Page 80 - Metal Hammer Issue 334 - UK (May 2020)

KVELERTAK

we changed singer, we changed Ivar the gypsy gutterpunk
drummer [Kjetil Gjermundrød jumped has settled in beautifully
ship last year, replaced by Håvard Takle
Ohr], we don’t really need to change
the sound right now. Kurt knows what
works with us really well, and he’s very
strict. We needed an adult!”
The results speak for themselves.
Splid (that’s ‘Discord’ in English) is
a fantastic record – by far the best thing
Kvelertak have put their name
to since their debut. It packs the
freewheeling intensity of that first
album but peppers it with a ton of
expansive left-turns and bursts of
experimentation that mould their
sound into scintillating new forms.
At just under an hour, it’s their longest
album yet, but it evolves and twists so
often that it never drags. Oh, and there
are also two songs sung in English –
the galloping, Maiden harmonies-hued
‘title track’ Discord, and the deliriously
catchy Crack Of Doom, featuring
Mastodon’s Troy Sanders. What’s that
all about then, fellas? Songs in English?
Making a cynical stab at appealing to
bigger markets, are we?
“Absolutely not!” insists Maciek.
“Ivar’s played in a million bands where freezing, it is packed to the rafters and “The first tour we ever did was with
he’s always sung in English, so that’s toasty in here. It’s a purposefully Converge and Kylesa,” recalls Maciek
always going to be natural for him.” intimate show designed to show off the later. “We drank all of the beer in their
“We wanted to have the whole album new material, and the seven tracks fridge. We had no tour etiquette. Kylesa
in English,” adds Ivar, laughing, “but aired from Splid all sound colossal. Crack had to say to us, ‘Hey guys, you’re the
the thing is, I put all the words I knew Of Doom draws a huge response and shit band on the tour, you can’t drink
in English into two songs, and I didn’t already sounds like a song that should all the beers. It’s for us.’ Ha ha ha!
have any more!” stay in Kvelertak setlists forever, while Now, we finally have our own fridge.”
He looks at Maciek and feigns the eight-minute Fanden Ta Dette Hull! So there we are. Ten years after
confusion before the two break down might just be the band’s pièce de blowing our minds for the first time,
into guffaws. “I didn’t! I didn’t know résistance – a rumbling, sprawling Kvelertak have a fridge, a Norwegian
any more!” masterpiece complete with a thrash Grammy and four albums under their
Despite their insistence that the metal midsection that would give belts. Oh, and they weren’t kidding
English lyrics are a natural part of the Overkill whiplash. when they said they’re, like, total
process, both Maciek and Ivar know Ivar is a noticeably different stage besties with Metallica.
that some pockets of the Internet have presence from his predecessor – more “Yes, I have Lars’s number,” laughs
greeted the move a little cynically. rock’n’roll showman than head-down Maciek when we prod him on that
“I’ve been reading YouTube headbanger – but he looks well at particular point. “I texted him on
comments for 10 years,” Maciek sighs. home and his stage patter is warmly his birthday and got a ‘Thanks, man!
[They used to say] ‘Why never English? received (or at least we assume – our Hope things are rocking. L.’ I checked
I can never understand these Norwegian is a little rusty, but everyone that message a couple of times before
motherfuckers.’ Now we finally have I sent it!”
a song in English, what do they write? “PEOPLE ARE And what next? What else do six lads
‘Ah, these motherfuckers are singing from Norway’s fourth biggest city have
“I heard some people complain that CALLING US “Next year we’re gonna get another
in English?! Fuck you guys!’” left to tick off the bucketlist?

in English, and also that we have some ‘SELL-OUTS’” Spellemann – at least one!” muses Ivar.
we were ‘sell-outs’ for doing two songs
“They promised me that when I join
melodic, singing parts,” groans Ivar. IVAR NIKOLAISEN the band we’re gonna get 18. So if we
“Is it selling out to have songs that are don’t, I quit.”
almost 10 minutes long?!” definitely looks like they’re having “We need to fly over to America to
a lovely time). get a Grammy, then we can call it
hat certainly does feel sold out is It’s a rowdy, loud and breathless a day,” argues Maciek, before pausing
the gig that Kvelertak play later 16-song set with a clear message: a moment, that mischievous look
that night. A special album Kvelertak still have plenty to offer the creeping back onto his face. “Actually,
launch event put on for select media scene they so heavily affected a decade no. I think we’ll keep on doing this
and competition winners, it takes place ago, and they are absolutely not going for 30 more years.”
in a 400-capacity venue under the very anywhere. That they’re still here 10
cafe we were sitting in earlier. Despite years on and still smashing stages to SPLID IS OUT NOW VIA RISE
temperatures outside dipping below bits is surely proof enough of that. RECORDS

80 METALHAMMER.COM