Wan – Blazewitch [EP]

Today we turn our gaze towards Sweden. I know that just hearing the name of the country activates the evil switch in my head, bringing a wave of incredible and recognized works of international Metal. In this case we are going to dismember a work of the damned Wan, a horde with militants of the most rancid and deep underground. They have also left their mark on bands like Hellgoat, Slaughtercoffin or the best known of this combo, Grá.

Their latest work from 2024, edited in a limited way by the Polish label Fallen Temple, has invoked the evil rooted in the past under the poisonous name ‘Blazewitch’. As predicted, it curses us in the opening that bears the same name as the EP. Raw, direct and without embellishments or preambles, the strident power of Black Metal is unleashed with the first riffs that show their teeth. The voice attacks mercilessly, making me remember the Darkthrone of 95-96 with tremolo riffs distilling hatred and contempt against everything in its path. This song itself is the bearer of the banner of the old, traditional and misanthropic Black Metal of the past that refuses to lose its position in these times. There is an oversaturation of overproduced albums with plastic sounds, lanes without strident peaks and without that black fire of the bonfires that terrorizes the Christian lambs.

The second attack called ‘Flatline Messiah’ comes to nail the hooves into the flesh! With riffs influenced by the old and powerful Bathory, they destroy the seconds with the black hammer until nailing each nail to the crying messiah in the chorus. This damn attack passed like a sigh of sulphur in the fire.

Above I had said that Bathory was present as an influence and in ‘Fucked by the Goat’ they make it clear again, with thrashy riffs and a catchy rhythm that stimulate the neck to break… another damn song that flew by like a soul carried by the devil!

Almost halfway through the pendulum a distorted bass emerges chewing the notes of ‘Marevals’ that spreads like a slow litany, with an open composition that gives the expectant sensation and heavy footsteps resonating in the darkness. At a certain point they accelerate the time with good arrangements of drum hits and cymbals consummating everything with good riffs.

For the next song, they start in “slow litany” mode until they accelerate the rhythm between the verses. A little beyond the middle, some blackened riffs make it clear that although there are influences of Bathory-style Thrash, they can also vomit more flammable riffs from second-wave Black Metal. ‘Så som i livet, så ock i graven’ is a song sung in the language of the conspirators and also enters my podium as one of the best along with ‘Flatline Messiah’.

The responsibility of the closing was in the clutches of ‘Valr’. With its volatile speed, bestial riffs and changes of rhythms it is a monster rearmed with all the elements of the album.

With this EP the band makes it clear on which side of the shore they stand, showing off their mastery in evoking traditional Black Metal with good use of minimalism, injecting the poison of old Bathory into their compositions and with a sound that proudly challenges modern over-produced metal!