With the release of their acclaimed new album Splid imminent, Norwegian band KVELERTAK have shared another new song. Listen to “Fanden Ta Dette Hull“ here.

“In Stavanger city museum, there used to be a exhibition in the basement called ‘Crooked Animals and Smiling Skeletons,'” the band says. “The story behind this name is pretty simple. Most of the skeletons are as old as the museum. They had, after so many years, become crooked and it looked like they were smiling. The first thing you could see was a skeleton of ‘Homo Sapiens’ and it was a real skeleton of a man who grew up in my neighborhood in the 19th century. This guy was buried last year, in 2019. ‘Fanden Ta Dette Hull’ is the story of his life. And what a life!”

Kvelertak’s long-awaited fourth studio album Splid is set for release on February 14 via Rise Records. It is the first from the band since 2016’s Nattesferd and is also the recorded debut of their new singer, Ivar Nikolaisen, who joined the group in 2018. The album was recorded with Kurt Ballou (Converge, Code Orange, Zeal & Ardor, Every Time I Die, Dillinger Escape Plan, High on Fire) at GodCity Studio in Salem, Massachusetts.

“Splid (‘discord’ in English) is a deep dive into western gluttony, our own stupidity, and the abyss of the earth,” the band says. “Working with Kurt again has been amazing and we’re extremely happy with the production. We’ve pushed ourselves to the edge this last year — musically, physically, and mentally. The result is one hour of catchy riffs, punk rock, and heavy metal influenced by a world in discord to accompany our way towards Ragnarok.”

Kvelertak recently shared the video for “Crack Of Doom,” featuring Troy Sanders of Mastodon. Watch it here. The video was directed by the award-winning, renowned Norwegian stills photographer and music video director Stian Andersen. Andersen has been a part of the Kvelertak circle for many years, having also directed their previous videos for “Kvelertak” and “Bronsegud.”