Kvelertak & Mantar

© Stian Andersen

Kvelertak is the gold standard in punked-up, black metal-adjacent, classic rock-worshipping extreme music. The band described by Revolver as “blackened rock and roll party beasts,” with their triple-guitar harmonies and heaps of lyrics written in their native Norwegian, is truly unlike any other.

Songs like “Crack of Doom,” “Bråtebrann,” “1985,” “Mjød,” and “Blodtørst” are modern metal classics. In contrast with the self-seriousness of many contemporaries, Kvelertak’s music is fierce and fun. Tracks summoned on their brilliant new album, Endling, will undoubtedly become as beloved, from “Krøterveg te helvete” to “Skoggangr,” “Svart September” to the album’s astounding title track.

Kvelertak arms themselves with massive riffs, punk rock attitude and energy, and black metal ferocity. Hailing primarily from Rogaland, which borders the North Sea, the six men of Kvelertak (Norwegian for “stranglehold”) conjure a double dose of urgent power from their countrymen, from the frosty primitive black metal Darkthrone to the unhinged debauchery of Turbonegro. Their robust five albums deep catalog defies easy categorization, shifting briskly between subgenres with revelry.