Tom Breihan at Stereogum (where Meir is Album of the Week) writes, "Kvelertak
have their isolated moments where they sound as bloodthirsty as anyone
else in the metalsphere; the intro to 'Trepan,' for instance, could
practically be Watain. Most of the time, though, they sound like drunken apocalyptic bikers trying to impersonate Deep Purple and Morbid Angel
at the same damn time. They play at punk-rock speeds, but they still
give their riffs room to breathe and to grow into big, juicy monsters.
They sing their hooks like one big gang. They scrape the picks down
their guitar necks when it’s time to launch into another firebreathing
solo. And they keep switching back and forth between extremes so quickly
it’ll make your head spin, as on the few seconds where 'Bruane
Brenn' stops being a running tackle of a song and turns into a Bon Jovi
tribute, only to abruptly switch back as soon as the solo ends. That
versatility serves them well. They can play seven-minute songs without
having them sound like seven-minute songs, largely because the
album largely blurs into one delirious blast of a whole. And even when
they throw acoustic guitars into the mix, as on 'Evig Vandrar,' they
aren’t Kirk Hammett classical-interlude acoustic guitars; they’re Bad Company cover band acoustic guitars — and somehow, that’s a good thing."Alarm Magazine also calls Meir out as one of the week's best albums; Jeff Terich says, "More than merely one of the strongest albums in heavy music in 2013, Meir is one of the strongest albums made with guitars this year."
Graham Hartmann at Loudwire writes, "The colorful Meir includes gems such as its first single, ‘Bruane Brenn,’ which entices the listener to get off their ass, jump around and sing along with the song’s infectious chorus, even if they have no clue what the lyrics mean. Early tracks such as ‘Spring Fra Livet’ and ‘Evig Vandrar’ are far more open, with Kvelertak blasting crusty, big-bang endorphins into their sound, while reserving heavily instrumental and classic rock tunes for the end of Meir, notably in the song ‘Kvelertak,’ which aids the listener in properly pronouncing the band’s foreign moniker."
Adrien Begrand at MSN's Headbang blog says, "What’s especially interesting about Meir, and which might stick in some metal fans’ craws, is just how well the record works when the metal is dialed down in favor of a more classic rock ‘n’ roll approach. 'Evig Vandrar' boasts a Led Zeppelin-meets-White Stripes feel until it explodes into a Turbonegro style groove. 'Nekrokosmos' settles into a fantastic garage rock jam, 'Undertro' is a fantastic exercise in Stooges-style riffing, and the nine-minute 'Tordenbrak' ebulliently treads the same epic territory that F***ed Up have done so ingeniously on their last three albums. Helping make the psychotic pace of Meir manageable is producer Kurt Ballou, who as he did on the last album brings phenomenal clarity as well as a thick bottom end to the music, achieving the right kind of balance between extremity and accessibility that these compositions demand. The songs might be all over the place, but the one constant is the sense of joy that bursts from Kvelertak’s music from the first note to the last. They remain one of the most likeable bands around, and this is an excellent follow-up to a near-legendary debut."
Meir is available everywhere now - grab a copy from the Roadrunner webstore!
Kvelertak's headlining US tour launches April 21 - find a show near you!
By Phil Freeman ·
