Los Angeles atmospheric funeral doom outfit QAALM is pleased to unveil their mammoth new hymn, “Cosmic Descent.” Now playing exclusively at Cvlt Nation, the punishingly sullen eighteen-minute ode comes off the band’s Resilience & Despair full-length debut set for release on April 15th via Toronto, Ontario- based Hypaethral Records.
QAALM features within its ranks former members of Act Of Defiance, Harassor, and Seven Sisters Of Sleep. Despite their collective lineage however, no musical comparison can be made to QAALM, who have forged a sound unlike any of the members’ previous efforts. Combining the crushing heaviness of sludge, the melancholic harmonies of funeral doom, with the atmosphere and intensity of black metal, QAALM manifests a gloomy, depressive, and unique interpretation of the doom metal genre like no other.
Notes lead vocalist Pete Majors of the band’s latest single, “Not unlike the themes of most of the songs, ‘Cosmic Descent’ is shrouded in a bit of a mystery while deeply rooted in the depressive quality of human existence…and the gripping fear and immense pain this mortal coil forges in our daily struggle for understanding.”
Adds Cvlt Nation, “Birth and death are promised to us all! From darkness will always come light! What you see as ugly, I might see as beautiful! QAALM is a blackened post doom band that is a perfect balance between the soil and the sun. Their songs will engulf your heart while pointing your brain cells to another reality. Their music is all about layers and textures of the human condition that we all endure!”
Stream QAALM’s fittingly titled “Cosmic Descent,” courtesy of Cvlt Nation, at THIS LOCATION.
View the band’s previously released video — a truncated version of “Existence Asunder” — at THIS LOCATION.
Resilience & Despair was captured at at Red Light Studios in Los Angeles 2020/2021, engineered and mixed by Steve White, and mastered by Maor Appelbaum.
The record will be released on limited edition 2xLP (on Smoke Swirl, Silver, and Black variants) and digitally via Hypaethral Records and on CD and cassette via Trepanation Recordings. Find preorders at THIS LOCATION. Fans of Neurosis, Corrupted, Asunder, Mournful Congregation, and Isis pay heed.
Henry Derek Elis (lead guitars/vocals) met Pete Majors (lead vocals) shortly after moving to Los Angeles. After attending a gig and later playing a show with his previous band Harassor, the two connected and sure enough there was talk of a potential endeavor.
The early stages of the band consisted of various musicians and the underdeveloped tone of the band proved to be partially incomplete. Something was missing…and after a while, things came to a standstill. Elis took a year off to focus on Act Of Defiance and write new material from scratch. After some soul searching and a renewed approach to writing, Elis laid down the first demos with the help of Christopher Jon, whom he met several years prior through a mutual industry acquaintance.
Majors ultimately introduced a second guitarist, Brock Elmore into the fold. After a relentless run with his previous band, Seven Sisters Of Sleep he would go on to forever change the dynamic of QAALM. With the addition of David Huet on bass, the band continued to cultivate new ideas and expand sonically. The initial objective of creating an atmosphere and inevitably maintaining a stern approach to a “heavy sound” became the band’s mission. Eventually they incorporated baritone octaves, melodic overtones, dissonant chords, harrowing vocals, and ambient textures to intensify the overall sound. Dave Ferrara proved to be the final piece of the puzzle to complete the lineup on drums.
Lyrically, Majors’ presence cannot be overshadowed. Implementing the echoes of his own personal experiences, depression, and adverse aspects of humanity, his voice in essence is the pinnacle of reason. Alas, in the eye of every storm, lay many questions, some of which cannot easily be answered. The definition of QAALM’s sound may very well be one of them. The band persists in reliance of all of their influences to help forge and perfect the aesthetic execution of its prominent core. Utilizing elements of sludge, black metal, and post-rock, QAALM would outgrow any breed of stereotypical commotion regarding style over substance. The band clearly has both and isn’t shy about delivering the goods.
QAALM:
Pete Majors – lead vocals
Henry Derek Elis – lead guitars/vocals
Brock Elmore – rhythm guitars/vocals
David Huet – bass
Dave Ferrara – drums
Session Musicians:
Steve White – drums, keys
Kakophonix – Cello
“Very few debut records have this clearness of vision and a sound this thick and relentless.” — Decibel Magazine
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