From Bandcamp, "On March 6th, 2026, VREID will release "The Skies Turn Black," their first studio album in five years and a powerful statement from one of Norway's most enduring metal bands. The album marks a renewed creative chapter, shaped through a challenging but ultimately transformative process in which the band reconnected with the essence of their Sognametal roots while exploring new dimensions of their sound. Throughout the album's eleven tracks, they merge fragments of their past with a revitalized artistic drive. The early breakthrough came with "From These Woods," written during a late-night session in a remote mountain cabin. The song captured the emotional core of the album and helped steer the band back toward the heart of their identity. VREID remains one of Norway's most resilient and forward-driven metal bands, shaped by history, strengthened by adversity and still driven by an unshakable creative fire."

The album has eleven songs. "From These Woods" is first. It enters gently, with clean guitars, and a somber melody. A distorted riff takes its place, and the melody remains. I love the combination of wicked harsh vocals followed by harmonized cleans. There also some backing orchestral elements and melodic lead breaks. "A Second Death" has more of a stern tone from an aggressive riff and harsh vocals, but there is still melody that seeps through the cracks. The symphonic elements really help to round out the sound and make it rich, and thick. "Kraken" leads off with eerie keyboard notes, and so far, the band is reaching deep into its pockets. The riff is slow and steady, and accompanied by thick, meaty bass notes. It sound like a precession of sorts to me.

"Loving the Dead" is an eight-minute opus, and talk about 180's…it has a rocking, energetic sound with clean female vocals which are quite melodic and catchy. It feels deep blue/purple to me…gothic tinged, and there is also some lovely piano & keyboard notes. "Chaos" features darker and more somber tones, and it's a nice cool down following the electricity of the previous song. Transitioning to angrier tones, the song grows blacker. Harsh vocals rage, but it opens up after the halfway mark and lets streams of light flow through. There are also some supporting orchestral elements that make the song sound massive. "Smile of Hate" rumbles forward with a crunchy, choppy riff with deep bass notes holding down the bottom end. Piano notes accompany the harsh vocals, followed by wonderfully melodic lead breaks. This album is out to impress.

"Echoes of Life" is somber and features clean vocals at first. Tension hangs in the air, as if you are waiting for the big explosion. It never comes however, and the song stays smooth, reflective, and warm. There is a lot of sentiment here as well. "The Earth Rumbles" is the final song, and get ready for a rocking closer. It moves fairly quickly, over keyboards notes and drums at first, then the riff slams in. It's heavy, aggressive, and even menacing. The vocals are just semi-harsh…more like snarls. The lead breaks are outstanding, and the follow the melody line right in tune. Transformative? You bet. For a band that has been around as long as they have, I expected a safe and predicable album. Imagine my surprise when I put "The Skies Turn Black" on. It's very much a Black Metal album at its core, but the songs are so diverse. This is exactly the kind of album that pays homage to the past, but lives very much in the future.