beautiful vocals by Jonsi. Like the rest of the tracks it is sung in Hopelandic, the bands fictional language that's actually not a language at all, just mainly improvisation. The track itself though is a very beautiful one, probably the most catchy on the record.

Alafoss is a track that slowly crawls along with some insanely high falsettos. It's another beautiful track and like the rest of the album, creates a great atmosphere.

E-Bow is an aptly titled track in which the guitar has an E-Bow equipped to it, adding more atmospheric meloncholia (I don't believe that's a word). The beat sounds quite a bit like Alafoss only maybe a little bit heavier.

Daudalagio and Popplagio are two similar tracks that exert a very moody force that didn't exist in many of the others. Jonsi's emotion level is at the top on these two and the effect mixed with the atmosphere is just pure bliss.

A beautiful almost glacial little CD. I've loved it since first listen. 5 Silver coated gold stars.

While this is a favorite Sigur Ros album among many prog reviewers for its darkness, I find it beautiful but overall a bit too dark and depressing. Still, there is without a doubt gorgeous music here in the same vein of Ágaetis Byrjun and Takk.... Plus the album is blessed with what is, in my opinion, one of the most ingenius titling schemes ever.

Favorite tracks: 3. "Untitled 3 (Samskeyti)" (6:34) (10/10); 8. "untitled #8 (Popplagið)" (11:45) (10/10); (I love the ENO/BUDD piano arpeggio and MIKE OLDFIELD-like screeching guitars in the background; one of my favorite Sigur Rós songs), 1. "Untitled 1 (Vaka)" (6:41) (9/10); the starkly gorgeous and painfully slow to develop and release, 5. "untitled #5 (Álafoss)" (9:57) (9/10), and; the awesomely ambiguous, simplistic and yet bombastic and gorgeous, 7. "untitled #7 (Dauðalagið)" (12:59) (9/10).

Four star tracks: 2. "untitled #2 (Fyrsta)" (7:33) (8/10); 6. "untitled #6 (E-Bow)" (8:48) (8/10), and; track 4. "Untitled #4 (Njósnavélin)" (7:32) (8/10) (love the organ).

This is definitely an album that has grown on me over the years and is rated up for the start-to-finish quality and listenability.

Sigur Ros' enigmatically entitled ( ) finds the band moving in the same sort of achingly beautiful crystal wonderland of sound as the preceding album. Many of the tracks on the album had been live staples of the band for some time, which really shows in the way they are polished and judged expertly - of course they develop slowly and organically, that's a hallmark of post- rock, but there isn't one which either outstays its welcome by being too long or fails to realise its potential by being too short. There's also excellent use of the human voice as an instrument, something which isn't often attempted by Sigur Ros' challengers to the post-rock crown like Mogwai or Godspeed You Black Emperor. On the whole, I actually think this is the band's true masterpiece.

The first time I put on Svigaplatan or the Parenthesis Album ( ) i was doing some much needed housekeeping and not fully focusing on the music. It was having none of it. It punished me by keeping me from getting into it. I realized my error in playing such intricate and slowly unfolding post-rock music while not fully focusing on it and revisited this album. The difference was that this time my mind was clear. My attention was focused and my expectations were nonexistent. Wow! Blown away I was. Transported to another musical universe, I accepted the calm, placid call of the Icelandic siren who whisked me away into the sonicscape for a peaceful dreamy experience with occasional volcanic outbursts unlike no other.

Although it's hard to detect many differences between ( ) and "Ágætis byrjun" when trying to compare them, it is this one that blows me away more. It continues the fluid flow of the musical feel as the spacey post-rock blooms at an unhurried leisurely pace that makes me think of a progressive variety of dream pop much like the Cocteau Twins may have done had they continued the sound of the album "Victorialand" and ran away with the possibilities. As stated by others, the songs are of the perfect running time. They realize their potential and accept their limits but aren't afraid to let them live out their full lives. I now am a bona fide SIGUR ROS fan and will certainly hear (more)