Kvelertak: Evig Vandrar – new video & Meir – full album stream

If KVELERTAK would know of one specific ‘Meir’ whom I unfortunately know of, they would surely think twice before naming their latest album in such a fashion. Like the character in their new Tjorus-directed clip, he searches for something, maybe the eternal youth (Google says ‘Evig Vandrar’ means “eternal youth”), but unlike the character in the clip, he leaves a distinct trail of slime wherever he visits and on whatever he touches. Anyhow, ‘Evig Vandrar’ comes off the unstoppable Norwegian rock and roll pathfinders' new and second studio album ‘Meir’. ‘Meir’, apparently Norwegian for “more”, was released in March 2013 on Roadrunner Records. It conquered the Norwegian Albums Chart (VG-lista), peaked at position number 18 on the Finnish Albums Chart and at number 20 on the Swedish Albums Chart (Sverigetopplistan), to name but a few of the album's achievements. You can still listen to the full record here (Roadrunner) and buy it here (Roadrunner Records store), on iTunes or via Amazon/Amazon MP3. The CD was produced by CONVERGE's Kurt Ballou and features cover artwork by BARONESS' John Dyer Baizley. Now, since the lads insist on singing in Norwegian, them being Norwegian and all, you might wonder what they are singing about. Well, wonder no more:

“[Explained Erlend Hjelvik, the voice:] There’s songs about trepanning (drilling a hole into a human skull) to release evil spirits which they did in the old days to mental patients. There’s also songs like ‘Nekrokosmos’ which is basically about an Anti-Christ figure coming from a spaceship down to the earth from a black hole to basically destroy everything. And there are also shameless anthems about being on the road. It’s not really folklore based. I was really inspired by BLUE OYSTER CULT and MONSTER MAGNET and black metal lyrics from bands like DARKTHRONE and TAAKE when I wrote the lyrics to the new one:” [Read the whole interview here (NoiseCreep):]

Formed in 2006 in Stavanger, Norway by a bunch of friends who decided to create music drawing inspiration from every corner of something that could fit into their idea of good hard-hitting and catchy music, KVELERTAK first stunned their quckly-growing fan base with mesmerizing live performances. KVELERTAK's music was eventually exposed on Norway's National Radio which helped the band to ink a deal with Norwegian label Indie Recordings. The group's eponymous debut album was released in June 2010 in Europe through Indie Recordings and in June 2011 in North America through The End Records. In March 2011, KVELERTAK were awarded with two “Spellemann Awards” - a prestigious Norwegian music award  - for Best Newcomer and Best Rock Band. In June 2011, IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) certified ‘Kvelertak’, the album, Gold, after it had sold more than 15,000 copies worldwide:

“Just when you think every possible rock & roll subgenre has already been mixed, matched, and spliced with every other available subgenre beyond any conceivable alternative, along comes a band like KVELERTAK to set you straight,” [wrote Eduardo Rivadavia, AllMusic – read more here:]

KVELERTAK features: Erlend Hjelvik – vocals, Bjarte Lund Rolland – guitar, Maciek Ofstad – guitar, Vidar Landa – guitar, Marvin Nygaard – bass and Kjetil Gjermundrød – drums