Blackened Swedish melodic death/thrash outfit Vittra will release their first album, Blasphemy BluesNovember 11th and this week reveal album cover, track listing and first video/single.
Official press release:
Originally called Vildvittra, based on characters created by Astrid Lindgren as part of Ronja Rövardotter (Swedish for Ronia, The Robber’s Daughter, a children’s fantasy book first published in 1981]their name later evolved into VITTRA, inspired by the mythical creatures appearing in And although Swedish folk is a recurring theme in and out of their music, the band is firmly rooted in melodic death and thrash metal in the veins of Dissection, early In Flames, Megadeth and At The Gates.
Founded in 2017 by singer David Dögrip and guitarist Johan Murmester, the line-up was completed in 2018 by drummer Alex Smith and bassist Gustav Svensson. Since 2021, VITTRA has also been joined by Lars Elofsson on lead guitar both on stage and in the studio.
In 2021, VITTRA releases its first EP Wardens, recorded at SolnaSound Production, Sweden, with the support of Simon Johansson (Soilwork, Wolf). Champion of the metal temple of the brief but powerful release offering, “this fifteen-minute, four-track debut EP is absolute in its ability to take the listener on a blistering ride of carnage and mayhem. They’re heavier than your average melodic death band, tighter and more avant-garde than most thrash bands and has a sharper sense of melody and style than a lot of black metal.” The Razor’s Edge confirmed: “The band has a its incredibly accomplished with its first release and has four songs written and performed to an extremely high standard.” Added Rock ‘N’ Load in a 9/10 rating “To say this is a debut sounds ludicrous when you hear how this EP is good.”
In October 2021, only a few months later, VITTRA entered SolnaSound again, this time supported by Simon and Mike Wead (King Diamond, Mercyful Fate), and in April 2022 Blasphemy Blues was finalized. Lawrence Mackrory (Bloodbath, Lik, Firespawn) handled the mixing and mastering. Hjules created the cover.
Notes the band from their debut single:
“Musically, ‘Satmara’ showcases one of VITTRA’s trademarks, being the combination of death/thrash with strong songwriting and catchy hooks. In the veins of 80s Megadeth meets Ozzy, it comes with a twist heavy metal, having that “chugging” on the A string, but overpowers with an overall upbeat pop feel. This inspired the idea of having a dance performance in the video, replacing the same guitar solo close-ups with an explosive interpretation of movements, celebrating what connects humanity at the most primitive level: ‘A shared desire / A crime so vile that angels wept an apocalyptic fire… Can you feel my heart beating?'”
Blasphemy Blues track list:
1. Colossal
2. Halls of the Elders
3. Satmara
4. Lykantropi
5. Feeding frenzy
6. Self-loathing
7. Temptation
8. Sommarfödd
9. Undead (bonus track)
