Maulén - El Miedo de Amar (Part 1) (2022)

Hailing from Sweden, Maulén is a music collective with a very unique and engaging sound. We like weird and atmospheric stuff and this EP perfectly fits into both categories. With three tracks and nearly 20 minutes of music, Carlos Ibarra (Age of Woe) and company take listeners through desolate soundscapes that are both exotic and quite melancholic. Not for the close minded, this release has a certain magic that will find you listening to it over and over without even noticing.

Opening with the dreamy “Rostro” and its droney core, nicely adorned by minimalistic guitars and haunting vocal arrangements. This track immediately drew our attention and hooked us on this musical journey. On “Sirjatan” we have Lea Alazam unleashing her hypnotic vocals, reminding us a bit of bands like Wolvennest and Jex Thoth, this track nicely sets a very somber tone that slowly gains momentum until reaching its climax.

The previous track nicely blends into “Friskväderstorget”, the album’s closer which feels quite improvisational with some sparse moody vocal arrangements. Overall, “El Miedo de Amar (Part 1)” is a very unique release that for sure most Metal fans will not like, but those with a tendency to like atmospheric and ritualistic releases will certainly enjoy. We can’t wait for the second part, but until then, we have some spirits to chase with these songs.

Label: Icons Creating Evil Art

Release: September 29th, 2022

Genre: Experimental/Atmospheric

Country: Sweden