Band:	Vredehammer
Album:	Viperous
Style:	Black metal, Death metal
Release date:	March 2020

01. Winds Of Dysphoria
02. Aggressor
03. Suffocate All Light
04. Viperous
05. Skinwalker
06. In Shadow
07. Wounds
08. Any Place But Home
09. From a Spark To A Withering Flame

Norway, true black metal, the home of countless cult bands such as Dimmu Borgir, Immortal, Mayhem, Emperor, Burzum, Satyricon, Windir but also the home of prog death movement that gave us Enslaved. That's where Vredehammer comes in. In the sweet spot between prog, death and black. Intrigued? Yeah, you should be.

First off, if you have never heard of them, do yourself a favor and check out their previous album Violator. Right on par with Enslaved's best efforts, just maybe less serious and more fun. I basically listen to "Light the Fucking Sky" on a weekly basis lately to put a smile on my face.

Their latest, Viperous, follows the same idea of quick, furious blackened death metal a la Old Man's Child with a pinch of tech rhythm and fast-paced execution. And like the aforementioned band, it does not take itself too seriously but instead makes room for the right amount of intense fun in between blast beats. In earnest, I half suspect long-time band members Per Valla and Kristoffer Hansen are just spawns of Galder.

It is a simple but effective formulation. Direct, frontal assault of progressive blackness with an underlying insidious of techno music that hits right where it works. Poets be damned, Vredehammer is all about hitting the sweet spot and they are unabashed about it. Songs such as "Aggressor", "Viperous" and "In Shadow" are excellent tunes, and great songs to exercise to, because they bring the best out of their brutal rhythmic section and piercing guitar work.

If life is complicated enough and you are tired of complicated music, Vredehammer is here for you to set your priorities straight. Viperous will show you how to enjoy simple music again. Also, if you're looking for music to exercise. Look no further. The black metal, true way (with occasional dance music BUT ONLY FOR FUN). If you are longing to be any place but home, to avoid your viperous aggressor or lick your wounds from a skinwalker, stay in shadows, which suffocate all light... Anyway, a solid album to light the freaking sky once more. So even though it is a niche genre, and even though it is a little insane, this does come as highly recommended by yours truly.