Blasphemy Blues Full-Length To See US Release February 24th
Swedish melodic death/thrash practitioners VITTRA are pleased to unveil a new video for “Sommarfödd.” The track comes by way of the band’s critically lauded debut full-length, Blasphemy Blues, released in Europe late last year. VITTRA’s Blasphemy Blues boasts a gripping combination of crushing death metal with strong songwriting and catchy hooks.
Originally called Vildvittra, based on the 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 Swedish folk stories. And while Swedish folk is a recurring theme weaving 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.
Comments the band of their frosty new video, “Sommarfödd = The raw forces of a dark cold winter, combined with the strong longing for a verdant spring! The track is groovy melodeath with some intense Swedish melodic black metal vibes.”
Produced at SolnaSound in the Fall of 2021, supported by both Simon Johansson (Soilwork) and Mike Wead (King Diamond, Mercyful Fate), Blasphemy Blues was finalized in April 2022. Lawrence Mackrory (Bloodbath, Lik, Firespawn) handled the mixing and mastering. Hjules created the cover artwork.
Founded in 2017 by guitarist Johan Murmester and vocalist David Döragrip, the VITTRA lineup was complete in 2018 with drummer Alex Smith and bassist Gustav Svensson. Since 2021, the collective is also joined by Lars Elofsson on lead guitar both on stage and in the studio.
In 2021, VITTRA released their debut EP Wardens, recorded at SolnaSound Production, Sweden, with the support of Simon Johansson (Soilwork, Wolf). Championed Metal Temple of the brief but potent offering, “this fifteen minute, four-track long debut EP is absolute in its ability to take the listener on a blistering ride of carnage and mayhem. They are heavier than your average melodic death band, tighter and more forward thinking than most thrash bands and have a keener sense of melody and style than a lot of black metal.” The Razor’s Edge concurred, “The band sound incredibly accomplished with their debut release and have four songs written and performed to an extremely high standard.” Added Rock ‘N’ Load in a 9/10 rating ,“To say that this is a debut seems ridiculous when you hear how good this EP is.
