One-man Norwegian black metal is almost a cliché—the quintessential “oh, of course it is” of black metal. As a reviewer, one-man black metal of most varieties excites me, because, as far as quality goes, you really have no idea what you’re going to get. Take Vetter, for example: active since 2005, the solo project of multi-instrumentalist Håvard Tveito (ex-Folkearth) has released two full-length albums, a couple of demos, and a split with Fyrnask last year. As far as I can tell, Tveito handles production, artwork, and every instrument save drums (credited to Nils Martin Haugfos). Now on full-length #3, Sort var Bogen der Bragte Os Hid, Vetter is creeping its way out of the Norwegian underground. But doing “everything except drums” is a lot to ask of one person. How does Tveito manage this time?
How you feel about that and how you feel about lo-fi production may well be the same—that’s the first thing to notice about Sort var Bogen der Bragte Os Hid. As soon as you press play, hazy riffs, muted drumming, and hoarse growls welcome you to Vetter’s world, so much so that the bass actually becomes the primary driver of melody on “Messefald.” There’s a strong early Ulver feel to the work, with heavy emphasis on atmospheric riffs and breaks for clear acoustic guitars. In its heavier moments, it reminds me of October Falls; the lead riff on “Sort var Bogen” wouldn’t be so out of place on The Womb of Primordial Nature. Occasionally there are breaks for clean singing too, used primarily in the form of archaic-sounding chants. It’s a good recipe for a historically inspired album, ripe with natural, ritualistic imagery and a very traditional approach to the craft.
Sort var Bogen der Bragte Os Hid by VETTER
Generally speaking, organic and melodic are two things Vetter do well on Sort var Bogen der Bragte Os Hid, and the more it leans into being a folk album, the more I like it. “Under Sorte Øine” blends melodic, atmospheric riffs with melodic chanting and vocal effects to build an almost symphonic black metal sound, one that feels organic, if not quite fresh. “Aff Blod oc Bly” is, unexpectedly, a fully folk interlude, and one that offers a good balance and much-appreciated break from the metal. Ignoring its very abrupt fade-out, “Messefald” is a great song, with a memorable melody and an appreciably menacing vocal performance from Tveito. Throughout Sort var Bogen der Bragte Os Hid, Vetter is able to blend atmospheric black metal with modern-sounding folk and melodic influences under a retro umbrella that somehow holds it all together remarkably well.
It feels weird to critique the production on an album that is intentionally low-fi, but one thing that does hold back my enjoyment of Sort var Bogen der Bragte Os Hid is a production issue. When I first read that Tveito handled all instruments except for drums, I assumed he used a drum machine. Truthfully, I only just learned that he didn’t—the drums so lack impact that I had no trouble believing they weren’t real. Similarly, the use of bass as an occasional melodic assistant—certainly a cool choice in the places it works—occasionally removes some bottom end that could give the music more heft than it has. As is, Vetter feels restrained throughout Sort var Bogen der Bragte Os Hid in too many respects—the hoarse growls are fine, the hazy guitars are fine, the muted drumming is fine, and the bass sound is fine, but all together it becomes a little too easy for Sort var Bogen der Bragte Os Hid to fade to background noise by its back half.
And that’s a shame, because I really like what Vetter has done with Sort var Bogen der Bragte Os Hid. Tveito’s music is simultaneously vague and interesting, focused and expansive. The way he blends melodic, atmospheric, and traditional black metal elements is a great asset to his music and an impressive statement to his songwriting. In this case, however, it is held back a bit too much by its presentation. I understand these choices are intentional—but I would personally have preferred a different approach. I’d recommend a listen anyway, though, as, when it does work, it works very well.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Rekviem
Website: facebook.com/vetterkult
Releases Worldwide: August 14th, 2026
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