Out of all the Black Twilight Circle bands that emerged in the early to mid-2000’s, Volahn has been one of the most prominent due to founder Eduardo Ramirez’s incredible guitar work and incorporation of Mayan musical influences. 2014’s Aq'Ab'Al pushed the group to new heights following its earlier works, offering haunting melodies that seemed to dance over top of the rawer foundation alongside some acoustic interludes that felt like it was transporting listeners into Central and South America’s cultural roots. Over the years Volahn’s releases have been fairly spread out, emphasizing quality over quantity, with 2019’s El tigre del sur exploring Emiliano Zapata and the Mexican Revolution through music that was equal parts raging black metal and Spaghetti Western. It has now been another six years since that effort, and the long awaited Popol Vuh has arrived to utterly annihilate listeners. Retaining the whirlwind riffing of Aq'Ab'Al but pushing towards even more intense and violent territory, it’s a dense and impactful listen.
Where El tigre del sur had a surprising amount of clarity to its recording that let the details shine through in a way that was unusual for Volahn. Popol Vuh takes the opposite approach, throwing so many layers and denseness at the listener that the first time through can almost be overwhelming in how chaotic the instrumentation is. It’s a purposeful decision that makes the material a bit less approachable, but if your tastes orient towards the rawer and unhinged black metal the sound should immediately draw you in and subsequent listens will unveil new details. The first time through Popol Vuh actually reminded me a bit more of recent Arizmenda albums rather than Volahn’s past discography, as the way it feels oriented towards violence and chaos created a similar atmosphere. Once you get past the noise factor the nuances really pop out, whether that’s the fluid and shifting nature of the riffs or the additional native folk instruments that appear at different points. This aspect is woven even further into the core sound, as songs like “Reencarnación Triunfante” showcase to great effect. This track has the foundation of immense blasting and harsher tonality, but there are hints of 90s black metal melodies alongside flute and cleaner guitar that create a soundscape with a character of its own. The way “Intro / La Peste Negra Diabólica” moves from haunting folk instrumentation into full-on in your face blasting might be one of the most effective transitions I’ve heard in years, and the sheer amount of power generated in those first thirty seconds once things have shifted to black metal is incredible. Admittedly the emphasis on speed and attack does for some similarities between the songs, but there’s something special to the compositions here that drew me back to peel back more of the layers after that first listen.
With the noisier production, the vocals sometimes get swallowed up into the mix but as you focus on them it’s clear the performance is just as aggressive as the instrumentation. The main pitch is a raspy scream that sounds downright rabid at certain points, starting off at an already high level of intensity and only getting crazier as each song progresses. This is where Popol Vuh once again comes through like a cross between earlier Volahn and some of Arizmenda’s work, as there’s just that much rage and fire to everything. Given the notes on Bandcamp mention this album was released at a time to mark Mexican and Guatemalan independence, it makes perfect sense that the spirit of the vocals is warriorlike and works to tear down everything in its path. Where black metal is often associated with aggressive screaming, Volahn’s delivery here makes many of them feel tame in comparison and this only adds to the music’s impact.
Volahn’s third full length arrives over a decade after its predecessor, though shorter releases like El tigre del sur have showcased other sides of the band’s sound in the interim. With Popol Vuh the style has once again shifted, this time towards an unrelenting and warlike black metal sound that still weaves in many of the traditional instruments and indigenous folk components from before. This makes for a harsh yet otherworldly atmosphere, and while the abrasiveness may prove to be too unapproachable for some people those that gravitate to the extremes in this type of metal will find one of the year’s best waiting for them. Popol Vuh is available from Crepúsculo Negro.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg
