kval-reviews

Review from The Pit of the Damned

Wed, 24 Jan 2018 19:39:49 +0100

From: The Pit of the Damned

Published: January 23, 2018

I Kval sono una nuova one man band finlandese, anzi no: il mastermind che sta dietro a tale monicker infatti, non è altro che colui che fino al 2015 guidava i Khaossos e questo album omonimo è, a dire il vero, la riproposizione di quel 'Kuolonkuu' che su queste stesse pagine abbiamo recensito, con la durata delle song leggermente più elevata. Difficile pertanto aggiungere qualche informazione addizionale ad un disco che, se fosse uscito nei primi anni '90, avrebbe dato filo da torcere a Burzum e compagnia bella, grazie, e riprendo le parole di quella recensione, ad una spettrale overture, e a brani successivi che si affidano ad un incedere ossessivo, tagliente e minimalista. Penso a "Sokeus", una traccia, che nei suoi oltre dieci minuti, mai accenna ad una accelerazione o ad una sfuriata che ne modifichi la sua desolante dinamica esistenziale. Un lavoro spoglio e tormentato che ha modo di mostrare dei tratti folklorici (ad esempio in "Harhainen") ma anche forti accenni di un disperato suicidal black (ascoltate "Kuolonkuu") che lo renderanno ai più un album ostico a cui avvicinarsi. Io, a distanza di quasi tre anni, mi confermo coerente con il voto che diedi alla primordiale forma di questo album dei Kval. Sofferenza allo stato puro.

Rating: 70/100

Reviewed by: Francesco Scarci

Review from Dutch Metal Maniac

Fri, 22 Dec 2017 19:17:50 +0100

From: Dutch Metal Maniac

Published: December 20, 2017

Original Link

In 2015 this album saw the light under the name of Khaossos. This year sees a re-recording of the album under the name Kval, a one-man project of atmospheric black metal.

Four long, heavy songs form the base of this 43 minute album, with three ambient-style introductions and interludes.

In all fairness the introduction could be any darkish new age. Nice and haunting in a way, but without raising awe. Second on the album comes the song Sokeus, where the only reference to ‘atmospheric’ is the acoustic guitar at the end of the song. The rest of the song is plain black metal, playing it loud will easily drain all happy memories from the mind!

After these two songs the albums starts getting more depth and song structures become more varied. Still dark, still black, but more atmospheric in my opinion and much nicer to listen to, also for ‘non-black metal minded’ people.

I think it was a good idea to re-record and re-name. Khaossos would suggest more chaos, where Kval -even without knowing any Finnish- has a colder and darker sensation, fitting the music well.

The artwork of the album, coming in a nice digi-pack, and the special pack with white (?!! Welcome to the black metal world ?!! ) T-shirt makes buying this album a nice treat. Not the best album in the world, but a nice addition to the collection.

Reviewed by: Martijn Bakker

Review from ZWareMetalen

Wed, 18 Oct 2017 23:37:44 +0100

From: ZWareMetalen

Published: October 17, 2017

Original Link

Steeds meer blijkt uit mijn jaarlijst dat atmosferische black een grotere plaats inneemt in mijn hart. Dat betekent echter niet dat alle atmos/ambient black meteen gekatapulteert wordt tot topper of geniaal meesterwerk. Ook niet als het van een steeds sterker wordend label als Hypnotic Dirge Records komt. Dat bewijst het obscure Kval.

Kval is Fins, of maakt in ieder geval gebruik van de Finse taal. Het klinkt als typisch sfeervolle, lo-fi atmosferische black, met een industrieel ingestelde computerdrum en een ijsbijtend schelle gitaarsectie, voorzien van even ijzige screams. Geen overdreven kitscherige synths hier, en van slaapkamerpraktijken kan ik Kval ook niet beschuldigen. Toch hebben we het allemaal al intenser, meeslepender en beklemmender gehoord, zelfs dit jaar. Kval is dan ook geen tegenvaller, het verdwijnt echter in de uitlaatgassen van voorgangers met een veel grotere evil uitstoot. Voer voor diehard liefhebbers van het genre dus, anderen houden beter mijn jaarlijst in de gaten als ze interesse zouden vertonen in het genre.

Rating: 69/100

Reviewed by: Bart Al Foet

Review from IYE Zine

Sun, 10 Sep 2017 21:42:19 +0100

From: In Your Eyes (IYE) Zine

Published: September 10, 2017

Original Link

Se si dovesse trovare un album che esemplifichi per i neofiti cosa sia il black metal atmosferico, credo che questo primo passo autointitolato della one man band finnica Kval sia perfetto in tal senso.

