Listen To New KVELERTAK Song 'Crack Of Doom' Featuring MASTODON's TROY SANDERS

"Crack Of Doom", a brand new song from Norwegian rockers KVELERTAK, can be streamed below. The track, which features a guest appearance by MASTODON bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders, is taken from KVELERTAK's upcoming album, "Splid", due on February 14 via Rise Records. The follow-up to 2016's "Nattesferd" will mark the band's first release since the departure of longtime frontman Erlend Hjelvik and addition of Ivar Nikolaisen.

"Crack Of Doom" is one of the first songs performed by KVELERTAK in English. The accompanying music video is directed by the award-winning and renowned Norwegian stills photographer and music video director Stian Andersen. Stian has been a part of the KVELERTAK circle for many years, having also directed their previous videos for "Kvelertak" and "Bronsegud".

Says the band: "Ever heard of the Maya Apocalypse? Johannes Stöffler? Harold Camping? Are you afraid that the religious leaders, scientists, or the doomsday preachers may be right? Have no fear! They were all wrong. But now, KVELERTAK has come to prophesize Ragnarok, straight into your heart and soul. The 'Crack Of Doom' shines on us all!"

About Sanders being featured on "Crack Of Doom", they add: "We sent Troy a demo of the song because there were a couple of parts we felt would fit his voice very well and lift the song. Luckily, he liked the track and was keen to do it. He got some scratch vocal tracks and some guidelines but was free to do it however he wanted. What we got back was even better than what we could hope for. We're extremely proud to have him featured on this song, and with Troy being American, it felt natural to just do the whole thing in English."

Regarding the official video, director Stian Andersen and producer Lars Thomas Skare state: "It has been an amazing experience and a privilege to assist in the baptism of Ivar Nikolaisen into the ranks of the band, and putting him through the torturous conditions of ice bathing in sub-zero temperatures, setting him on fire, galloping through the forest shirtless mid-winter, or hanging him upside down from a tree."

"Splid" was recorded with Kurt Ballou at Godcity Studio in Salem, Massachusetts.

"Working with Kurt again has been amazing and we're extremely happy with the production," the band said. "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."

"Splid" track listing:

01. Rogaland
02. Crack Of Doom (feat. Troy Sanders)
03. Necrosoft
04. Discord
05. Bråtebrann
06. Uglas Hegemoni
07. Fanden Ta Dette Hull!
08. Tevling
09. Stevnemøte Med Satan
10. Delirium Tremens
11. Ved Bredden Av Nihil

KVELERTAK guitarist Vidar Landa told Ireland's Overdrive that the singer switch "was seamless in a way. We knew that Erlend wanted to quit and do other stuff," he said. "We were lucky that we had that close connection with Ivar. He's been part of KVELERTAK for a long time and has sung on a few tracks for us in the past, doing backing vocals. We've toured together in the past also so he was really the only one that we were thinking of to replace him when Erlend was first talking about leaving. Luckily, Ivar wanted to do it and it's all just fit really well, thankfully. It would have been much harder to go through the audition process and undergo that process of looking for a new vocalist. We were very lucky for the way it all happened."

Nikolaisen made his live debut with KVELERTAK in July 2018 at the Fjellparkfestivalen in Flekkefjord, Norway.