Kval

Kval

Laho

May 22nd, 2019

Hypnotic Dirge Records

Kval is chill, relaxation, atmospheric, one-person black metal from Finland. The vocals are extreme, but they are not super harsh and end up sounding almost as background landscape. Keyboards are important and for fans of this genre, this is something along the lines of the aural themes of forests-and-mountains vibes. It is chill rock with a bit of tremolo picking and some gentle-giant, softer growled vocals. Some of this music is just keyboard sounds for meditation or for helping people fall asleep, for chilling out, for a personal comfort zone, for yoga, for meditation, for doing homework, for working on a school project, so on and so forth.

The music might not perhaps sound all that impressive to the outsider’s ear, but in this genre what matters is not how wealthy the production is or the technicality of the musicianship. Feeling is perhaps more important than anything. For this reason, this recording should hold the attention of the devoted fan of this general style. At times the vocals might recall desperation or something different, like a vibe of tranquility, while the music itself often works melodies and if not direct melodies, then a general ambiance of melancholy or a greyness of a state of mind. The quality of the recording is not professional level, and if that bothers some listeners, they probably won’t change their minds with this DIY recording. While it might be accurate that this album will not necessarily convert masses who are not already on the inside track, the music is pretty catchy and competent in this field. The person behind this project at this point has years and years of experience in making this type of music, so it’s going to be worth your while if you are already a big fan of the genre. hypnoticdirge-records.bandcamp.com/album/laho

hypnoticdirgerecords.bandcamp.com/album/laho