In realtà, a ben vedere, questo non sarebbe a tutti gli effetti il full length d’esordio, visto che si tratta della versione ri-registrata dell’album Kuolonkuu, edito con il nome Khaossos nel 2015 e oggi rimesso in circolazione dalla Hypnotic Dirge con una nuova copertina e l’aggiunta di una breve traccia strumentale.

Da quanto premesso, si capisce quanto sia stata opportuna questa operazione, visto che qui siamo al cospetto di un’interpretazione del genere senz’altro ossequiosa dei dettami di Burzum e Forgotten Woods, come da note di presentazione, ma che va anche oltre offrendo una serie di brani capaci di catturare l’attenzione e di avvolgere con il loro approccio molto tradizionale e ricco di ottime intuizioni melodiche appoggiate sul classico ronzio di sottofondo, caratteristica di gran parte delle produzioni novantiane.

Kval strepita in lingua madre testi colmi di negatività sopra un tappeto di black che fa della sua linearità il proprio punto di forza: la produzione che opprime la voce è la normalità, in un lavoro che si snoda su ritmi costantemente compassati, con brani segnati da spunti melodici che vengono reiterati fino ad ottenere l’assuefazione desiderata: il musicista finlandese, però, sa anche fermare la sua ragionata corsa inserendo qualche passaggio acustico o piazzando tastiere minimali ma irresistibili come in quella che fu la title track nella prima stesura, Kuolonkuu.

L’album vede come fulcro quattro tracce che da sole vanno ben oltre la mezz’ora di durata (oltre a quella appena citata, la magnifica Sokeus, Harheinen e Polkuni Vailla Suuntaa) visto che, assieme allo strumentale inedito Kaiku Tyhjyydesta, in chiusura ed apertura si trovano due brani ambient (Usva e Toisella Puolen): Kval è un lavoro che a molti potrà apparire obsoleto ma che, in realtà, racchiude molto dell’essenza di quelli che furono i primi passi del black metal atmosferico, e questo è già di per sé un buon motivo per ascoltarlo, se non bastasse un impatto melodico tutt’altro che trascurabile.

Rating: 7.6/10

Reviewed by: Stefano Cavanna

Review from The Black Sessions

Sat, 09 Sep 2017 00:44:20 +0100

From: The Black Sessions

Published: September 5, 2017

Original Link

I’ve found this project during my endless YouTube surfs and was charmed from the first sight, from the very first song. It seems that I was looking for something like “Kval” for quite a long time and wasn’t able to find. Now you can imagine my happiness!

This self-titled album by Kval is very raw, melancholic and sad. Its inner anger overwhelms and fills over the borders at the same time. Kval is really heavy-influenced by Burzum’s masterpiece “Filosofem”, one of my most loved black metal albums of all times. You can find similarly distorted guitars here, and the atmosphere is the same. But this is not bad because Kval has brought new features and themes in his own “Filosofem”.

Pros

Burzum. I like Burzum and now I like Kval because Varg’s music is not a bad option for copying.

Cons

Repetitiveness. This album is very long, monotonous and raw, so it can be a challenge for an unprepared listener.

Overall

Several years ago I listened to Burzum a lot. I took a train and listened to Burzum self-titled or “Filosofem” albums while I was looking in the windows, searching something in rapidly changing nature. Later in my darkest days, I took these albums on my endless walkings in the local park. It’s hard to say how many hours have I spent walking and thinking.

And now I’ve found Kval which returned me to this old emotional state. Now I’ve remembered how and more importantly what should I do. This is the best thing this music was able to do for me.

Review from Noizz Webzine

Fri, 18 Aug 2017 09:34:27 +0100

From: Noizz Webzine

Published: August 15, 2017

Original Link

Aunque el trabajo que nos ocupa es el primer larga duración de esta banda finlandesa llamada KVAL hay que puntualizar que se trata de una re-grabación de un álbum publicado en 2015 por la one-man-band KHAOSSOS bajo el título de “Kuolonkuu”. Tras el cambio de nombre el proyecto cobra nueva vida e incorpora a un segundo miembro, al menos en los créditos aparece el nombre de Wntrbrnr (AURIEL), recuperando estos temas con un nuevo sonido que se sirve del Atmospheric Black Metal más crudo, deprimente y básico. Además para este lanzamiento se ha usado un nuevo artwork, realizado por Moonroot Art, que ayuda a visualizar los parajes boscosos y lóbregos en los que se desarrollan los temas, encajando a la perfección con la atmósfera general que hay en esta obra de título homónimo.

