XALPEN is here. This black metal act has returned with their new upcoming full-length release, "The Curse of Kwányep", set to be unleashed this year (24th March) via Black Lodge Records.

Before diving headfirst into the review, I'm aware of Chilean Extreme Metal, with its raw, extreme and unholy atmosphere/musical spectrum-simultaneously, XALPEN is the first time I've heard these demons and only been around since 2014; this band and music is an incredible discovery. At the same time, one of the members is Alvaro Lillo, who also has a hand in WATAIN's instrumental arsenal (live shows) and various death metal projects.

So, without hesitation, let us begin our ancestral spiritual journey with the opening track, "K'yewe (Intro)", which welcomes the listener with an eerie ambience soundscape to a grisly and icy cold musical spectrum of the remaining ten pieces that consist of dark-instrumental and vocal work which delivers remarkable craftsmanship and musicianship for providing the listener's ears with howling-dissonant riffage, with tremolo picking. Additional guitar solos are both offered by Kree-chinen on tracks six and eight and George Emmanuel on tracks two, three, four, five and nine, backed by raunchy bass riffs, cascade drum strikes and blast-beast. In contrast, the vocals work consists of classic black metal shrieks. In contrast, the female chants on the seventh track, "Mah-Ká Xalpen", are provided by Dalila Damaris.

At the same time, the music is equally punishing as the vocals, instrumental and lyrics; there's a strong emphasis on raw and frenetic speed- where this nightmarish piece of art has no remorse for the listener's ears or soul with the deliverance of their anguish music (again) grisly, grim and cold extreme metal filled with aggression and genuinely dark and mysterious charge behind every single moment of the band's gruellingly harsh atmosphere with a solid link to their ancestral homelands and traditions, summoning long-lost spirits/archaic spirituals, Ancient occult knowledge and shamanic devotion by channelling ritualistic vibrations within the Black Arts and the Spiritual development into their black metal and dark musical spectrum.

Pausing the review, with a note on the ninth track, "Moon-Woman," is performed and recorded by E. Forcas - and the first single from the new album. "Moon-Woman," is a haunting tale of a mythological matriarch of the selk'nam mythology practised in Tierra del Fuego. As always (mentioned before), XALPEN brings their raw Black Metal sound, channelling ritualistic vibrations within the Black Arts and the spiritual voyage through ancient occult traditions, and Moon-Woman (Kre'-Naa) does not deviate from this unholy path.

In my opinion, XALPEN has delivered a perfect release, solid and raw black metal, while keeping the spirit of classic/old-school extreme metal in their musical veins -this is what I like about South American underground extreme and non-extreme metal acts -keeping the (again) the music raw/harsh, cold/grim or old-school while keeping their ancestral homeland spirit alive.<