Album Review: AVKRVST - Waving at the Sky (2025, InsideOut Music)

Written: 7th June 2025

Hailing from Norway, AVKRVST are a progressive metal band built on instinct, longstanding friendship and a shared commitment to honest, emotionally resonant music. Formed by Simon Bergseth (vocals, guitars, bass) and Martin Utby (drums, synths), the line-up also includes Øystein Aadland, Edvard Seim, and Auver Gaaren - all players of considerable finesse. The band’s 2023 debut The Approbation was extremely well received, and introduced the band as a powerful new voice in the progressive landscape.

Now, two years later, the quintet are about to unleash their second album, Waving At The Sky, which finds the band drawing their narrative from a shocking and horrifying case that shook rural Norway more than a ten years ago. Simon Bergseth explains, “Story-wise, this is the prequel to the first album. The lonely man in the cabin, who was going insane on The Approbation, is one of the characters in our new album, referred to as ‘the step dad’. The story is about two families that are neighbours, who both abuse their children and then they start doing it with each other’s children too. It was a big thing on the news in Norway. The spoken words in the intro and in the last song are things taken from the eventual trial. It’s basically as dark as you can get. Martin and myself were a lot younger, so we didn’t comprehend or grasp the depths of it at the time. Now, over a decade later, each with our own daughters and family, the case suddenly had an extreme impact when it came to mind on one of the first trips to the cabin.”

Three minute instrumental Preceding opens the album with a staccato fuelled sense of urgency initially driven by bass guitar, foreboding keyboards and thunderous drums. Woven into the overall fabric of the track are moments of silence between crushing chords that bring a haunted feel to the arrangement. However, there are moments of delightful melody to be found during the central section. A guitar solo climbs and spirals beautifully until we return to the opening motif. AVKRVST bring us crashing back down a little before the first spoken words of the album and knowing the subject matter in hand makes them all the more chilling.

Without pause, second track The Trauma begins and the sense of tension rises yet further. Throughout the album, AVKRVST’s play effortlessly with time signatures and changes of tempo. During its first two minutes, The Trauma is unrelenting and brutal but utterly captivating. Drummer Martin Utby and bassist Øystein Aadland move, twist and writhe as one such is their almost telepathic rhythmic relationship. The first sung lyrics of the album arrive a little before the half-way point of The Trauma and the band are unyielding in their direct approach from the first line, plunging us straight into the profound despair of the victims. Cold lights find ways / Into my room at night / I am trying to escape / What feels like demise. AVKRVST are not afraid to bring a range of atmospheres and moods to the forefront of their music and while the lyrics are dark and despairing - God, please let me out / Of this loathsome life - there are moments of truly ethereal beauty within the sonic accompaniment. During the last moments of the song, Bergseth unveils his growling vocals - Death is screaming my name / Gasping for air until silence arrives – and influences such as Opeth’s Mikael Åkerfeldt are obvious in the change between the two vocal styles.

Families are Forever begins with a synth laden, shimmering introduction which dissolves into acoustic guitar, almost tricking us into thinking that circumstances for those in the story might quickly improve. However, Bergseth’s tender, lamenting vocals and lyrics change any feeling of relief as they explore the imprisoning nature of toxic family ties where abuse traps victims in endless cycles of pain. Her weighted eyes / Whirling through him / Contemplating leaving life. During this time, a restless bassline throbs low and ominously, like a shark circling its prey waiting to strike. The attack occurs as Bergseth’s vocals turn guttural once more. Draining circles / Choking / The light above her, whirling into place. The two juxtaposing elements of the track toy with each other throughout, with light and shade battling for dominance. A glorious guitar solo - that feels like the victim’s mind trying to break free - leads us towards the song’s conclusion: a restrained keyboard outro, reminiscent of early Genesis.

