From Bandcamp, “KAZEA is a heavy, genre-defying trio that forges dark and visceral anthems, melding the power of post-rock, the haunting melodies of neofolk, and the crushing weight of sludge, carving their own path in the metal landscape. Their debut album, “I. Ancestral,” is a cathartic exploration of heritage, pain and redemption.” The album has eight songs, and “With a Knife” is first, and it has tense and harrowing tones, with a side heaping of somber, and the vocals are spoken words. “Pale City Skin” has more weighted tones, and the darkness worsens. Is this a nightmare? The vocals are smooth, but very melancholy, and the music matches the sober mood.

“Trenches” has an ALICE IN CHAINS influenced sound to it…that sludgy, grungy approach that drips with melancholy tones. The harsh vocals push the sound from somber to angry, and there are a lot of emotions here. “Whispering Hand” has more energy and punch behind it, crossing over into Crust a bit. There is a distinctive groove in both the music and the vocals, and the song has some catchy qualities to it, especially in the vocal harmonies in the chorus. “A Strange Burial” is much shorter, and perhaps, another mood-setter. “Wailing Blood” has a heavy weight behind it, and the riff is bossy. It is still quite somber, but it rises above the dreariness for a while. “The North Passage” reminds me of discovering another way to something, and it’s a secret way that you must guard from others. Harsh vocals lash out with anger while the song maintains an even keel.

“Seamlessly Woven” closes the album, and it does so with a lot of tension. Tones of night open the song, leading to more of a smoother ride, but it is not in daylight…it is by the night of a moon veiled by clouds. The melody here is very nice. This was a fascinating album whose sound mirrored the album cover, and I would love to hear more from the band. The cover shows a person with rags covering his face, and sticks for hair, and I think we can all relate to this image at times. The music was expertly blended without genre labels to reflect this image and these feelings.