The beginning
The autumn of 1991 proved to be a remarkable one in the history of a small town called Akureyri, situated on the northern coast of the isolated volcanic island known to the world as Iceland. It was during this period that three incredibly talented and creative youngsters created some of the most inspiring music ever to have come out of this desolate town. These 13 year old whiz-kids became known by their monickers Willy-with-short-hair-in-8th-grade, Willy-with-long-hair-in-8th-grade and H.F. Olafsson respectively.
It was a chilly October afternoon when these individuals descended into the basement of H.F. Olafsson's home at the time, where they wrote and recorded what would be their only album as the creative force now known simply as LBA*. During this session Willy-with-short-hair-in-8th-grade's erratic style of bass playing fit as a glove to H.F. Olafsson's manic, but disciplined, percussion. Combined with Willy-with-long-hair-in-8th-grade's amazing vocal range (switching from an innocent falsetto to an early 90's death metal growl in an instant), it was shrouded with doubt whether the world would ever again see such an amazing collaboration.
The Album
The album produced on this single afternoon was given the name Cannibal Nuns I, and was an immediate smash hit among the band's fellow students in the Akureyri Junior High School, where it sold many copies. It contained 19 incredible songs, a few of which are available for download here:
1. Intro (removed)
This is the first track of the album, introducing the band members and their unique style of playing and sound.
2. Geir Gudsteins-lagid
The most popular subject of LBA's songs were the faculty staff of the Akureyri Junior High School. This song centers around Geir Gudsteins, a rather unpopular English teacher with a pronounication that would make Halldor Asgrimsson look good.
3. Bigga Jonasar-lagid
Another classic number, telling the story of a man that has been given the impossible task of teaching 8th grade Danish to an all-male classroom. A sad song that conveys perfectly the frustration and desperation that a man in that position must feel.
4. Gengid
Lyrically it deals with the foreign exchange rates of the Icelandic Krona as they were at 9:15 AM on the 16th of October in the year 1991. It features rare currencies such as the Portuguese Escudos and the Finnish Mark, as well as classic crowd-pleasing favourites including the Danish Krona and the Swiss Franc. All exchange rates are presented with an accuracy of at least 3 decimal places. The song itself features solid electric guitar work by Willy-with-short-hair-in-8th-grade accompanied by H.F. Olafsson's beautiful minimalistic percussion. Willy-with-long-hair-in-8th-grade delivers the exchange rates in his soothing baritone voice, which has since then become his world-wide trademark This song is yet another classic from one of Akureyri's all-time most influential bands.
5. Konan sem kyndir ofninn minn (death metal utgafa)
This last song of LBA's critically acclaimed album "Cannibal Nuns I" brings it to a truly epic and intense climax. The title translates as the cryptic but post-rock-ish "Lady who fires up my furnace (death metal version)" . While the lyrical content is considered incomprehensible, the rage and emotion present in the song is fully transferred to the listener due to Willie-with-long-hair-in-8th-grade's powerful delivery. He is backed by fierce drumming from the legendary H.F. Olafsson and some of Willie-with-short-hair-in-8th-grade's most amazing riffs. This song is considered by most LBA enthusiasts to be an amazing ride worth experiencing.
A band no more
After the recording and release of Cannibal Nuns I there soon emerged rumours that the band would try to ride their wave of popularity and release Cannibal Nuns II as soon as possible. Records of this period are hazy, but it is believed that the band did enter H.F. Olafsson's basement once more in order to recreate the magic that had dominated their previous session. However, it was clear that the musicians had grown apart and didn't share the same vision of how the new LBA should progress. Monetary issues arose, where the rest of the band accused Willy-with-short-hair-in-8th-grade of taking the profits from selling Cannibal Nuns I (rumoured to have reached hundreds of ISK) and spending it all in the local arcade. Also, the band was under heavy scrutiny by the press for the lyrical content of the song "Eddie innflytjandi", where LBA were accused of fueling hatred for the Dutch among the Icelandic youth. No official charges were made against the band, although business relations between Iceland and the Netherlands would not fully recover until the early 21st century. A combination of these factors is believed to have led to the band's violent implosion.
Reunion
For many years there was little or no activity in the LBA camp. However in 1997, the band reunited unexpectedly at the Official Akureyri Junior College Battle of the Bands contest, where they did a blazing rendition of some of their greatest hits. They did not win the contest, but it is believed that the band gracefully declined the title on the grounds that their legendary status as local rock stars had clouded the judgement of the jury, and that the prize should rather go to some other unknown act. Whether this is true is impossible to say, but it does display the camaraderie of the band at the time despite their previous quarrels.
The Future
The future of LBA is a mistery. Stay tuned...
* "Löggilt Bigg-band Anúarkista"
