Indie Recordings – Out Now.
London has always been a desired destination for Rock bands since the inception of the genre. One band which has consistently made an effort with visiting the capital of the United Kingdom, mainly as an opening/support act, is the Songdal-based, Black/Rock n’Roll quartet Vreid.
It was during one of these shows that my interest in them began to flourish but it is only now, with the release of their sixth full-length release entitled “Welcome Farewell”, that I can finally claim to have had a truly great musical experience with their music, courtesy of these fine Norwegians.
Don’t get me wrong; albums like “Milorg” (2009) and “V” (2011) have had their fair share of crunchy riffs and catchy melodies – important weapons in the band’s musical arsenal – but this is the first time that I find Vreid to have utilised their unquestionable skills to the maximum, creating in the process an album that is both memorable and, at times, technically challenging.
Guitarists Sture and Strom are pretty much responsible for the majority of the catchy tunes on offer, and the times when they have decided to work together on twin guitar melodies the end result is simply stunning. Much higher up in the mix than usual, bassist Hvall often acquires a leading role and together with the powerhouse of a drummer Steingrim, they have ensured that each of the eight compositions of the album is infused with much energy and passion.
The five minute piece “The Rambler” is a clever choice for an opening act as it pretty much incorporates the variety of different elements that can be found in this release: bombastic drumming, crunching heavy riffs, harsh old-school Black Metal vocals and simple guitar lead melodies that will stick with you for days on end.
In “Way Of he Serpent” the band betrays its early 90s Black Metal pedigree, with galloping riffs that would make bands like Destroyer 666 envious, while “The Devil’s Hand” finds them move into Rock n’Roll territories, just like Satyricon during the “Now Diabolical” era. The same-titled composition “Welcome Farewell” finds the guitar duet Stue/Storm deliver their high quality riffs and melodies with much conviction and skill, while the groovy 70s riffs of “The Reap” is definitely recommended for head banging.
It is, however, towards the end of the album that Vreid really decide to go ‘all guns blazing’ and the result can be heard in the duet “Sights Of Old”/”Black Waves” – the former featuring clever atmospheric leads and a twin guitar melody reminiscent of Flotsam And Jetsam “No Place For Disgrace” era, while the latter offers up the meanest and meatiest mid-tempo riffs ever recorded by the band.
Though not a Prog Metal band, Vreid show such inclinations in the moody and cleverly-crafted “At The Brook”, offering in the process not only a unique ending to this dead impressive album but also perhaps a promise of many interesting things to come in their future releases.
“Welcome Farewell” is one of those albums that sounds relevant and appropriate wherever you are, whether it is driving to work (mind your speed!), doing your shopping or working out.
Furthermore, and providing that the Gods of Metal do not hold any grudges against them, this should be the release that should solidify their reputation as a unique-sounding extreme Metal band that deserves the attention and loyalty of fans of all things extreme. Get a copy of this album without any hesitation – you will thank me later!
John Stefanis
Rating: ****1/2 (4.5/5.0)
Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK
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In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.
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Power Plays w/c 15 April 2024
ENMY The Ledge (FiXT)
KAROBELA Get Hard (indie)
KATH & THE KICKS Neptune (indie)
THE BEE TELLERS River Poem (Black Sand Records)
LAUREN FREEBIRD Like A Bomb (indie)
Featured Albums w/c 15 April 2024
09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023
14:00-16:00 KATARINA PEJAK – Pearls On A String (Ruf Records)
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