El sello canadiense Hypnotic Dirge Records es el que está detrás de la edición del debut oficial de KVAL, con una bonita presentación física en formato digipack de varios cuerpos en la que se incluyen las letras, algo muy interesante si sabes finlandés, claro. Pero lo más notable es el sonido crudo y gélido que se desprende de las guitarras, con una ruidosa distorsión que recrea de maravilla el ambiente neblinoso en mitad de una noche de invierno. A esto hay que sumar los golpes básicos y lentos con los que la batería marca el ritmo agónico de los temas, y los gritos desgarrados propios del Black Metal más salvaje, aparte de unas sencillas melodías de tinte depresivo que evocan a la perfección paisajes como el de la portada. Un Atmospheric Black Metal que de inmediato nos trae a la cabeza las influencias de BURZUM o XASTHUR, y que suena puramente underground, en el mejor sentido de la palabra.

Mientras escuchas “Kval” es imposible no impregnarte del frío sonido y de las cadencias lóbregas de sus temas, cuatro composiciones largas y extremas que vienen acompañadas de tres instrumentales más sosegadas que sirven de introducción, de interludio y cierre respectivamente. Siete cortes en total para completar un álbum que muestra las posibilidades que ofrece la cara más básica del Black Metal a la hora de componer y crear atmósferas penetrantes, y aunque en algunos momentos se caiga en cierta monotonía o que la producción sea de lo más simple hay que reconocer que eso forma parte del encanto de esta música invernal y oscura.

Rating: 7.5/10

Review from Wonderbox Metal

Tue, 08 Aug 2017 17:56:24 +0100

From: Wonderbox Metal

Published: August 5, 2017

Original Link

Kval is a one-man black metal band from Finland and this is his debut album.

Apparently starting out life under the name Khaossos and released in 2015 with the title Kuolonkuu, this new version is a re-recorded beast that’s now been updated and unleashed under the moniker of Kval.

Abandon all hope, for Kval’s music is here to drain you of all joy and warmth.

This is atmospheric black metal, interspersed with moments of barren ambient despair. The ambient tracks act as opener, middle-interlude, and closer of the release; they effectively build mood and feeling either before or after the main events of the four longer black metal songs themselves. These main songs are dark and atmospheric, working with the cover artwork to foster feelings of being stranded in a cold, dangerous environment, far from solace or safety.

The guitars are fully imbued with the essence of a frosted, frigid night. The riffs they form are fragile like ice, but no less dangerous due to their coldness and sharpened edges. This kind of black metal deserves, nay, requires, this kind of icy sound, and the entire album gives the impression that it has been soaked in freezing water in the middle of a deserted forest.

The music rarely resorts to speed, usually relying on slower or mid-paced parts to create atmosphere and feeling. It’s an emotive listen, with the artist obviously skilled at crafting black metal that’s atmospheric and filled with evoked images of cold landscapes and foreign lands.

The vocals are agonised howls, screaming with tormented misery and echoes of half-forgotten loss. Alongside the textured music they speak of a feral pain that’s somehow pure and distinct from its surroundings, yet also intrinsically linked to them.

I can’t help but easily fall for this kind of compelling, absorbing atmospheric black metal. It’s easy to get lost in the soundscapes of Kval’s blackened imagination, and I’d definitely recommend a visit or two to these frozen shores.

Review from Infernal Masquerade

Thu, 27 Jul 2017 21:26:20 +0100

From: Infernal Masquerade

Published: July 26, 2017

Original Link

Making its way to our office from Canada, today we have Finland’s one-man demolition squad Kval and its self-titled debut release. Originally releasing music under the moniker Khaossos, Kval’s sole member crafts some of the most misanthropically punishing Atmospheric Black Metal we have heard in a while. Evoking the raw elements of old-school Burzum and the bleakness of Mortualia, this is one heavy release.

After setting the mood with the chilling “Usva”, the punishing distorted guitars first make an appearance on “Sokeus”. Instantly creating a wall of dissonance, the guitars perfectly blend with a trance-inducing bass guitar line and their demoralizing harsh vocals. These elements are very nicely contrasted with somber instrumental passages. The transition between songs is quite subtle and before you know it, this release is already on its third track, “Harhainen”.

Providing a little breathing room, “Kaiku Tyhjyydesta” changes the mood for Kval to unleash the pummeling “Polkuni Vaila Suunta”, a raw and devastating piece that will haunt your dreams. This track has a certain Mysticum-esque Industrial feel to it, making it quite dense and powerful. The band’s rawness is very effective in creating very bleak and desolate soundscape that will appeal to any fan of the genre.

