2015 is my lucky year. I just discovered VREID earlier this year and they quickly made their way to my top 10 favourite bands, and now they're releasing a new album! Formed from the ashes of WINDIR in 2004, VREID have since released five albums and one DVD. I recently got to catch up with Hváll in an interview which was a great experience and made me appreciate this album a lot more. "Solverv" means "Solstice" which, according to Hváll is an overall hint at the theme of the album.

Opening track "Haust" begins with a dark, eerie chord progression. As the song goes on, it reminds me of why I love this band so much. They blend together Black Metal, melody and groove perfectly. They don't fit into one genre and are basically saying a big "fuck you" to genre elitists out there. The voice of Sture is pure perfection and shows how it should be done. The riff used in this song is as catchy as a spider web and is very evocative of early 90s Black Metal. They brought the soul of WINDIR with them in this album.

My absolute favourite track of the album is "Ætti Sitt Fjedl" which starts off a lot different to their other songs on the album. This track is filled with an abundance of different features and traits. Like at around the three minute mark the song breaks into some soprano-esque vocals and straight after we're met with a slow and melodic guitar piece. The versatility in this song alone is a lot to take in and is absolute perfection.

Their closing song "Fridom med daudens klang" is the longest on the album and begins with some church bells and bomb sirens. The dark and creepy atmosphere of this song is strong right from the get go. The build up to the destruction is long and leaves one waiting in anticipation, but when it hits, by the beard of Thor it is Godlike! Usually I'm not one to appreciate long songs, I feel they would fit better if they would be split into separate songs, but this is one serious exception. It doesn't feel drawn out and it doesn't feel like two different songs. It's just the right amount of each. When the tempo and tone changes, it's seamless and barely noticeable.

This album is an absolute masterpiece. You don't have to be a Black Metal fan to appreciate these guys. VREID have come back with a vengeance in this album. It's fast and dark yet welcoming and embracing. There's an ideal mix of everything in this album, from groove to Black Metal originality, there's something for everyone. I urge you to pick up this album. You will not regret it.