Kvelertak-Nattersferd (2016)

Kvelertak-Nattersferd (2016)

By: Ghost Writer

Remember a time when Van Halen came out at the end of the 70s with an amazing almost unclassifiable sound? Yes it wasn't Heavy Metal, but it was definitely something beyond Hard Rock, mighty singer David Lee Roth came with a name Big Rock, that basically resumed it all so well.

Talking about Big Rock these days wouldn't make much sense, but what about Black n Rock, the only words that come up when thinking about Norway's Kvelertak, a bunch of rock n roll warriors from the north who was play high voltage rock n roll with a little black edge.

Nattersferd the band's new recording is again a piece of almost unclassifiable music except for the words rock n rock, of course the first seconds of opener Dendrofil for Yoggdrasil might make you think of Marduk or Emperor, but the memorable three guitar attack with wonderfully blessed infectious lines will make you think twice, as the band easily defies any classification possible, but aim even higher on the following 1985, that precisely sounds like a piece of music from that era, something that obviously Van Halen would have been proud to play.

If you are able to survive Erlend Hjelvik raw ear piercing voice, you will be just fine with the grandiose guitars in full display at all time, reminding us what is great about big and dumb heavy metal detector played in an almost motorik fashion, with nods to classic heavy metal in a song like the title track with space rock guitars that could make Hawkwind truly envious.

The name of Judas Priest is almost invoked with Svartmesse, a song that uses great moments of tension along almost unforgettable powerful riffs, but nothing will definitely prepare the listener for the merciless attack of the malevolent Bronsegud with its righteous dynamic tempos.

Perhaps Nattersferd biggest failure is the apparent loose of energy after a pulverizing song like Berserkr, but nothing so fatal as to dilute the effect of the prodigious first batch of songs, Nattersferd might be an uneven records, but the best songs easily make up for the rest of the album, proving that these Norwegian wild men have a great concept and a big and bright future ahead of them.