That Qwälen is a Finnish band becomes immediately clear once the ambient intro track ‘Sairaus’ fades into ‘Kutsu Minua Saatanaksi’. On their sophomore album ‘Syvä Hiljaisuus’ the band plays Black Metal that comes infused with Punk, Crust and Thrash influences, and would probably be best compared to their countrymen of Impaled Nazarene. On occassion there is a slightly stronger emphasis on subcutaneous melodies that may remind more of Horna, but claiming the band sounds a lot like them would be a bit farfetched. Qwälen pummels its way through the seven tracks without letting go of the gas too much. When they do, like for instance in the album title track, the change of pace works refreshing and keeps it from becomes a bit too monotonous. Clocking in at 35 minutes the album manages to keep its intensity throughout, which most strongly manifests itself in the raging drums and tortured shrieks. The sound feels a little bit better balanced than on the debut album ‘Unohdan Sinut’ as well, capturing both the fury and the melody behind the riffs perfectly. Thus, ‘Syvä Hiljaisuus’ comes with recommendations for those that like their Black Metal like Impaled Nazarene.
Qwälen – Syvä hiljaisuus
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