Photo Credit: Helgea Hekatae

Chilean black metal outfit Xalpen’s new album, The Curse of Kwányep, was released on March 24th via Black Lodge Records. Metal Insider caught up with the group to discuss the record.

What was the recording process like for the new album, The Curse of Kwányep?

HELLo Metal Insider and all the readers. The Curse of Kwányep has been the best recording process in our career in many aspects. The most significant that happened is that we could gather all together this time in the studio to finish the details of the songs, a full band-full process, in Uppsala, Sweden at the Bomb Shelter Studio, and then the mix and mastering by George Emmanuel at Pentagram Music Studio in Athens, Greece. The artwork and layout are made by Helgea Hekatae. In the cd version, you will also find a bonus track song, a cover from the legendary Spanish Heavy Metal band ”Angeles del Infierno”, song name: Diabolicca. 

How would you compare this record to 2020’s Sawken Xo’on?

Every step should be a challenge and a new chapter of your own script, I don’t feel comfortable comparing my work if this was better than the other or things like that but in fact, there are differences between every work we have been doing. Musically I think on this album we focused on the final studio work, soundwise it has to be a step forward and I think we succeeded in it. Also, we have left a bit aside the background (Void of Noises) that we created for the Sawken Xo´on album, just because we didn’t want to spend a long time on production, we wanted and needed a straight classic recording and mixing process this time. It is also the state of mind and the cone of power that a band creates when working in the studio, some thoughts manifest by themselves.

What songs were more challenging to write?

I don´t know, I guess all of them.

Can you talk more about the songs “The Beast from the East” and “Moon-Woman?”

In the Beast from the East we sang about an ancient shaman or ancestor that carried the spirit of telluric forces, volcanic energy that makes the heart of the earth bleed in the form of burning lava, constantly cleansing and forming the territory. It is also a great power, he does not share human feelings or desires, and he does not listen to pleas. He is the burning lava.   

About Moon-Woman I can say that is our approach and canalization of the comparative mysticism between different cultures and civilizations concerning the adoration of the Moon as a divine character. In this case, the chants go to Kre´, a powerful female shaman or mythic ancestor from the matriarchy era that escapes to the firmament in a fabulous transformation, after the slaughter and slain of the Selk´nam women by the hand of their man. She is also the Godmother, protector, and spiritual guide of all the creatures of the night, women and children.

What are some bands from the Chilean metal scene that have influenced your music?

I don’t think there is a Black Metal band in Chile that influenced me or us when the work concerned Xalpen. 

Do you have any plans this year you can reveal to us?

Plans are always there, now the album is out and the booking shows work started. That will be the first plan to make it happen, some tour dates in Europe this summer, and after that, we must have confirmed the date for the special performance in Patagonia (Chile) for the end of this year. Another plan is the release of an official video of the album title song ”The Curse of Kwányep”, which will happen in April 2023.

Is there anything else you want to say or add about the new album?

Thanks to all the maniacs that listened and bought this new album, we believe you will enjoy our black art. Cheers, and stay satanic!