Vreid feat. Djerv & Jackass icon Chris Pontius are "Loving The Dead"

Some collaborations feel inevitable only in hindsight. A chance meeting, a shared fascination with the darker corners of art and culture, and a willingness to push beyond expectations have converged in Loving the Dead, resulting in a collaboration that stands out as one of the most unexpected metal releases of the year. Jackass icon Chris Pontius enters a dark, surreal metal universe in the cinematic music video for “Loving the Dead”, the new collaborative single from VREID and DJERV, out now.

A shared descent

Directed by Ulvar Gansum and filmed inside a church in Oslo, Loving the Dead blurs the line between music video and psychological short film. The song serves as the final single ahead of Vreid’s upcoming album The Skies Turn Black, merging the band’s raw, atmospheric sound with the haunting intensity of Djerv’s Agnete Kjølsrud.

Rather than a traditional guest appearance, the collaboration feels like a shared descent into the same shadowy landscape. Watch the video HERE.

Inside the song

Co-Written and with vocals performed by Kjølsrud, "Loving the Dead" invites interpretation rather than explanation. The lyrics move through a surreal inner world where darkness and destructive self-talk dominate, touching on the moment where resistance gives way to survival instinct. Even so, there is a quiet counterweight running through the song. Love is still present, just harder to see.

Inspired in part by Vreid and Djerv’s shared fascination with David Lynch’s universe, the song is designed to leave space for the listener to create their own meaning.

A cinematic transformation

The music video follows Pontius’ character as he drifts from the chaos of a bar into a ritual-like world, drawn forward by Kjølsrud’s almost siren-like presence. Surrounded by masked figures, he is slowly transformed, eventually embracing the darkness and becoming part of it himself.

“We wanted to create something cinematic and unexpected,” says Vreid’s Jarle Kvåle. “Not just a performance video, but a visual journey.”

Pontius’ presence adds an unusual but natural crossover. Known globally for chaotic humor, he brings vulnerability and discomfort to the role, creating a striking contrast to both his public persona and the ritualistic setting.

“It didn’t feel strange at all,” Pontius says about his performance. “It felt natural.”

Blending atmosphere, heaviness and cinematic storytelling, "Loving the Dead" stands as the final single before Vreid’s upcoming album The Skies Turn Black, which is due out on March 6, 2026.

Vreid, Djerv feat. Chris Pontius - Loving the dead (Official Music Video)

An album born from challenge and reinvention

Vreid describe the creation of their upcoming album The Skies Turn Black as one of the most demanding, yet rewarding, processes of their career. What began with inspiration turned into a difficult period where communication and direction faltered. Through persistence and recalibration, the band emerged with eleven songs shaped by both struggle and artistic renewal.

Five years after their previous album, Vreid now stand firmly behind the new material. They point to the strength of the songwriting, the production developed together with producer Anders Nordengen, and the handcrafted artwork by Kim Holm. Most importantly, the band feels they have created an album that represents some of their finest work and a meaningful evolution of their sound.

The Skies Turn Black arrives on March 6, 2026. In the same year, Vreid will return to European stages on a major tour alongside Hypocrisy, Abbath and Vomitory, bringing their new material to some of the continent’s most celebrated metal cities. The album is already now available for pre-order.

Tour 2026

• 02.04 – Astra – Berlin – Germany
• 03.04 – Amager Bio – Copenhagen – Denmark
• 04.04 – Trädgarn – Gothenburg – Sweden
• 05.04 – Fryshuset Arenan – Stockholm – Sweden
• 07.04 – Tavastia – Helsinki – Finland
• 08.04 – Spelet – Riga – Latvia
• 09.04 – B90 – Gdansk – Poland
• 10.04 – Sono Centrum – Brno – Czech Republic
• 11.04 – Ragnaroek Festival – Lichtenfels – Germany
• 12.04 – Majestic Music Club – Bratislava – Slovakia
• 14.04 – Joy Station – Sofia – Bulgaria
• 15.04 – Arenele Romane – Bucharest – Romania
• 17.04 – Cvetlicarna d.o.o. – Ljubljana – Slovenia
• 18.04 – Metal Franconia – Geiselwind – Germany
• 19.04 – Z7 Konzertfabrik – Pratteln – Switzerland
• 21.04 – Gruenspan – Hamburg – Germany
• 22.04 – LKA Longhorn – Stuttgart – Germany
• 23.04 – Essigfabrik – Cologne – Germany
• 24.04 – Felsenkeller – Ballsaal – Leipzig – Germany
• 25.04 – Backstage – Munich – Germany
• 26.04 – Stadsgehoorzaal – Leiden – Netherlands
• 28.04 – Trix – Antwerp – Belgium
• 29.04 – La Machine du Moulin Rouge – Paris – France
• 01.05 – Manchester Academy 2 – Manchester – England
• 02.05 – Incineration Festival – London – England