Conflating Memories portrays the fractured state of the victim’s memory and mind. Falling down the spiral of life / Feels like drowning / leave it all behind / I’m crawling down the aisle of time / Days to cross these blurry lines. Musically, along with the title track, it is among the most adventurous and multi-faceted songs on the album: from the metronomic rim clicks of the opening section – which indicate the never ending passing of time – to the short flute interlude and two beguiling guitar solos to Auver Gaaren’s resplendent keyboard passage, Conflating Memories, lives up to its title with a mix of different emotions swirling throughout the song. It is testament to the approach that the band took to songwriting on Waving at the Sky as Simon Bergseth explains, “The Approbation was extremely easy to write - it was basically just the first thing that popped into our heads and our hands as we were writing it - strictly inspired by the music we grew up with, and we didn’t really try to make anything specific. On Waving at the Sky, we’ve tried to evolve ourselves in a more original direction, to dig a bit deeper into our musical selves, and to try a bit more stuff than last time, but without losing ourselves in it. I think we’ve achieved exactly that.”

Preceding aside, The Malevolent is the shortest track here and features guest vocals from Haken’s Ross Jennings. Opening with a bold, commanding drum fill, it is a song that melds a pulsating opening and conclusion with charged, raw energy in the verses and the album’s catchiest chorus. Memorable the chorus might be but lyrically the band further layer the ever present feelings of terror that stalk the entire album. One breath to end them all / Too young to die / Too young to feel this old / It’s all I’ve ever known / He comes and goes / But they don't hear me / Cry beyond these walls / Step into the dark night of my soul.

Ghosts of Yesteryear is eerie from the outset: distant bells toll and a howling wind swirls through something metallic. In opposition to the lighter musical moments of The Malevolent, Ghosts of Yesteryear begins with a rampaging instrumental section that steps up the more brutal influences that dwell within the band. Waving at the Sky is littered with examples that highlight the excellent production values and this is one of them. The stampeding bass is imposing, full and compelling but never overwhelms the rest of the instruments. Even subtle touches - such as the disturbing, uneasy scratching up and down the guitar frets that begin just before the one minute mark - are clear and audible. Then, unexpectedly, two minutes in, the most delicate moment of the album takes flight, acoustic and summery. Mist above the fields / Mountains tall and steep / Down she goes / Into the unknown / Sky comes crashing down / Pressure waves goodbye / Grasping the deflating gravity. Following a gorgeous, understated guitar solo, the song sways between vulnerability and chaos. Stomping riffs are followed by tender moments but we are never far from the dark heart of the story.  The raw line, Carried by the chore of being mother’s whore exposes the cruel exploitation and abuse at the heart of the story, emphasising the long-lasting scars inflicted by those who should have protected her.

At close to twelve and a half minutes, the title track – which closes the album – is almost twice as long as any other song. It is a sombre farewell, tinged with fragile hope. Encompassing all of the different elements we have heard on the album so far, it slows the tempo and builds steadily across its running length with an elegance that hints once again at the band’s developing confidence, songwriting and musicianship – each member of the band having the opportunity to display their significant skills all the way through the exquisite cathartic ending. “When we were done making the title track, and listening back several times, it was missing something,” Simon recalls. “The track didn’t have the crucial thing we needed to give the ending that glimpse of hope, and the feeling of release. So when the track really hits the climax, where it used to just end, we brought in one beautiful part from the intro track of the album, to give the ending what it needed. It’s played a bit faster, but has the same feeling of release, and maybe relief as well. After all that really dark stuff, you finally get some peace and hope for the people involved.”

Photo credit: Kristian Rangnes

AVKRVST’s second album, Waving At The Sky, is a bold progression from their debut, establishing them as a compelling force in progressive metal. The harrowing narrative, drawn from a deeply traumatic true story, infuses the music with intense emotional weight. The band expertly balances moments of haunting beauty with dynamic contrasts, creating a rewarding and deeply affecting listening experience. Influences from Opeth and Porcupine Tree are clear, with glimpses of Dream Theater’s virtuosity and Pink Floyd’s atmospherics, yet AVKRVST are carving their own distinct path, laying the groundwork for even greater achievements as they push the boundaries of their sound and emotional depth. Sophisticated, nuanced and ambitious.

Waving at the Sky is released on 13th June 2025

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