Artist: Kūka'ilimoku
Album: Ka Hui Hawai'i Aloha 'Āina
Label: Self-Released
Year: 2020
Country: USA
Genre: Black Metal/Punk
Kūka'ilimoku is a one-man band based out of Hawai'i, playing a blistering take on the sound pioneered by Ildjarn. The band is named after the Hawai'ian god of war, which combined with the band's declaration of intent, "Kūka'ilimoku is boundless disgust and hatred of all who leech to sacred lands of Hawai’i", gives the listener a good idea of why this music is so teeming with rage. Though lyrics aren't available online, this release is clearly about the history of the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawai'i, with the album's title being an allusion to the sibling nationalist organizations formed by native Hawai'ians to defend their home from annexation.
The demo opens with hissing feedback and a simple but sinister chord progression before forming into a quick barrage of black metal blasting, then quickly switching to a stomping punk riff, setting the tone for what to expect from Kūka'ilimoku's violent fusion of black metal and punk. The track's title translate to steadfast and is a reference to Queen Lili'okalani's motto "E’onipa’a i ka 'imi na’auao" which means "Be steadfast in the seeking of knowledge."
Some tracks, like the bombastic "1893" and brooding "1898" allude to the years Hawai'i was overthrown and then later annexed. Other tracks describe the outcome of the event like the cultivation of "Hawai'an Sugarcane" on plantations which were created by people who easily fit the description of "European Rubbish". Overall this demo isn't just brutal assault of seriously kick ass riffs, but is also a great history lesson for any curious listener who wants to do a little research. I heavily recommend checking out this demo, as well the rest of the material they're released in the short time they've been active.
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