SPLID | KVELERTAK
3.17.20 My friend Roger has introduced me to a number of amazing recordings over the years. A number of them are on this list. The newest introduction is this album, Splid by Kvelertak.
Mash ups of genres and sub-genres can really work sometimes. With this Norwegian sextets release I’m hearing a hard hitting mash with the screaming vocal power rock like the Foo Fighters and the Deftones, then there is a shoegaze sound at times, especially on one of the albums high points ’Delirium tremens’. Early 80s Rush. Late 70s Judas Priest. Pixies… I’ll say no more, but you might hear it at points. Queen like Backing vocals. Soaring prog guitar runs.
Splid is is as good as, another genre mash-up group, Fucked Up’s 2010 effort The Chemistry of Common Life (#982). ‘Bråtebrann’, ‘Uglas Hegemoni’ and ‘Tevling’ in the albums center stood out for me.
Michael Pementel @ COS writes: The Lowdown: Over the course of their previous albums, Norway’s Kvelertak have delivered an intriguing amalgamation of heavy sounds. Splicing together elements of punk and black metal, the core of the band’s material rings with a true rock ‘n’ roll joy. Kvelertak’s creativity in weaving all these elements together continues to expand with each new LP.
Kvelertak’s fourth studio album, Splid, marks a significant new chapter in their history. Not only have the Norwegian rockers welcomed in new singer Ivar Nikolaisen (who replaced Erlend Hjelvik), they’ve signed to a new label, Rise Records.
The Good: Right away, it’s clear the playful vocals of Nikolaisen fit in nicely with the band’s aggressive sound. His cries and screeches add a welcome touch of mania to the material, further heightening the mix of hectic and bluesy cuts on Splid.
Opening track “Rogaland” begins with a rhythm that coasts to gentle touches of distortion; as the rhythm escalates, the song eventually bursts open to a bombastic collision of instrumentation, riding away to flourishes of heavy rock and punk-like adrenaline. “Crack of Doom”, which features Troy Sanders of Mastodon, carries over the frenetic rock ‘n’ roll joy of the previous cut. Sanders’ voice brings a hearty texture to the mix, trading off nicely with Nikolaisen’s vocals. On the same track, Håvard Takle Ohr’s drumming and Marvin Nygaard’s bass work pummel alongside the flavorful guitar playing of Vidar Landa, Bjarte Lund Rolland, and Maciek Ofsad . . . Amazon Kvelertak’s 2013’s effort Meir is quite strong as well.