Volahn: Aq'Ab'Al (2014)

Somehow I keep coming to these small regional scenes years after their peak.  Volahn is a member of the Black Twilight Circle, which is kind of the California version of France's Les Légions Noires.  Black Twilight Circle is an association of bands in the Southern California area, many of which have members in common, and generally play some form of black metal.  There is generally some type of Central American indigenous aesthetic or lyrical content.  The scene was most active in the early to mid 2010's.  And somehow I am just now hearing about it.  Damn.

Volahn is a one-man black metal project and the alias of Eduardo Ramirez, who is also involved in the Black Twilight Circle bands Axeman, Acualli, Blue Hummingbird on the Left, Dolorvotre, Kuxan Suum and others.  He is one of the primary members of the scene.  Volahn appears to be his primary band. 

The music here is chaotic, to put it mildly.  It is not as if it is particularly heavy or anything like that, but there is not much structure to it.  The lead guitar in particular seems to have gone rogue and is often in its own world playing something completely unrelated to what the rest of the instruments are playing.  This would be a problem if the sound was not as intriguing as it is.  The leads are often quite beautiful and the occasional acoustic interludes shine through as well.  There is a sense of melancholy and sadness that underlies the otherwise extreme sound.

This is still clearly a black metal release and much of the music is fast and intense.  The chaos inherent in instruments playing out of synch with each other adds to the intensity as the whole release feels anxious and on edge.  There are very few moments to stop and take stock of the proceedings before being bashed in the head again.  The album leaves the listener breathless and bewildered when it is all said and done.  A truly memorable experience.

This is my first exposure to the Black Twilight Circle, but it will not be my last, as will be seen in the coming weeks.  This was an exceptional introduction to what was once a vibrant scene.  I was anxious to explore it further and would.  This album is a highlight from the scene.