Kvaen - The Formless Fires

 

I had slept on this band. I saw Kvaen live last year and the performance blew me away, as I was not aware of the significantly above average musicianship and ideas contained in their previous record The Great Below. I got even more into them with their debut The Funeral Pyre, and became a fan basically right after that live show. 

 

Top-notch guitar lines, amazing solos and blasting melodic black metal patterns right out of Sweden's heart, The Formless Fires points fingers at legends like Necrophobic, Naglfar and Dark Funeral, but it has its own sound at the same time. I clearly prefer the fast paced moments of the album compared to the slower ones, but it's all in all very decent. 

 

The guitar work is once again a highlight for them, and it's a must for the fans. Hopefully the addition to a much bigger label like Metal Blade will give Kvaen the exposure they deserve. This album doesn't hold back at all.

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The Formless Fires

Unheetethiin - In Forgotten Tongues EP

Fantastic debut EP by this new act from Norway, an exemplary piece of epic and well-written atmospheric black metal. Multiple memorable riffs and great structure all throughout.

 

The production and approach sometimes reminds of Spectral Lore's III, with a few distinct riffs appearing in "Forgotten Tongues" and "Smoke and Ashes", but it also sounds more like space ambient black metal a la Darkspace in "Three Black Years". 

 

I am really picky with this genre, which can completely crash and burn in case it doesn't succeed. This case is completely the opposite, I overly enjoyed the whole of this mini-release and really looking forward to more activity by the band, as well as more exposure to their material.

 

What could that band name mean?

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Release: June 21st, 2024

Label: Ixiol Productions (LP)