Our history with Vreid has been filled with complications to say the least. The first time we saw them they were supporting two other bands, Unleashed and Marduk, and if my memory serves me, Vreid was the most impressive band on that tour. After this our only chances of seeing them have been at festivals around the place, and here they have always been colliding with something else we wanted to see. Perfect then here at Rockharz, where there were only two stages and no double-bookings at all.

Sadly, it would turn out that the Norwegian black metal band would not live up to its own memory this day; maybe t was the heat, maybe it was the cheap beers that did it, but the band-members seemed weak and lethargic, especially so vocalist/guitarist Sture Dringsøyr. Only bassist Jarle ‘Hvall’ Kvåle was going at it with performing, posing and in general looking like he had a good time here at the concert. He even got a good “Hey” shout-along going for the calm part of Speak Goddamnit, and a rhythmic clapping later on during Jarnbyrd.
Dringsøyr did try his hands at some speaking between songs, among other things he did introductions for some of their tracks (speak Goddamn It was about how the Norwegian freedom fighters of WW2 would never sell each other out to the enemy), but what really killed his performance for was that he was going at it like his band was in the shoegazer genre. Vreid does aggressive yet melodic black metal, so gently drooping your head and looking at your toes or instrument during the concert does not fit! Look alive people, you actually have some pretty cool material to work with here.

Well, what about the material then?
I am well aware of Vreid releasing a whole lot more music than what I am familiar with, and so the first half of the set was built primarily of (for me) unknown songs which didn’t really do it for me. Even though the crowd was large, albeit loosely spread out, it was only a few people in the front who were headbanging along to the music.
It wasn’t until the latter half that more and more familiar, and in my mind better, tunes started popping up, and this was reflected in the crowd’s response as well. It was here that Hvall got all his claps and shouts going, and in general the audience seemed to get a more positive attitude towards the band; I know I did.
Still, even with this workable ending, I was sad to see that the band in no way lived up to my expectations from earlier, expectations they themselves had helped to create. I hope this was only a temporary setback, and that we will see them back on top soon again, I know they have it in them.

Setlist (incomplete):

Fire On The Mountain
Raped By Light
Speak Goddamnit
Jarnbyrd
Pitch Black