Closing with the ravaging “Kuolonkuu”, Kval comes full circle with this pummeling release. This one-man battalion has managed to unravel one of the most powerful and decadent Atmospheric Black Metal releases of 2017 and should be recognized. If you are looking for raw demoralizing power with a primitive vibe, look no further and pick up a copy of this gem

Rating: 90/100

Reviewed by: Dark Emperor

Review from Disfactory Zine

Thu, 27 Jul 2017 21:25:10 +0100

From: Disfactory Zine

Published: July 23, 2017

Original Link

Il progetto finlandese Kval non è altro che la continuazione del monicker Khaossos, e questo primo disco omonimo non è altro che la riproposizione nuova di zecca e allungata del buon “vecchio” Kuolonkuu (uscì nel 2015). Il suo è un zanzaroso flusso elettrico costante, sorta di apoteosi del depressive black metal più famelico, blando e “trainante”, se vogliamo meno estremo nel risultato, ma pur sempre eccessivo su quelle forme aspre, distaccate e contundenti.

Kval parla per forze lineari e mai arriva a scomporsi, ma non per questo si ritrae dal “non offrire”, prendendo come spunto materno il Burzum più ipnotico spogliandolo però del fattore nevralgico delle tastiere “abboccate” (talvolta presenti ma mai veramente protagoniste). Si respira un’aria secca e tagliente lungo tutta la durata, un’aria dispersa a forza da chitarre ammantate di freddo e costante misantropia.

Kval è così glaciale e ipnotico da attutire e “tappare”, praticamente un filtro naturale e diretto nei confronti del mondo prima ricercato e poi musicato. Le sue composizioni vengono scandite con assoluta chiarezza, una nitidezza capace spesso di pizzicare senza però conferire alcun fastidio per come viene snocciolata. Si alternano pace e repentine bufere (in tal senso lavora come un pendolo), ma nello svolgimento non verrà mai perso il segno o il senso di un album si lento, ma anche volutamente diretto, sofferto e fortemente esplicito nel suo donare alcuni spunti altamente vincenti (come non pensare all’attacco malinconico/lamentoso di Harhainen o all’esagitata Polkuni Vailla Suuntaa).

Non parliamo di un capolavoro del genere ma di un album onesto e volenteroso, un album in grado di dire la sua a favore di un genere che ormai ha perso da tempo la strada del “boom”. Chi si ostina a percorrere strade poco battute avrà sempre la mia stima, ancor più facile quando il prodotto viene supportato da una salda qualità di fondo. Magari questo Kval non vi condurrà all’entusiasmo, ma in qualche strano modo sono anche sicuro che vi “porterà a nozze”, nozze costellate da spunzoni di ghiaccio, nebbia

Reviewed by: Duke "Selfish" Fog

Review from Ave Noctum

Thu, 27 Jul 2017 21:24:09 +0100

From: Ave Noctum

Published: July 23, 2017

Original Link

The sleeve notes usefully tell us that Kval’s debut album “includes slow, agonising material from 2013 to 2016”. This album was originally conceived in 2015 but under the mantle of Khaossos. Life, emptiness and chaos are what drives this one man atmospheric black metal project from Finland whose musical preferences and influences include Burzum and Forgotten Woods.

Eerie beginnings spawn a heightening level of tension. The musical images are of a cold and misty place. This leads us unsurprising into the slow and lonely world of “Sokeus” (Blindness). We are in the woods depicted on the album’s sleeve. Progress is deliberate and majestic. It’s also sinister and nasty. The distant-sounding growled cries fade out and the tempo slows for reflection before cranking up, and once again depicting a world where hostile nature is all around. The electrifying horror that we would associate with Burzum is here. “Harhainen” (Mistaken) continues with a funereal and depressive tone. Stubbornly, it trudges for its nine minute duration through the melancholic gloom without transformation but at least but with power. “Kaiku Tyhjyydestä” means “Echo of Emptiness”. It is a short but sombre and monotonous journey. The pitch changes as Kval’s oldest track “Polkuni Vailla Suuntaa” (I Walk Without Direction) brings back the black metal firepower. Again the riff is monotonous. The track progresses steadily and ferociously. “Kuolonkuu” (Death of the Moon) has overbearing power, and all the bleakness you would associate with classic Burzum. It negates all life forms but through its attritional overbearing blackness. A quiet and menacing guitar line enters the scene momentarily before returning to uncompromising frostiness. Fittingly, the album ends with a bleak and colourless instrumental, “Toisella Puolen” (On The Other Side).

This album is cold, alienating and merciless in its delivery, making it impersonal and repetitious. Yet it has impressive power and has all the attributes of a proper black metal album.

Rating: 7.5/10

Reviewed by: Andrew Doherty