Hailing from Greece, Kawir create epic black metal inspired by their homeland’s vast mythological tradition. As expected from this type of enterprise and its presentation, the tone is solar and triumphant, without however neglecting the tragic element that necessarily underlies all forms of heroism. Accordingly, the band integrates melodies (and a notably clear production) more reminiscent of an heavy/power metal context with the pace and vicious power of black metal.
Consonance abounds in these songs whose main constituent is soaring, melodic tremolo-picked riffs, adorned by leads and anthemic keyboards and choruses. Unlike bands that primarily feed on the tension created by radical contrasts and the creative possibilities of rampant chromaticism, Kawir stand out for their attention to melody, opting instead for the subtler approach of settling on a core melodic idea and developing it through slight changes. Take as a representative example the first track, starting with a chorus that is then translated to the guitars, providing the song’s driving riff. Sometimes a change as small as a new instrumental layer proves significant, such being the case of the added warmth of the wind instruments.
Like Enslaved, Kawir often allow each section to go on for longer than necessary; in some of these moments, it’s up to the drums to inject variation by energizing the song through blast-beats or fills. The care that the band grants each section is particularly apparent in the more elaborate riffs that seem to contain within themselves a complete and satisfying movement, such as the second song’s main riff or the pinch-harmonic-stinged one that follows it. This level of detail compensates for most of the song’s structural simplicity. Often, the dynamics can be summarised by the countering of the tremolo-picked passages by power chord sections of a different rhythmic register. This may leave some listeners desirous of further developments, specially considering that some of the band’s finest moments occur when it gets adventurous (examples including closing track “Medea” or a few others from previous albums).
Amidst the derivative tiredness that plagues most of the current metal scene, Kawir once again manage to deliver an album with vibrant passion and conviction to match its subject matter. Appropriate and recommendable as it is for newcomers, we also redirect those to the band’s earlier works, in particular 2012’s Isotheos and 2017’s Exilasmos in order to get a fuller idea of their songwriting prowess.
