ALBUM REVIEW: I. Ancestral – Kazea

With a complex yet urgent delivery, Swedish post-metal trio KAZEA bring a fresh mix of sounds to the genre while appealing to fans of its biggest names. After leaving their former band OROCHEN guitarist Jonas Mattsson and bassist Rasmus Lindbolm joined forces with drummer Daniel Olsson of Scandinavian acoustic indie band HELLSONGS to form a tight yet diverse three-piece, as comfortable with delicate folk passages as they are with crushingly brutal sludge. On their debut album I. Ancestral the trio stretch themselves creatively with material that’ll catch the attention of CULT OF LUNA or ISIS fans without devolving into the self-indulgent excess of many of their peers.

While post-metal has become synonymous with over the top tracks with layer upon layer of ambience stretching out across fifteen minute runtimes, KAZEA keep things refreshingly simple and to the point while still embodying the genre’s core tenets. After the brief yet slow burning opening track With A Knife, led by an eerie monologue reminiscent of Vincent Price’s Thriller intro, KAZEA stride confidently forwards on Pale City Skin with galloping percussion backing a wall of fuzzed-out noise rock style guitars and Mattsson’s ghostly vocals. While still indulging in the post-metal genre’s more dramatic tendencies KAZEA deserve praise for their restraint as they explode out the gate with a strong statement of intent.

CULT OF LUNA’s influence is worn proudly on I. Ancestral, with KAZEA going as far as bringing in founding member Magnus Lindberg to master the album, with plenty of sonic elements borrowed from the post-metal titans. The two longest tracks on the album make the comparison most apparent, with the six minute Trenches employing BLACK BIRCH and GASP vocalist Gina Wiklund for some throat-shredding screams over layers of melodramatic guitar riffs and the seven minute closer Seamlessly Woven steadily building layers of understated ambience to an overwhelmingly huge sounding finale. Don’t mistake their admiration for obsession, while KAZEA clearly hold CULT OF LUNA in high regard they set themselves apart with a keen sense of momentum and a more immediate pace.

Although their post-metal inspirations are clear KAZEA set themselves apart from the throngs of post-metal acts who infest every city in Europe with a heavy emphasis on both blues inspired doom sounds and dark Scandinavian folk ambience. Tracks like Whispering Hand and Wailing Blood prominently feature off-kilter percussion with chains and sleigh bells creating an ominous atmosphere whereas Whispering Hand leans into a surprisingly accessible rock groove with low down guitar and bass riffs clashing with fuzzy synths. While plenty of bands are content with slapping the “post” prefix to their genre as an excuse for ostentatious solos and monotonous riffing KAZEA do truly feel like they’re willing to push their songwriting into interesting new places while staying as listenable as possible.

While wholeheartedly embracing the aesthetic and sounds of post-metal, Swedish trio KAZEA represent a solid entry point for curious newcomers as well as a refreshingly brisk change of pace for existing fans. I. Ancestral manages to pay tribute to the icons of post-metal while avoiding the obnoxious pitfalls that many bands fall into with a swift and confident first stride.

Rating: 6/10

I. Ancestral is set for release 21 March 2025 via Suicide Records.

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