Vreid

A hybrid metal beast, I Krig is the third album from Vreid and a further step away from the shadow of Windir. Drawing heavily on the black’n’roll sound injected with thrash and folk, the record moves with a driving momentum but avoids the raw ferocity favoured by some of Vreid’s musical counterparts. I Krig is sparse, heavy and often fast but never chaotic or out of control, with concise riffs and melodic leads sharing the limelight. Although it’s not immediately apparent from the music or lyrics (unless you understand Norwegian), Vreid constructed I Krig as a concept album, taking inspiration from a collection of poems by Gunnar Reiss Andersen to address the occupation and resistance in Norway during World War II. Despite the conceptual forethought, I Krig offers more immediate than lasting pleasures; it’s highly effective in the moment but won’t deeply engrave itself on the subconscious.