Watch/stream KVAENâs âThe Ancient Godsâ HERE.
âThe Ancient Godsâ is the latest single from Swedish melodic black/death metallers KVAEN. The spellbinding new hymn comes off the bandâs impending new full-length, The Formless Fires, set for release on June 21st on Metal Blade Records.
KVAEN is led by creative mastermind Jacob Björnfot. A sumptuous but bitingly intense exploration of beauty and violence, KVAENâs The Formless Fires is a true masterwork radiating an inspirational sense of place. âBjörnfot skillfully balances out anger and darkness with those deathly melancholic melodic loops that characterize the genre mixâ¦,â writes Sweden Rock in an early review of the record. âKVAEN‘s best record so far.â
Even more than 2020âs folky, speed metal-infused debut The Funeral Pyre or 2022âs compelling, expansive follow-up, The Great Below, the vast pine woods and icy lakes of Björnfot hometown of Kalixare powerfully evoked in the elemental gloom riffs, chilly melodies, and windswept solos running through these eight mighty songs. âOur surroundings — bizarre weather conditions, northern lights etc. — help shape the way we see and hear things. It affects us more than we think,â Björnfot ponders, contemplating the effect of his environment on KVAENâs exquisitely tuneful but richly atmospheric black metal. âI think it’s way better to be raised here than in Stockholm for example. I never liked big cities, except for weekend visits. I don’t like the big city attitude; here we are all calm and down to earth. I am in my thirties and most people have either left or returned. I am not planning on going anywhere soon. I still go to my cabin in the woods of Torne Valley and write a lot of music, especially during the Winter, which can feel very long and sometimes harsh.â
Assisting in this recordâs immersive sweep are Björnfotâs fascinating lyrics. Like many Swedish songwriters, his use of English reveals a love and care for the language that few native speakers even bother to rival. If this album seems less intimate and more universal than the raw candor of its predecessor, itâs only because Björnfotâs knack for allegory has improved. Illuminating some of the lyrical themes, Björnfot asserts âI love mythology. âBasiliskâ is, for example, the king of serpents but is rarely mentioned by the mainstream. âThe Perpetual Darknessâ is about being born different from those who are ânormal.â It is also about being a lone wolf and banished from society. That song has become a personal favorite of mine.â Additionally, âDe Dödas SÃ¥ng (Song Of The Dead)â tackles the disturbing theme of Ãttestupa, the ancient Norse suicide ritual whereby elderly villagers jump to their deaths from sheer precipices.
Comments Björnfot on latest single, âThe Ancient Gods,â “This song was written right after The Great Below was released. I have always wanted to write a song with super-heavy/tight guitar riffing that’s just easy to listen to while letting the vocals do most of the work. I also unleashed a bit of my inner David Gilmour on the outro.”
Watch KVAENâs âThe Ancient Godsâ video HERE.
Watch KVAENâs previously released video for âThe Formless Firesâ HERE.
All instrumentation on The Formless Fires was composed and performed by Björnfot with the exception of drums which were resoundingly hammered by ex-Amon Amarth basher Fredrik Andersson. The record features the guest solos of Sebastian Ramstedt (Necrophobic) on âTraverse The Netherâ and Chaq Mol (Dark Funeral) on âThe Wings Of Death.â
The Formless Fires will be available on CD and digital formats as well as vinyl in the following color variants:
180 g Black
Dark Midnight Blue Marbled
Copper Orange Marbled – Ltd. 400
Dark Violet Marbled – Sound Pollution Exclusive Ltd. 300
Fiery Orange Red Splatter – Ltd. 300
Blue Black & White Splatter – Ltd. 200
Find preorders at: metalblade.com/kvaen.
KVAEN Live:
6/21/2024 Helvete â Oberhausen, DE
6/22/2024 Boarstream Open Air 2024 â Buchenbach, DE
6/23/2024 Nachtleben â Frankfurt, DE
8/30-31/2024 Bulasal Metal Fest â Västeräs, SE
5/03/2025 Karmøygeddon Fest â Kopervik, NO
KVAEN:
Jacob Björnfot â everything
KVAEN Live Lineup:
Jacob Björnfot â vocals/guitars
Kristian Gustavsson â guitars
Rasmus Rova â guitars
Per Lindström â bass
Fredrik Andersson â drums
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The post KVAEN: Swedish Melodic Death/Black Metallers Reveal âThe Ancient Godsâ Video/Single; The Formless Fires Full-Length Nears Release On Metal Blade Records first appeared on Earsplit Compound.