When ISKANDR played Roadburn in 2023 it was a presentation of “psychedelic folk doom” which was largely drawn from the then-unreleased album Spiritus Sylvestris which would appear later that year. Now, once again with new music promised, we have invited Omar to return the latest iteration of ISKANDR.
Of his Roadburn return, Omar comments: “It’s extremely humbling to be able to return to Roadburn and present brand new material from the upcoming ISKANDR album on the stages of this exalted festival. Having a reputation for forward thinking programming and stretching the boundaries of what heavy music can be, I could not think of a more fitting place to share the new vision of my music and being challenged to rethink my own notions. A wonderful return!”
With his roots in black metal, but tendrils reaching far out into multiple genres, ISKANDR is a distillation of many of Omar’s sonic interests. Heavy in atmosphere, ISKANDR is dripping with melancholic grandeur that is evocative and emotional whilst displaying a primordial rawness. To try to label this and file it away neatly in a genre-box would be to wish away some of the magical otherworldly spirit contained within these offerings. Come along to witness it in its truest form this April.
– Becky Laverty
