Vreid - Welcome Farewell

In 2012 Vreid toured India for the first time as a central part of “The Questionings” performance. This performance also came to Norway, and Vreid was there as the first metal band perform in the national opera house in Oslo. In 2012 Vreid also did some selected shows & festivals such as “The Fire walk with me festival’ in Oslo where they performed the entire, ‘I Krig’ album. Otherwise the main priority for Vreid. In 2012 it was for them to work on their 6th album, which has now been released on the 26th February 2013

The cover holds a ghostly unnerving quality about it. Cold and a stark reminder that nothing lasts forever.

The Ramble
Subtle and haunting it meanders, backed by stark melodies that sound typically Scandinavian and quite melancholic until the drum starts rolling and the guitar starts hammering into action. The vocals are huge and bellowing and a thunderous rhythm ensues, chugging with perfection into a myriad of building crescendos and mountainous riffs that quicken in pace and take along with it some strong bass hooks.

Way Of The Serpent
This track literally rides on the back of some strong drumming with riffs that guide like a rolling waves. The vocal harshly accented by growls that pull you into a maelstrom of blackened and menacing rhythms. It quickens in pace to bring you amazing, ritualistic and pleasurable hypnotic melodies.

The Devils Hand
More of a metal sounding guitar, crisp and powerful. It is only the vocal that reminds you that this is black metal and not heavy metal but surrounded by a more metal canopy of hard heavy bass hooks and constant pummelling – this is such a varied track and offers more than just metal - it is metal with a difference.

Welcome Farewell
The title track of the album again sounding more metal than black with its percussion of never ending beats and driving guitar, build feverishly to create a monster of sound and challenged fiercely by gnarly and evil vocal persecution. Utilising all of their resources the band come together and offer an outstanding track that possesses plenty of crunch in guitar and harsh bass licks that are well balanced and structured to perfection.

The Reap
Melodic and encapsulating with enduring qualities of powerful rhythms that bathe in the splendour of a constant beat and high chugging octane riffs.  The vocal ensemble dominates and still possesses its gruffness, leading the track into a unique and uplifting tempo.

Sights Of Old
Deftly plucked strings carve out an eerie path of doom until further on in the track, then these purveyors of metal really spark into life with a sonic assault of metal full on riffage, offering a chugging heaviness and mesmerising pummelling drum beat, that literally lifts the mood to a more unrestrained conclusion and pushing their boundaries to the limit.

Black Waves
Sneaky bass line sets the mood for this track with a contrasting shrill pitched guitar and heavy drum beat. It offers a clean but deep vocal that captivates and sung to a constant rhythm that in turn cultivates some nice thick layers of insane melody.

At The Brook
A very sophisticated balance of melodic strings and a stark but solid drum beat, it then bursts or rather explodes into a familiar chug of raw power with harsh bass hooks and scathing guttural snarl. It develops slowly, but this only goes to prove the diversity contained within the track and offers plenty of intrigue as to what the band will create next.

As described on the label “Black n Roll down to the last note, straight and to the point. Uncomplicated, however, in contrast there is a lot of complex rhythms contained within each track. It holds deep and punishing qualities and the band is not afraid to push their own boundaries and think outside the box.

Their album offers emotive heaviness which in turn possesses lots of melodic catchiness. It is impacting and dramatic holding clear aggression on its high points and traditional doom in its lower points. Altogether this album has indeed left its Black n Roll mark with an incredibly balanced undeniable quality.

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  1. The Ramble
  2. Way Of The Serpent
  3. The Devils Hand
  4. Welcome Farewell
  5. The Reap
  6. Sights Of Old
  7. Black Waves
  8. At The Brook