Norwegian band Kvelertak are one of the most fun and unique metal bands around, mixing black with old school metal, that’s reminiscent of Motorhead, as well as punk and rock and roll. All of this made for a special night when they played at Think Tank last Wednesday with support from Puppy, taking time out from their tour supporting Metallica.
lead singer Erlend Hjelvik entered the stage wearing his trademark owl mask with orange eyes which set the tone for the rest of night - mad and very entertaining.
Opening with ‘Åpenbaring’, the first track from their second album Meir, lead singer Erlend Hjelvik entered the stage wearing his trademark owl mask with orange eyes which set the tone for the rest of night - mad and very entertaining. This was soon followed by ‘Mjød’, an excellent track that showcases their specialty in performing songs that are simultaneously heavy and almost pop-like catchy. With a storming set that had a mix of songs from across all three of their albums, they whipped the crowd into a frenzy with tracks like ‘Offernat’ and ‘Blodtørst’. Hjelvik got the crowd to split and make a mosh pit, a request to which the audience were more than happy to oblige.
A few songs, such as ‘1985’ from their most recent album Nattesferd, were a bit lethargic and energy levels dropped a bit with it being almost too melodic at times. Gigs like these however are a chance for them to experiment with different songs combinations and see what works in different venues with different crowds, so it was not symptomatic of their whole performance.
After an encore they played the 9-minute track ‘Heksebrann’ and ‘Månelyst’ which got the crowd fist pumping. This allowed them to individually demonstrate their own talents with fantastic bass and guitar work that was supplemented by pounding drums. Closing with the anthemic ‘Kvelertak’ from Meir, they ensured that everyone left with their infectious riffs stuck in their heads and singing into the night.