Splid

Splid
Studio album by
Kvelertak
Released14 February 2020
StudioGodCity Studios in Salem, Massachusetts, US
GenreHeavy metal, black 'n' roll
Length58:13
LanguageNorwegian
English (tracks 2 and 4)
LabelRise
ProducerKurt Ballou
Kvelertak chronology
Nattesferd
(2016) 		Splid
(2020) 		Endling
(2023)
Singles from Splid
  1. "Bråtebrann"
    Released: 27 November 2019[1]
  2. "Crack of Doom"
    Released: 5 January 2020[2]

Splid (Norwegian for "discord") is the fourth studio album by Norwegian heavy metal band Kvelertak, released on 14 February 2020. The album was recorded in GodCity Studios in Salem, Massachusetts, United States. It is the band's first album with vocalist Ivar Nikolaisen and drummer Håvard Takle Ohr.[3]

Splid is Kvelertak's first album with vocalist Ivar Nikolaisen.

Release

On 27 November 2019, the first single "Bråtebrann" was released, along with the announcement of the album.[3]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.7/10[4]
Metacritic84/100[5]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
Consequence of SoundB+[7]
Exclaim!8/10[8]
Kerrang![9]
Metal Storm8.2/10[10]

Splid was met with "universal acclaim" from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, it received an average score of 84 based on six reviews.[5] At AnyDecentMusic?, the release was given a 7.7 out of 10.[4]

James Christopher Monger of AllMusic spoke on the change of the lead vocals: "The installation of a new lead singer can be fraught with danger, but Kvelertak's chassis has always been the sublime triple-guitar attack of Vidar Landa, Bjarte Lund Rolland, and Maciek Ofsad, which is set to full-on slay for album number four. Ivar Nikolaisen's first stint behind the wheel feels less like a sea change and more like a subtle changing of the guard."[6] Michael Pementel from Consequence of Sound wrote "Over its 11 tracks, Splid consistently churns out raging banger after banger, allowing for the record to roar with metal bliss. The creativity expressed in Splid is matched by its intensity, as Kvelertak embrace the metal spirit throughout the album."[7]

Year-end lists

Publications' year-end list appearances for Splid
Critic/Publication List Rank Ref
Consequence of Sound Top 30 Metal/Hard Rock Albums of 2020 30 [11]
Loudwire Top 70 Rock/Metal Albums of 2020 N/A [12]
Metal Hammer The 50 Best Metal Albums of 2020 26 [13]

Track listing

Splid track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Rogaland"5:23
2."Crack of Doom" (featuring Troy Sanders)3:54
3."Necrosoft"3:00
4."Discord" (featuring Nate Newton)4:14
5."Bråtebrann"6:59
6."Uglas Hegemoni"3:33
7."Fanden ta Dette Hull!"7:51
8."Tevling"4:08
9."Stevnemøte Med Satan"4:29
10."Delirium Tremens"8:11
11."Ved Bredden av Nihil"6:31
Total length:58:13

Personnel

Kvelertak

  • Vidar Landa – guitar, vocals
  • Bjarte Lund Rolland – guitar, piano, saxophone, vocals
  • Marvin Nygaard – bass, percussion, vocals
  • Maciek Ofstad – lead guitar, vocals
  • Ivar Nikolaisen – lead vocals
  • Håvard Takle Ohr – drums

Guest musicians

Production

  • Kurt Ballou – producer, recorded by, mixed by
  • Alan Douches – mastering
  • Zach Weeks – recorded by

Charts

Chart performance for Splid
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[14] 21
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[15] 12
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[16] 1
Scottish Albums (OCC)[17] 47
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[18] 45
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[19] 19
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[20] 32

References

  1. ^ DiVita, Joe. "Kvelertak Announce Fourth Album 'Splid,' Debut New Song". Loudwire.
  2. ^ "Listen To New KVELERTAK Song 'Crack Of Doom' Featuring MASTODON's TROY SANDERS". Blabbermouth.net. 5 January 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  3. ^ a b Slingerland, Calum (27 November 2019). "Kvelertak Ready New Album 'Splid'". Exclaim!. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  4. ^ a b "AnyDecentMusic? Review". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Kvelertak Splid". Metacritic. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  6. ^ a b Monger, James Christopher. "Nattesferd - Splid". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  7. ^ a b Pementel, Michael (15 February 2020). "Kvelertak Bring Creative Aggression on Splid". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  8. ^ Tremblay, Mark (14 February 2020). "Exclaim! Review". Exclaim!. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  9. ^ Winwood, Ian (19 February 2020). "Kerrang! Review". Kerrang!. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  10. ^ "Kvelertak - Splid review". Metal Storm. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  11. ^ "Top 30 Metal + Hard Rock Albums of 2020". Consequence of Sound. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  12. ^ Divita, Joe; Al-Sharif, Rabab; Childers, Chad (30 November 2020). "The 70 Best Rock and Metal Albums of 2020". Loudwire. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  13. ^ "The 50 best metal albums of 2020". Metal Hammer. Future plc. 8 January 2020. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  14. ^ "Kvelertak: Splid" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  15. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Kvelertak – Splid" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  16. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Kvelertak – Splid". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  17. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  18. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Kvelertak – Splid". Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  19. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Kvelertak – Splid". Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  20. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Kvelertak – Splid". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 February 2020.