The spark that became Beachheads was first ignited on a tour bus, as Kvelertak members Vidar (guitar) and Marvin (bass) fantasized about the endless potential of fuzzy guitars, energetic drums and strong melodies. After a demo session they hooked up with Stavanger-locals Espen, a metal drummer with a pop heart, and former synth-pop-singer Børild. Together they knocked out three single tracks that quickly made a mark on playlists on both Norwegian and British national radio...

There's something of a student band feel to Beachheads. In fact, they reminded me very much of a lot of bands I saw live in my student days in the early '90s. This is the sort of music I'd prefer to hear live. There's a raw energy and enthusiasm that comes through on these recordings; something that you know will be so much more intense in a live setting.

Okay, the vocals are a little rough around the edges, but that's part of the band's charm. There's a feeling here of a group of musicians who are not overly polished, but are delivering songs that have real energy behind them. For me, the guitar work is the highlight here - especially on songs like 'Reverberations'.

Their sound is a little bit Rock, with some Punk thrown in for good measure from time to time ('Despair' being the most obvious example).The album contains 12 tracks (35 min, 01 sec). The obvious highlights being the three singles: 'Moment Of Truth'; 'Break Me Down'; and 'Your Highness' - which open up this LP. An impressive debut indie album.

8

Nick Smithson