Band:	Kvelertak
Album:	Splid
Style:	Punk, Blackened hardcore
Release date:	February 2020

01. Rogaland
02. Crack Of Doom [feat. Troy Sanders]
03. Necrosoft
04. Discord
05. Bråtebrann
06. Uglas Hegemoni
07. Fanden Ta Dette Hull!
08. Tevling
09. Stevnemøte Med Satan
10. Delirium Tremens
11. Ved Bredden Av Nihil

Looks like black 'n roll is back on the menu, boys!

You remember Kvelertak, don'tcha? The blackened hardcore band from Norway? When I say "blackened hardcore," of course, I'm not referring to a filthy, grime soaked sound akin to bands like Celeste or Hexis. No, with Kvelertak things were always of a much brighter, melodic, and almost uplifting nature, a habit of theirs that more or less continues with 2020's Splid. Here they've undergone a notable lineup change with the coming of new vocalist Ivar Nikolaisen, who brings a noticeably wider range to the picture with a pleasantly diverse use of yells and more melodic cleans.

So what's new this time around with Splid? Well, perhaps I missed something with Kvelertak's previous material, but I can't ever remember the band sounding this fucking groovy. Indeed, with Splid things are a lot more riff heavy and catchy than usual, even displaying possible influences from stoner and sludge at points, and it somehow feels as though Kvelertak are having a lot more fun playing their music this time around. Tracks such as "Crack Of Doom" or "Faden Ta Dette Hull!" are absolute bangers, and can easily start to get stuck in one's head after a few plays. Additionally the production sounds a lot cleaner than usual on Splid. I specifically remember Kvelertak's past two albums sounding quite treble-heavy and abrasive, but here that approach has definitely been toned down in favor of a much more leveled, crisper sound that is overall a lot more pleasing to the ears.

While I will admit I haven't yet listened to all of their albums, Splid is quite likely my favorite Kvelertak up to this point, and it's a pretty big improvement over both Nattesferd and Meir. It's much bouncier and memorable than earlier Kvelertak material, and new Nikolaisen is proving to be a much better frontman for the band than the guy he replaced. Not that their past efforts were particularly lacking in energy, but Splid really feels as though it's injected Kvelertak with a new momentum, momentum that they'll hopefully keep riding into their future releases. If this is a sign of where the band is going from here, I am most definitely onboard.

Like fun, energetic, upbeat shit? Hop to it then!