Their later albums, “V” and “Lifehunger”, pioneered the modern black metal sphere with their unique songwriting and modernizing revolution within the Norwegian black metal scene. The newest album, “The Skies Turn Black”, includes shards that resemble Windir melodies and epic Viking-style riffs, but the veterans now wear new influences without forgetting their Norsk roots. The elements of Vreid share some similarities with Satyricon, Enslaved, Thorns, and Taake, but their music is very varied.

The opening track, “From These Woods”, immediately showcases a dynamic range of catchy riffs and folk melodies that hold a refined sense of songwriting, yet they carry the Norsk tradition. That’s not to say that I was not impressed by the beautiful, calm, clean vocals and the uplifting lead guitars of Sture Dingsøyr, or the unique flair of piano notes played by bassist and keyboardist Hváll.

The guitar melodies of Strom and pounding drums of Steingrim bring the sheer majesty of Norwegian bands like Borknagar, flawlessly played in the next track, “The Skies Turn Black”. The mood puts you in a state of ravishment, rhythm guitar and dynamics, while refined melodies elevate the song with heavy bass, thundering drums, and impressive blackened riffing.

Despite the songs sounding polished, the melodies are vibrant and segue into aggressive riffing on the next track, “A Second Death”. The trademark is soaked in modern Norwegian black metal while unveiling many elements of songwriting dexterity, Vreid hasn’t forgotten that its sense of melody has long been embedded in bands like Windir.

The guitars deliver an excellent performance full of epicness and majesty, even though the songs don’t stem from straight black metal. It’s hard to deny the value and atmospheric segment in the instrumental track “Kraken”. It’s all about splendor, power, and simplicity. The album is raw and heavy, and often borders on electronic elements, in the song “Loving the Dead”, which features female vocals.

Another highlight is the blackened track “Build & Destroy”, where thundering guitars rise to towering epic majesty. Some emotional keyboards are coursing through the song, making it even catchier and more memorable. Vibrant melodic lines and dark, grim vocals meander through a backdrop of rich atmosphere.

The six-minute track “Chaos” pays homage to icy black metal. Jagged riffs dominate the song; the stellar guitar performance also features catchy moments, while the drums deliver unrelenting blast beats and triumphant tempos. Some of these riffs remind me of Carpathian Forest. The drums have a distinctive beat, and the synth creates an atmosphere to make it sound triumphant.

“Flammen” is another fantastic song that starts with excellent guitar hooks. The guitars and drums deliver a potent slab of Norwegian black metal all these elements showcase the intelligent songwriting. The guitar melodies are haunting, full of dark, charming hooks and crafted mid-paced tempos.

Vreid are a forward-thinking band and one of the acts that hold the black metal torch high, and unsurprisingly, the tenth album offers atmospheric passages and aggressive Nordic black metal tendencies. There is a consistent shift in rhythm and ornate keyboard textures, offering subtle touches of artistry and songwriting genius.

“Smile of Hate” offers fantastic guitar riffs rooted in thrash metal but never shies from pushing its folky melodies and glorious grim vocals; the piano crafts beautiful passages on the next track, “Echoes of Life”. Emotionally clean vocals come to the forefront of this beautiful melodic song. The organ adds depth and warmth to “The Earth Rumbles”, offering heavy crushing riffs that wonderfully fill the song with a swaggering mid-tempo stomp. You can hear elements of progressive and 70s psychedelic rock, ranging from aggressive rumbling guitars and bass.

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