Kvelertak were formed in Stavanger, Norway in 2007. The band's name is the Norwegian for "stranglehold" or "chokehold". A demo, Westcoast Holocaust, was self-released that year. The band released their debut album, entitled Kvelertak, on June 21, 2010 via the Norwegian record label Indie Recordings, and on March 15 via The End Records in North America. The album was certified gold by IFPI in Norway for selling over 15,000 copies.
In March 2011, Kvelertak were presented with two Spellemannprisen Awards, a prestigious Norwegian music award similar to the American Grammy Award—for Best Newcomer and Best Rock Band. The Kvelertak song "Mjød" was used as the end music for the film The Troll Hunter.
The second album, Meir, was released in March 2013. The band's third studio album, titled Nattesferd, was released on May 13, 2016. Their fourth studio album, Splid, was released on February 14th, 2020, their first with Ivar Nikolaisen on lead vocals.
Svartmesse
Kvelertak Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Månen skinte utover matten
Det gamle uret i stua
Viserene var som frosset i natten
Enken kom seg raskt te domen
Kjerka den var stille som graven
Hu satte seg i den vanlige stolen
Å For ei natt
Å bli besatt
Presten holdt sin mystiske tale
Brått kjente hu at det kokte i blodet
Bak alteret piska ein djevelsk hale
Ei ukjend tunga kviskra i hodet
Å For ei natt
Å bli besatt
Eit iskald grep rundt hennas lanke
Glatte skjell som stramma rundt nakken
Hjertet hennas slutta å banka
Då sjelen blei dratt ned gjennom bakke
The opening lines of Kvelertak's "Svartmesse" describe a woman getting out of bed under the light of the moon, and the clock in the living room showing a frozen time. The widow quickly made their way to the church which was as silent as a grave. She sat in her usual seat, while a pale man adjusted his collar. The night began to take a sinister turn as the priest delivered his mysterious speech, and the woman felt a boiling sensation in her blood. Behind the altar, a devilish tail whipped around while an unknown tongue whispered in her head.
The chorus of the song reveals the true nature of the night, as the woman becomes possessed: "Oh, what a night / To become obsessed / Oh, what a night / To become possessed."
In the final verse, the woman feels a cold grip on her arm and smooth scales tightening around her neck, as her heart stops beating and her soul is dragged down through the ground.
The song is a dark and eerie tale of possession, with vivid imagery and details. The lyrics suggest a nightmarish scenario where the everyday world gives way to something far more sinister and terrifying.
Line by Line Meaning
Hu reiste seg opp i fra sengen
She got up from the bed
Månen skinte utover matten
The moonlight shone over the floor
Det gamle uret i stua
The old clock in the living room
Viserene var som frosset i natten
The clock hands were frozen in the night
Enken kom seg raskt te domen
The widow quickly made her way to the church
Kjerka den var stille som graven
The church was quiet as a grave
Hu satte seg i den vanlige stolen
She sat down in her usual chair
Ein likbleik mann justerte på kraven
A pale man adjusted his collar
Å For ei natt
Oh, what a night
Å bli besatt
To be possessed
Presten holdt sin mystiske tale
The priest gave his mysterious speech
Brått kjente hu at det kokte i blodet
Suddenly she felt a boiling sensation in her blood
Bak alteret piska ein djevelsk hale
Behind the altar, a devilish tail whipped
Ei ukjend tunga kviskra i hodet
An unknown tongue whispered in her head
Eit iskald grep rundt hennas lanke
An icy grip around her wrist
Glatte skjell som stramma rundt nakken
Smooth scales tightening around her neck
Hjertet hennas slutta å banka
Her heart stopped beating
Då sjelen blei dratt ned gjennom bakke
As her soul was dragged down through the ground
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BJARTE LUND ROLLAND, ERLEND HJELVIK, GEIR-MARVIN NYGAARD, KJETIL HAUGLAND GJERMUNDROED, MACIEK OFSTAD, VIDAR LANDA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
FF
Lyrics translation: Svartmesse (Black Mass) – What a horrible night to have a curse. (Album booklet description)
She got up from the bed
The moon shone across the mat
The old watch in the living room
The pointers was as if frozen in the night
The widow quickly got to the dome
The church was as silent as the grave
She sat down in the usual chair
A corpse-pale man adjusted his collar
Oh what a night
to be possessed
The priest held his mysterious speech
Abruptly she felt her blood boil
Behind the altar a devilish tail whipped
An unknown tongue whispered in her head
Oh what a night
to be possessed
An ice-cold grip around her feet/arms
Slippery shells that tightened around the neck
Her heart stopped beating
When the soul was pulled down through the ground
Dick Baguette
Been listening since first album , you never dissapoint.
Andres Fargo
the both were on the "band of the week" blog by Darkthrone's Fenriz. That's how I actually discovered them back in 2010!
Luca Toni
wot
161 .S3.
Ghost and kvelertak gonna tour together
Jay_Nova
Ghost, Kvelertak and many other keeping rock alive!!!
saltypies
What an awesome video. I've never seen the animator's(es?) work before, and I'm fucking blown away. That ending was beautifully grim. The whole thing was a joy to watch for me, and it accompanies the song so well. Hope it gets the viewage it deserves. I'll be putting in a fair few repeats. Skål Torjus Førre Erfjord / Raindog Films, Skål Kvertalk
FF
Lyrics translation: Svartmesse (Black Mass) – What a horrible night to have a curse. (Album booklet description)
She got up from the bed
The moon shone across the mat
The old watch in the living room
The pointers was as if frozen in the night
The widow quickly got to the dome
The church was as silent as the grave
She sat down in the usual chair
A corpse-pale man adjusted his collar
Oh what a night
to be possessed
The priest held his mysterious speech
Abruptly she felt her blood boil
Behind the altar a devilish tail whipped
An unknown tongue whispered in her head
Oh what a night
to be possessed
An ice-cold grip around her feet/arms
Slippery shells that tightened around the neck
Her heart stopped beating
When the soul was pulled down through the ground
drugonam
Wait - is this Castlevania reference?
Derek K.
Thanks a ton
Michael K-bomb
Great song with great visuals in the clip. Always delivering the goods Kvelertak.