CWEALM | Sweden

For Astraeus, sole member of Cwealm, the past is indeed alive. Musically influenced by anything dark and sombre – be it gregorian chants, Spanish guitar or bleak circus music – his main roots lie in the black/death metal scene of the 1990’s; particularly in Scandinavia. He created Cwealm in 2014. Having had musical ideas for a long time, suddenly everything fell into place. A journey began where revisiting old classics (Mayhem, Dissection, Burzum, At the Gates) led to songwriting and ultimately to the recording of his first full length album, Odes to No Hereafter. No bland retro affair, it pays homage to the masters of yore by deconstructing their essence into a fresh and compelling synthesis. Aggressive yet fiercely melodic, Cwealm also is a subtly technical undertaking. Lyric-wise an occult misanthropy is ever-present. Astraeus has put into odic words his deepest personal wish – for the end of it all. Since, as the misanthrope E. M. Cioran would have it: “Life is nothing; death, everything.”