Jeksolok - Jetaksor

 

Artist: Jeksolok 

Album: Jetaksor 

Label: Self-Released

Year: 2019 

Country: Chile 

Genre: Post-Black Metal

Jeksolok are a one-man post-black metal band from Punta Arenas in the southern tip of Chile. This is their debut EP. The EP starts with a melancholic guitar intro before soaring into the first track, "Saltaxar" a beautiful song that balances lush atmosphere and piercing catharsis of bands like Woods of Desolation and Cold Body Radiation. The following song "C'ek'eslak" has a much colder and more brooding atmosphere, capturing the feeling of the cold and rigid terrain of the band's southern homelands. A beautiful and dreamy instrumental track "Os Jeterhana" precedes the title track, an anthemic conclusion teeming with pride and glory. 

Thematically, the band takes inspiration from the mythology and cosmology of the Kawésqar indigenous people of the Chilean Patagonia.  It is believed that their history in the region extends over six-thousands years! Unfortunately like many indigenous cultures, the culture and language of the Kawésqar is being practiced by fewer people as time passes. Jeksolok's music is powerful not only by its own right but also because it is preserving part of an ancient culture. 

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Laftrache - Voces Ancestrales

Artist: Laftrache

Album: Voces Ancestrales

Label: Kuyen Prod

Year: 2015

Country: Chile

Genre: Black Metal

Laftrache are black metal band from Villa Alemana, Chile. This is their debut demo. First we have   the track "Contra El Que Porte El Cruz" an anti-christian anthem. The song start with the resonant chime of a singing bowl, then wastes no times getting into a succession of powerful, thick old school black metal riffing that would make Tom G Warrior proud. The band does not stay at a mid-tempo stomp though, introducing a series of riffs that are very inline with the frost-bitten sounds of Darkthrone. 

The second track "El Clamor Selknam" is where the indigenous roots of the band shine. Inspired by the indigenous people of the Patagonian region, the song starts with a malevolent chord progression and a short spoken word sample of a native Selknam speaking woman Ona, as well as the sound of the Trutruca, a trumpet like instrument invented by the Mapuche made from colihue wood and cattle horn, and a trompe mouth harp. The band uses these instruments to build up the atmosphere before exploding into a merciless black metal attack that slows retreats to the same chord progression the song started with. This is a short but powerful demo, solidifying Laftrache as name to keep on eye on for those interested in metal from Chile and metal bands that pay tribute to their indigenous ancestors

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Kūka'ilimoku - Ka Hui Hawai'i Aloha 'Āina

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. 

"For children of Hawai'i both native and from sugarcane day who loved and fought for Hawai'i to be governed by those who had her best interests in mind. Death to all missionaries and rotten politicians."

Arani - Raoni... Armados na honra, guerreiros da terra!

Artist: Arani 

Album: Raoni... Armados na horna, guereiros da terra! 

Label: Barleycorn Produções

Year: 2016 

Country: Brazil 

Genre: Pagan Black Metal

Arani are a one-woman pagan black metal band from Natal, Rio De Grande de Norte, Brazil. This is their debut demo. Their name translates roughly to "furious time" in the Tupi-Guarani language. Based on the demo's subtitle, which translates to "Armed in honor, warriors of the land!", I'm guessing the main title Raoni is a reference to Raoni Metuktire, a famous environmentalist and chief of the Kayapo people, native to regions now know as Pará and Mato Grosso in Brazil.

The demo begins with the sound of birds chirping before a mystical synth melody is introduced, later joined by acoustic guitar plucking and chanted vocals, setting the atmosphere for this journey through the Amazon. Musically the band takes influence from the pagan strain of black metal, with mid-tempo melodic riffing of a valiant nature, chanted vocals, and heavy use of synthesizer being the stand-out characteristics of their sound. Arani goes the extra mile to immerse the listener into a heroic journey forests of the Amazon, from the hooting of owls sampled throughout the track "Reína", the panflute used on "Ataendy Aíba", and the galloping of horses sampled on "Antes Do Fim". Overall this is an excellent pagan black metal demo, and I hope we hear more material from Arani in the future.  

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Eltun - 1553

Artist: Eltun 

Album: 1553

 Label: Self-Released

Year: 2016 

Country: Chile 

Genre: Black Metal

Eltun are a pagan/black metal band from Santiago, Chile. The band take their name for the word "cemetery" in the Mapudungun, the indigenous language of the Mapuche people, native to the southern region of Chile. 1553 is their sophomore release. The EP is inspired by the first wave of the Arauco War, where the warriors Caupolicán and Lautaro led the Mapuche to victory against Spanish colonizer Pedro de Valdivia. Sonically, the band takes inspiration from Scandinavian bands, adapting the classic cold sounds of the north to the frigid winters of the Andes Mountains. Songs like "Bajan Con Antorchas" also incorporates the trompe, a traditional Mapuche jaw harp. This is music that is battle ready and aims for glory, with the band incapsulating the valiant spirit of their Mapuche ancestors and delivering power pagan black metal marching towards victory.

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Tezcatlipoca - Tlayohualtlapelani

Artist: Tezcatlipoca

Album: Tlayohualtlapelani

Label: Iron Bonehead 

Year: 2018

Country: Mexico

Genre: Black Metal

Tezcatlipoca are a Mexican black metal band from León, Guanajuato. This is their sophomore record. The band craft very dark and brooding black metal that sound like its coming from the deepest recesses of Mictlan. Additionally the band incorporate an array of pre-hispanic instruments into their music, from bird like flutes to the deep resonance of the conch shell. The band take their name from the Aztec god of the nigh sky, and all of their songs and lyrics are written in Nahuatl. Overall this is an impressive slab of black metal that embodies the war like spirit of the Mexica war tribes.

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Dispossessed - Warpath Never Ended

Artist: Dispossessed 

Album: Warpath Never Ended

Label: Self-Released

Year: 2019

Country: Australia 

Genre: War Metal

Dispossessed are a black metal band from Sydney, Australia. This is their sophomore album. The band features members that are from Dharug aboriginal nations, and are unapologetically black and indigenous and at war with so called "Australia" and colonizers worldwide. This new record serves as a war cry, and is absolutely blood thirsty. The listener is bombarded with furious and violent barrages of grinding black metal that is seething with contempt for colonization and the havoc it wreaks to this very day. In a genre rife with meatheads and mediocrity, Dispossesed carve for themselves war metal with a fiery passion and intent that is stronger declaration of power and hate than any goat worshipping losers could ever muster. FIRE TO THE COLONY!

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