Black Metal roots gave life to Qwälen.
Created in 2017 in Finland, the band is composed of Eetu (vocals), Antti (guitare, Henri (drums), Ville (bass) and Samuli (guitar). The band offers us Unohdan sinut, its first album, after a demo in 2018.
The conclusion is clear since Pimeä tila, the first song. The band fully draws inspiration from a raw and uncompromising Black Metal to forge its identity, coupled to shrilling and visceral incomparable vocals. About riffs, we stay on an ice-cold Old School melting, like on Viekää minut pois, an aggressive and oppressive song, that melts this brutal and painful basis to melancholic sonorities, more airy parts, while staying on sharp sonorities. The dissonant Polku is next, and even if it is a true wall of sound that stands in front of us, leads offer a sharp and heady melody, just like those possessed howlings. Hän ei tule koskaan seems to be quieter than the previous compositions, and this song is finally one of the more seizing, but also one of the most accessible of the whole album. Those catchy tones lead us to Rituaali, a track with chaotic atmosphere that let the band’s finnish roots express themselves, then it’s with pure rage that Unohdan sinut comes. The band is totally unleashed, offering infernal fastness and bloody riffs, to which they add an hypnotic coldness, then we’re brutally thrown to Temppel, the last song. Once again, it’s an impressive and dirty rhythmic that strikes, allowing the band to close their performance into pure blackness.
Qwälen is a surprising band. Unohdan sinut allow them to unleash an impressive coldness that lives into fast and sharp riffs, while translating a mad aggressivity thanks to those uncontrollable howlings.
85/100