Have Metal, Will Travel: Kvelertak in Ottawa & NYC

A couple of Sundays ago, a friend and I made one of the best/worst decisions in recent memory. Norwegian mixed metal arts masters Kvelertak delivered a swift karate chop of heavy rock to the chest of Canada's capital city, and we, at the cost of sleep, sanity and safety, had ringside seats. That's the good stuff, but more about that later.

Ottawa is a strange place. A strange, square place, full of white people in sensible shoes who work for the federal government. Now, some of my best friends are bureaucrats, so this isn't meant as disrespect to them, but pencil pushers aren't exactly known as the wildest bunch, and Ottawa, subsequently, is not exactly the most rock 'n' roll city in Canada. 

That's why I was surprised to see that Kvelertak was booked into a headlining off-night show in "the city that always goes to bed at a reasonable hour". They're currently on tour with metal giants Mastodon and Gojira, a tour that made only one Canadian stop (in Toronto, natch), and while that's a "can't miss" show, in my mind Kvelertak is not an opener. Well, they're an opener if you give 'em half the lights and half the sound and ask them to tone it down... this is a band that's born to headline. Prior to this last week, I had seen them open once and headline twice: once in Montreal last year (check out my interview with guitarist Vidar Landa from May 2013) and once in New York City way back in 2011, so I can say with confidence that their headline set is worth traveling to. 

I will spare you any commentary on the second opening band (we missed the first one), because my momma taught me that if you don't have anything nice to say, you shouldn't say anything at all (fitting, as this show was held on Mother's Day). Needless to say, the audience was loving it, which, in my mind, bodes badly for the Ottawa metal scene. As they rocked out, my friend and I hammered beers to numb the pain, while periodically glancing over at the posted set times, itching for Kvelertak to get on stage. 

Next up were locals Loviatar, who would have been excellent opening for any other band. I love doominess, and they were putting down some above par riffs, but Kvelertak is a high-energy band with huge stage presence, and this was not an adequate warm up act. Loviatar, if you're reading this, know that I look forward to seeing you again, some other time. You are very good. The fact that I didn't care is a reflection on me, not you. God speed.

Finally, it was time for Kvelertak to hit the stage, and what follows is a bit of a blur. Lead singer Erlend Hjelvik came out, trademark stuffed owl on his head, to the scissoring opening riffs of "Åpenbaring", and then all hell broke loose. Playing for over an hour and a half, they ripped through everything you'd wanna hear, and when they were done, I could have easily gone for another helping. What makes this band so special isn't just their energetic, take no prisoners live performance... ultimately, it's about the songs, and the deft way they weave the brutal with the sublime. On record, Kvelertak is revelatory in itself, but watching these elements come together live is an experience that never gets old. Howling and scratching one minute, bumping and grinding the next, 1970s-style scorching, anthemic guitar solos and '90s blackened blast beats sound new again when smashing into each other like the sweaty bodies in the first few rows of the crowd. This is music to dance to, to bang your head to, beer can crushing music that is always down to party, but never, ever dumb. Of course, the party bangers ("Mjød", "Fossegrim", and "Bruane Brenn") always get the most bros bouncing around in the pit, but I'm a sucker for the songs that manage to both gallop ahead and burn slow ("Offernatt", "Evig Vandrar", and "Kvelertak"). That said, a Kvelertak show is all killer, no filler, but you shouldn't take my word for it. If you don't have the two records yet (Kvelertak & Meir), you should start there, and then definitely go and see them as soon as you can. 

I want to break here to say this: Kvelertak exemplify what it means to be a touring band. While Mastodon and Gojira got their days off here and there on this big tour, Kvelertak booked themselves into smaller shows in smaller markets, taking advantage of every day across the ocean. Their touring schedule is superhuman, and a testament to what making music professionally looks like today.

Seeing them in Ottawa in front of a couple hundred people or so was deeply satisfying, but I still made the trek down to New York City a few days later to see them open the Mastodon show in front of thousands. The abbreviated set left my friends and I wanting much more, but it's a testament to this band that they can move a few thousand people just as easily as they can move hundreds. I could have left right after their set and been satisfied, but I stuck around for Gojira and Mastodon, who enthralled the audience. Gojira is having a big moment now, and the crowd was eating it up. I'm not a huge fan, but I can definitely see the appeal, and the band is extremely precise and very heavy. They were followed by Mastodon, who dipped liberally into their ample catalog for a varied setlist that started heavy on Leviathan and Blood Mountain. If you've ever seen Mastodon live, you know exactly what you'll get: giant roaring heavy metal lions and beautifully layered songs. Unfortunately, the massive size of the crowd and the asphyxiating heat meant that we only managed to survive through a bit more than half of their two hour set, but it was enough to remember why this band will never be unseated. 

All this to say, yes, taking the bus to Ottawa to see Kvelertak headline (and then taking it back home at 2:30 am, drunk, on a workday), and then down to NYC a few days later was worth it. Of course, a long weekend in New York is always worth it, but that's not the point. What is important is that Kvelertak deserves to be seen, even if you've gotta head out of town to do so, but if that's not possible, there's always this video of their full headlining set from another off date at St. Vitus in NYC, which includes Bjarte Lund Rolland (guitarist and genius principal songwriter) laying down a few bars of "Sweet Home Alabama" around the 13-minute mark. It's not quite the full experience, but in the meantime, it'll do. 

—Angelica hosts BVST every Wednesday at 7 PM EST on CJLO.