Talking Heads, Southampton
The first indication that this is not your usual mid-week gig is the two bloody great tour buses filling the car park and the piles of gear in the smoking area. A good turnout is usually 100 people, tonight The Heads is rammed, and I mean rammed.
Vocalist Erlend has told us “It’s great when the crowd are going crazy and are really into what we do, it feeds back to the band, although sometimes it can get a bit crazy – we have had fans break their legs at a few of our shows, but they seem to think it’s pretty cool!” given this information I decide I’m heading to the front to fire off a few shots before it all kicks off and then I’ll retreat, getting my camera gear moshed is not part of the plan. As it turned out it’s so rammed I could barely get a decent shot as I was being battered from all sides.
The band materialise on stage and launch into ë≈penbaringí, a song off the new album “Meir” (out 25th March), now I confess Iím not familiar with Kvelertak so I donít know what to expect, but what stands out immediately is there is a really high level of musicianship here. The rythmn section of Marvin Nygaard, bass and Kjetil Gjermundr¯d on drums drives the band along with a groove that is unexpected and welcome. ëMjÿdí would be recognisable to anyone whoís seen ëTrollhunterí as it the credits music at the end of the film.
Many would say that three guitarists Bjarte Lund Rolland, Maciek Ofstad, Vidar Landa is overkill but when you hear the depth of almost orchestral sound in songs like “Sjohyenar (Havets Herrer)”, “Nekroskop” and “Offernat”, you know the extra bunk on the tour bus is well worth it.
What more can I say, this is one of the most exciting energetic metal bands I’ve seen in a long time, check them out yourself, they are one very, very tight band and the song writing is the schizz.
Kvelertak – you had me at “Apenbaring”!
Line Up
Erlend Hjelvik (lead vocal)
Bjarte Lund Rolland (guitar)
Maciek Ofstad (guitar)
Vidar Landa (guitar)
Marvin Nygaard (bass)
Kjetil Gjermundrod (trommer)
Set List
Apenbaring
Spring fra livet
Mjod
Fossegrim
Ulvetid
Bruane Brenn
Nekrokosmos
Sjohyenar (Havets herrer)
Evig Vandrar
Nekroskop
Offernatt
Blodtorst
Encore
Kvelertak
Utrydd dei svake
Links
http://kvelertak.com
http://www.myspace.com/kvelertak
http://twitter.com/kvelertak
http://www.flickr.com/kvelertak
Review & Pictures By Helen Bradley Owers.
