Volahn
NYC | 01.26.2025
Photo by Sam James @samjames.jpeg
A Blaze in the West
Volahn
The thing Volahn get right that so many contemporary Black Metal bands get wrong is they are creating music that is authentic to them and their environment. They don’t pretend like they are from a frozen Nordic location in the 90s. The world they build is one they inhabit. Blast beats stomping with a western twang. A dark horizon illuminated by a distant fire. Gold watches, cowboy boots and hand-painted black leather vests. Their visual identity is as ownable as their sound.
My understanding of Spanish is embarrassingly pathetic. But the great thing about bands that scream over distorted music is you don’t really get the lyrics unless you look into them. It’s about feeling. Texture. I don’t need to understand word for word what’s being said. You feel it in the room. Volahn’s use of language feels like an act of defiance. A string of insults hurled at the bleakness of existence in a language I’ve heard my entire life, but barely understand. I’m only assuming this is right. I can only go off what Google translate tells me. Pathetic white boy behavior, I know.
It’s easier said than done to take a path not already established as acceptable and good, especially in Metal, even more in Black Metal. It takes real courage and confidence. What Volahn are creating feels like a stylistic shift away from the standards of the 2nd wave towards something new. They are blazing a trail of their own. Leaving a dead horse to rot in the desert sun behind them. Singular. BTC, a creative force that demands respect.
Words by Luke James | Photos by Sam James