This 2014 release stands out from the shitload of Black Metal records released every month in every aspect. Starting with the excellent, colorful artwork, VOLAHN mastermind and Black Twilight Circle founder Eduardo Ramirez doesn’t give a flying fuck about the genre’s monochromatic aesthetics. VOLAHN’s concept is based around mesoamerican civilization and culture and the lyrics are written in spanish. Sounds and looks a little too strange to please you cvlt people? You should better listen to „Aq’Ab’Al“ right now. This is black metal as harsh, passionate and mind-blowing as it gets. A lot of strange things happen on this record, from clean guitar passages to strangely beautiful, chaotic but catchy riffs. Still, VOLAHN never strays from the path of underground Black Metal and maintains a consistent, mysterious atmosphere throughout the 60 minutes playing time. Despite the musics complexity, „Aq’Ab’Al“ takes the listener on a journey through space and time, or to put it in Ramirez’ words: „The music is the voice of my ancestors and gods.“ 

The packaging is just as remarkable as the music itself: The double LP comes on splatter vinyl in a gatefold jacket with a beautifully designed booklet containing the lyrics along with their english translations and a poster. Truly one of the exceptional Black Metal releases of recent times. 

OO Void