Posts Tagged ‘Jon Baizley’

If Jamie Ramsey, Delia Lawson or Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall-Worrall-Thompson were to knock up a “New Favourite Band recipe” it might resemble the following;

Start with some rowdy punk

Add a splash of rock ‘n’ roll

Spice with some black metal

Leave to stew in some classic rock.

Get Jon Baizley from Baroness to design an eye catching album cover and serve with vocals screamed in Norwegian washed down with a cheeky flagon of mead and enough Norse mythology to give a Thor a headache.

Nobody wants to proclaim the second coming, only to be duly revealed as gobbing off about the newest Stiltskin. So it can be difficult to approach a review for one of the bands of the moment without some cynicism. All that went out of the window though by the time opener Ulvetid had successfully cut and shut four reasonably distinct musical genres.  Hefty production values served a crunchy metallic punk that seemingly is not intense enough, demanding instead a step up to the next level through a nifty blast of black metal fury. A comedown is then required and is given of sorts via some rowdy 12 bar blues (yes think Status Quo off their tits on Dragon juice at a Lordi house party) that leads into a post rock outro that almost blissfully gives the listener a chance to collect their thoughts and check their bollocks. All this after only three and a half minutes.

What impresses most is despite the cacophany there has been some thought and consideration put into the song craft here. Having three guitarists can seem for bands a missed opportunity but there is some harmonising and winding riffery, see Offernatt in particular. (Norwegian for Off Her Nut…possibly.) What also impresses is the ready made T-Shirt slogan of track seven...Sultans of Satan…nuff said methinks.

The standout tracks though are the closing two. Ordsmedar Av Rang sees Kvelertak build to powerful yet melodic hooks and Utryd dei Svake swirls with threatening feedback and percussive bludgeon before chugging off and leaving us with a chirpy outro worthy of The Wildhearts.

It’s a tricky subject, genre labeling. Bands hate it, but it’s a necessary evil for a review site. But think  Entombed, think Converge, think Black Sabbath, think the Stooges, think ABBA (kidding), think having a bastard good time of it and you may understand the spectrum of influence at work here.

Seemingly though, Kvelertak are so unfashionable and so unconcerned with being so that cycles being cycles means they are taking music forward. Pleasingly, it’s one of the most uplifting albums you’ll hear as a result. Just ask Dave Grohl, he’s had them out supporting the Foos.

New Favourite Band…Done.

big g.