2. Kveikur (2013)

For five studio albums, Sigur Rós operated as a democracy. The band’s core quartet line-up — Birgisson, Sveinsson, Holm, and drummer Orri Páll Dýrason — wrote songs by tinkering silently in a room, sprouting melodies out of thin air. So when Sveinsson unceremoniously left the band in 2012, a crucial limb in the Sigur Rós sound was suddenly amputated. But the remaining trio rebounded brilliantly — crafting a heavier, more aggressive approach, emphasizing the seismic power of the rhythm section. “Brennisteinn” and “Kveikur” are stormy, metallic cauldrons of sound, ranking among the most visceral moments in the band’s discography. But as they prove with “Isjaki” and the dubstep-inflected “Stormur,” Sigur Rós haven’t lost their focus (or their way with hooks).