By Andrew Bansal
Norwegian six-piece Kvelertak have garnered the hard rock/heavy metal world’s attention with their eclectic blend of rock ’n roll, extreme metal and hardcore punk, portrayed excellently on their 2010 self-titled debut LP as well as on the 2013 follow-up ‘Meir’, and presented with tremendous energy on stage. The band released their third full-length ‘Nattesferd’, on Roadrunner Records in May 2016. It takes an open mind to be fully appreciate Kvelertak’s music, and the band’s fans expect the unexpected from them. But ’Nattesferd’ takes even their most loyal, die-hard and open-minded fans by surprise.
With the opening track ‘Dendrofil For Yggdrasil’, the album starts out exuding the same kind of spastic energy and wild tempo stylistic variations as heard on the previous two full-length efforts, crushing black metal blast beats complemented in quintessential Kvelertak manner by three-pronged guitar melodies and harsh high-pitched vocals. It’s a push and pull between fast-paced segments and slow, melodic interludes, and makes for the perfect beginning to this 9-track, 47-minute record. On the next track ‘1985’, the newest element in Kvelertak’s ever-expanding musical repertoire is evident straightaway, as they venture into mid-tempo rock ’n roll territory, and this comes across as if Thin Lizzy was fronted by extreme metal singing. The main melody is repeated quite a lot throughout the song but is very catchy and has a driving, trance-like effect. The title track keeps this vibe going but does it with greater conviction and power, complete with some clean singing bits and well-crafted solos, and is probably the finest composition on the album. The usage of three guitars in any band is always a topic of debate as to whether it’s necessary, and this doesn’t just apply to younger bands but includes the likes of Iron Maiden as well. On ’Nattesferd’, Kvelertak seem to have found the formula to utilize all three of their highly pedigreed guitarists, perhaps better than they have in the past.
‘Svartmesse’ maintains the driving melodic style but picks up the tempo, and ‘Bronsegud’, the shortest track on the album, also runs at a lively pace. Things settle back down into a groove, as ‘Ondskapens Galakse’ cruises through some highly enjoyable guitar melodies. ‘Berserkr’, as the name suggests, revisits the extreme metal-meets-hardcore punk-meets-hard rock stylings the band is best known for, but is immediately followed by the gradually building, richly melodic 9-minute jam ‘Heksebrann’. The album comes to a close with the heavy, groovy ‘Nekrodamus’.
The tasty and crisp guitar tones decorating ’Nattesferd’ are sure to be devoured by grateful ears, and the delightfully prominent and clean bass sound is very akin to classic hard rock, as is the groovy, swinging drumming style. The vocals are as expressive as ever, but the most notable feature of the album is without doubt the guitar work, based around simple and straightforward songwriting patterns but focusing heavily on making each song as rich and full-sounding as possible. Kvelertak may alienate a section of their fan-base with this album, but will gain a whole new legion of classic hard rock worshippers seeking a fresh interpretation of their favorite genre.
One would have probably not ever imagined labeling Kvelertak under the ’driving music’ category, but ‘Nattesferd’ certainly has the groove, rhythm, melody and structure to make for a great soundtrack on your next highway cruise. This is the most rock ’n roll Kvelertak have ever been, and it’s not for everyone, but it’s not a bad thing whatsoever. ‘Nattesferd’ is the boldest. most mature Kvelertak album till date, and is poised to catapult the band to greatness.
Rating: 9/10
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Release Date: May 13th 2016
Record Label: Roadrunner
Track Listing:
01. Dendrofil For Yggdrasil
02. 1985
03. Nattesferd
04. Svartmesse
05. Bronsegud
06. Ondskapens Galakse
07. Berserkr
08. Heksebrann
09. Nekrodamus
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