None more black

Norway’s Vreid unleashes its wrath with their fifth album V

In recent years, the metal genre has morphed into sub-genres at an alarming rate, with the most rapidly evolving of these probably being black metal. Originally, the second wave of black metal that happened in Norway in the early 90s was the sub-genre’s admitted touchstone. But recently Beelzebub’s favorite brand of metal has split into numerous factions, including depressive, pagan, ambient, noise, folk and even Christian, which one can only presume is called white metal. Norway’s Vreid’s (Norwegian for “wrath”) fifth record V is a perfect mixture of classic Norwegian black metal, with melodic elements that go far beyond the trademark shrieking vocals and a heap­ing amount of thrash metal peaking out from the ballast. The Mirror talked with bassist Hváll over the phone from his home in Sogndal, Norway.

Mirror: How did the recent tragedies in Norway affect you?

Hváll: It affected us deeply. Our drummer worked in the government office that was destroyed, but thankfully, he was on vacation and wasn’t at work that day. He didn’t lose any of his closest co­workers, but it hit him personally as he worked with people who lost friends. He could hear the bang of the explosion from his house when it happened—his whole department was shattered to pieces. It was one of the most brutal things we’ve ever seen in Norway. This was a complete madman hell-bent on destruction. We all have children and when tragedy like this happens you just think about protecting your child. The slaughtering at the youth camp was one of the most savage things I think we’ve seen in modern history. If this could happen in Norway, it’s proof it could happen anywhere.

M: There is obviously a rich tradition in black metal in Norway, which continues to be a fertile ground for the genre. Why does Norway produce so many high caliber black metal bands?

H: A lot of these black metal bands come from small villages and small towns, so they are really isolated and able to really develop themselves. I actually think that there is a lot of truth in that we are influenced by our access to nature. Norwegian bands tend to be really strong-willed, and when you combine that with our landscapes you end up with something really unique. You see a lot of bands imitating 90s bands like Immortal and Dark Throne, but in Norway, bands tend to push things a bit more.

M: Do you find it strange that black metal’s initial mission was to remain underground and be a rebellion of sorts within more proven metal genres, yet now it’s so widely accepted?

H: It definitely started as a reaction to what was happening in metal at the time. But like any genre, it is going to grow and eventually, people will find it. In Norway today, black metal bands are far more popular than thrash and death metal bands. So it’s definitely established, but you can’t ever predict how a genre of music will develop. You can only contribute to it artistically, and after that, it’s out of your control. If something is good, people will find it. ■

WITH KAMPFAR, NECRONOMICON, PALLOR MORTIS AND SCUM SENTINEL AT FOUFOUNES ÉLECTRIQUES ON FRIDAY AUGUST 26TH, 7PM, $20

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