Kvelertak Blend Intensity and Melody on New Song ‘Berserkr’

Kvelertak are one of the most exciting bands to emerge in extreme music over the last decade. Pulling influences from punk, black metal and good old fashioned rock 'n' roll, the Norwegian sextet are on the verge of releasing their third album, Nattesferd, on May 13 through Roadrunner. With fans salivating with anticipation, Kvelertak have served up a heavy new cut, "Berserkr," which represents for the back half of the album.

"Berserkr" initially showcases the band's black metal stylings with a tremolo-picked lead and just a hint of melody and a throaty howl from vocalist Erlend Hjelvik. The aggressive riff easily slides into a swinging groove, bursting with more melody and will undoubtedly open up a pit full of two-steppers when unleashed live.

The song takes a drastic turn at the midpoint, favoring a steady, anthemic drum beat alongside decidedly more cheerful guitar work, which ultimately degrades back into more aggressive territories. The juxtaposition of the riff does well to showcase the band's versatility and feel-good nature that has always permeated their music.

Kvelertak also recently dropped a new music video (seen below) for "1985." Directed, written and edited by Fredrik S. Hana, he stated, “In my third collaboration with Kvelertak, I wanted to make a music video where the story and characters took the center stage. The video revolves around a micro-community, a four man cult, where a deep and twisted friendship lies beneath it all. They don’t see themselves as a part of the normal society and decide to honor their differences in a unique fellowship. We follow the character’s growing addiction to push limits, and in the end, their incompetence to see any real consequences with their actions. I wanted to get across the fantastic feeling of being a part of something, but also the dangers of not daring to take a stand, to just swim along with the current.”

With a new album comes a tour in support of the disc and Kvelertak will be hitting the road today (April 12) with Torche and Wild Throne. To see a full list of tour stops, visit our 2016 Guide to Rock + Metal Tours.

Kveltertak, "1985" Music Video

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