Kvelertak: Meir (CD)

Kvelertak’s second album Meir takes everything that made their debut such a blast and pushes it harder. Released in 2013, the Norwegian six-piece once again throw black metal, punk, hardcore and classic rock ‘n’ roll into the same room, producing a record that’s aggressive, catchy and completely uninterested in staying within a single genre.

Produced by Kurt Ballou of Converge, Meir has the raw energy you’d expect from Kvelertak but with enough clarity to let the band’s three-guitar attack properly cut through. Huge riffs and harmonised leads sit alongside blast beats, punk rhythms and choruses that feel designed for a packed club.

“Åpenbaring” opens the record before “Spring fra livet” demonstrates exactly how effectively Kvelertak can move between extreme metal and straightforward rock. “Bruane brenn” is one of the album’s standouts, combining blackened aggression with the kind of riff that could have come from a classic hard rock record.

There’s plenty of variety deeper into the album. “Evig vandrar” slows the pace and gives the guitars more room, while “Snilepisk” and “Månelyst” bring back the attack. The sprawling “Nekrokosmos” shows a more ambitious side of the band before the record eventually closes with the appropriately named “Kvelertak.”

One of the great things about Meir is that none of these influences feel forced together. You can hear black metal, hardcore, punk and classic metal throughout, yet the finished product simply sounds like Kvelertak.

For anyone who wants heavy music with riffs, energy and a healthy disregard for genre boundaries, Meir remains one of the band’s essential releases.