Watch Kvelertak Perform At Norway’s Spellemann Awards

Kvelertak @ The 2014 Spellemann Awards

Watch Kvelertak Perform At Norway’s Spellemann Awards

Kvelertak @ The 2014 Spellemann Awards

At next Sunday’s Grammy Awards, some past-their-prime act (choose from: Anthrax, Dream Theatre, Black Sabbath, Volbeat, and Killswitch Engage) will take home the award for Best Heavy Metal Performance. Presumably that award will be given out during a non-televised segment of the ceremony, and none of those bands will even be in the room for the big gala, much less be given the stage. Conversely, this past weekend, at Norway’s equivalent to the Grammys — the Spellemann Awards — the “Metal” category included a pretty impressive slate of Norwegian bands including black metal elder statesmen Satyricon, avant gardists Shining, up-and-coming death metal band Obliteration, and gargantuan black ‘n’ rollers Kvelertak. Any one of those bands is more worthy of being honored than any of the bands nominated for a Grammy this year, and I’d argue the eventual winner, Kvelertak, is the most worthy of all. The band was honored for their great sophomore LP Meir, which placed well on both our list of 2013’s 50 Best Albums, as well as our list of the year’s best metal albums. At the televised Spellemann ceremonies, Kvelertak performed Meir track “Evig Vandrar” with all the ridiculous energy of their amazing live show — here including, though, a mid-song breakdown by a militaristic drumline wearing owl masks. It was an absolutely great performance by one of the most vital bands in the world, and I’d kill to see anything like it at the Grammys. Alas. Watch it for yourself below.

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