Watch black metal mavericks Vreid’s cinematic new video

A band who have always been determined to break the mould of Norwegian black metal, Vreid’s journey into the heart of darkness has often taken its cue from recent history, not least World War II and their country’s resistance to the invading Germans.

Due to hit London on October 25 alongside Indie Recordings labelmates Kampfar and new signings Dreamarcher, the Sogndal four-piece have unleashed a stunning new video for the song Når Byane Brenn (‘When Cities Burn’), taken from last year’s Sólverv album.

Shot in their country’s forests, but giving them new context as cover for their native resistance against the Germans, the video mixes beautifully shot panoramas with archive WWII footage as the song’s unrelenting air of charged grimness is given added resonance when welded to images of bombed out devasation.

”Når Byane Brenn,” says bassist Hváll, “is one of the strongest songs we have ever written. The response is intense when we play this song live, and I am sure it will be a regular part of our live set for years. The song has actually been around for years. The first ideas for this song popped up when I wrote the [2009] Milorg album. Its been haunting me ever since, but when I wrote the Sólverv album the puzzle became complete.

“The video is produced by Einar Loftesnes,” he contineus. “Einar actually engineered the first demo we ever did under the moniker Ulcus Molle, and knows all of our history. The video was shoot at in the nature of our home county Sogn, where we have our roots and belong. This video captures the essence of our band and is based on the four elements that is Vreid: metal, history, nature and Sogn.”

Don your camo, raise a fist and sound a battle cry, and survey the cinematic showreel that is Når Byane Brenn below!

Vreid, Kampfar and Dreamarcher play the Camden Underworld, London on October 25

Strom Vreid’s Facebook page here!

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Having freelanced regularly for the Melody Maker and Kerrang!, and edited the extreme metal monthly, Terrorizer, for seven years, Jonathan is now the overseer of all the album and live reviews in Metal Hammer. Bemoans his obsolete superpower of being invisible to Routemaster bus conductors, finds men without sideburns slightly circumspect, and thinks songs that aren’t about Satan, swords or witches are a bit silly.