We’re now well over a decade removed from Kvelertak’s legendary self-titled debut album that saw the Norwegian sextet rocket to the forefront of the underground. With their unique blend of black metal infused rock-n-roll with an aggressive punk attitude, they garnered fans across the globe thanks to opening for bands like Metallica, Iron Maiden, Slayer and Mastodon. After the critical success of 2020’s Splid, Kvelertak have pushed forward following a similar path to stand on their own two feet amongst the heavyweights of metal and Endling is yet another confident step forwards towards that goal.
Opening the album with lead single ‘Krøterveg Te Helvete’ kicks things off in a suitable fashion, the album version of the track has an extended three minute intro, building tension before the levy finally breaks and the riffs spill forth at a rabid pace. Second track ‘Fedrekult’ leans a bit closer to the black metal fury bubbling under the surface, with multi-layered tremolo guitar parts, violent blast beats and drum fills with a howling and in your face vocal delivery. ‘Likvoke’ has a bit more of punk pace on it and opens with one hel of an ear-worm riff, delving back towards the bands signature sound of punk infused, blackened rock-n-roll danger, swinging wildly and with a tasty guitar solo to boot.
Quite a few moments across the album have the energy of Norwegian punk icons Turbonegro coursing through its veins, punk rock and roll energy with a lot cleaner spoken word vocals blended between the more aggressive moments. Tracks such as ‘Motsols’ and ‘Paranoia 297’ feel like they tip their hat to the Turbojegend style whilst obviously still being pure Kvelertak at heart. ‘Døgeniktens Kvad’ is one of the best tracks on the album, starting with the unbridled intensity of tremolo guitars and blast beats before breaking into an unreasonably catchy banjo led riff and exploding into the song proper. The track doesn’t let up across its six minute run time, even regularly shifting and returning back to the opening banjo riff, even at times throwing in what sounds like a theremin into the background of the soundscape.
“Simply put, the album’s sound is magnificent.”
Due to the well documented intensity Kvelertak bring to the table in both their live performances and their recording sessions, the band employed not one, but three producers for Endling in the form of Jørgen Træen, Yngve Sætre and Iver Sandøy. With three individual producers at the helm, it’s a marvel that the production has stayed this consistent across the album but just to up the ante the band stated that the album was recorded live in the studio without a click track (save for one song), with only additional instrumentation recorded in overdubs.
However it’s a lot more than just consistent, biting at the ankles of their wildly hailed debut as some of the best sound the band has had since. The intricate layering between guitarists Vildar Landa, Bjarte Lund Rolland and Maciek Ofstad is marvellous, allowing for each musicians part to shine when required. Marvin Nygaard’s bass work sits comfortably within the complex framework of guitars whilst retaining a solid warmth and presence. Endling is the second album for the bands newest members, now both comfortably fitting into the fold. Drummer Håvard Takle Ohr sounds impeccable on the record, both in his performance and the crisp tonal qualities of the drum captures. Lead vocalist Ivar Nikolaisen’s cutting deliveries in his native Norwegian tongue are monstrous at times and more restrained at others, paired with the variance in backing vocals from Ofstad and Rolland. Simply put, the album’s sound is magnificent.
Title track and last single before release ‘Endling’ is powerfully catchy, sinking its hooks in deep with a slightly lighter energy than previous tracks. The guitar work here is excellent with too many ear worm riffs to count and a mighty guitar solo passage that steals the show. Immediately following is fellow single ‘Skoggangr’, heavily drawing from their classic rock inspirations, employing cleaner singing and a glissando guitar tone that is reminiscent of the legendary Brian May of Queen. These two tracks sit at a perfect point in the middle album allowing for a polite breather from the in your face intensity of its surrounding tracks.
“Biting at the ankles of their wildly hailed debut as some of the best sound the band has had since.”
The final two tracks leave more than a lasting impression. Firstly, ‘Svart September’ opens with a gorgeous 12 string guitar, and what sounds like a mandolin, melody before breaking into what could be the start of a lost The Hives song, brimming with indie punk energy in the main riff before giving way to the bands heavy melodic style. Finally, ‘Morild’ closes the album in epic fashion, at almost eight minutes long it feels rather celebratory at the end of such a long journey. Blending some interesting additional percussion with interwoven guitar melody in the intro, when the main riff kicks in its like being hit by a tonne of bricks. Necks will be broken to the palm muted chug pushing the track along as the pacing shifts back and forth in a whirlwind. Expansive melodies and guitar solos take their time giving ‘Morild’ an exploratory feel.
When all is said and done, Endling is another resounding success for Kvelertak. Feeling like a very natural progression from and follow up to Splid, the band continue to explore their unique sounds, play with some new instrumentation elements and generally expand on what made their last album a success. Most of all, the band continue to make their heavy music not only enjoyable, but fun to listen to. The continued rise of Kvelertak is not just well deserved but categorically earned by their consistently strong output, with Endling being an excellent addition to their growing catalogue of classics.