Valais - Valais (2022)

Oozing malevolence and piercing riffs, today we have Ireland’s Valais and their self-titled debut release out in CD and tape format through Signal Rex. While Black Metal bands are a dime a dozen these days, there are only a handful, like this one, that bring the genre to life with gusto and a piercing precision.

A cavernous mood is nicely set with the opener “I”, a track that suddenly changes gears and delivers blistering drumming alongside crushing riffs. The hellish shrieks perfectly fit the band’s sinister nature as pieces like “III” demonstrate with a slower and creepier pace. Similar to outfits like The Ruins of Beverast and Urfaust, we particularly enjoy this style where pace, aggression, and varied vocal styles create unsettling atmospheres.

Mixing in instrumental pieces like “II” and “IV”, this release perfectly builds momentum and delivers swift blows, like on the closer “V”, at just the right time. Overall, this self-titled release is a very powerful and engaging album that showcases a very crafty band with huge potential. If you like sinister and yet punishing and brutal BM, Valais is a band to keep an eye out for.

Label: Signal Rex

Release: March 4th, 2022

Genre: Black Metal

Country: Ireland