Artist: Kūkāʻilimoku
Country: USA
Label: Goatowarex / Nithstang Productions
Formats: LP / Cassette Tape
Year: 2026
Over the past years, basically since this solo-project’s inception in 2019, Kūka’ilimoku has been attracting attention from underground Black Metal fans from various directions. Maybe not a strange thing if you consider that this band’s sound sprung from a multicoloured fountain. The origin of Hawaii also definitely has given the music a rather different flair as all of the aesthetic has been based on indigenous Hawaiian culture. Altogether it has blended into something that some people classify as Black/Punk or Folk/Black while others simply file it under Raw Black Metal. Truth is, they are all correct in their own rights: Kūka’ilimoku is a folk-inspired sort Black Metal with a profound punkish vibe woven throughout the entire discography. Yet, the band differs quite a bit from recording session to another. Sometimes more fierce and angry and more Punk than usual. Other times it seems to harken back to more traditional Black Metal territories. The latter also applies to ‘Aia I Ka ‘Ōpua Ke Ola’, the recently released third Kūka’ilimoku full-length album.
According to the band and the involved labels, Goatowarex and Nithstang Productions, Kūwāha’ilo wanted to manoeuvre his main vessel to the musical waters of Russian and Polish Black Metal. The result of that is this third long player. Albeit being very solid in both musicianship and song writing, I can only conclude that the goal of sounding more Eastern European was only partly achieved. I can hear a bit more traditionalism in the music, especially in the fast and melodic riffing, listen to a song like ‘Kōkolikoli’ for example, of which the beginning has quite a bit of a Drudkh echo. But for the most part, to me the music is still largely based on the Punk-ridden minimalism of Ildjarn/Sort Vokter. That radical sound, bareboned as it is, has been the lifeline throughout the full Kūka’ilimoku, deeply embedded in the band’s DNA, so it might be hard to exchange that for something rather different, even for just a bit.
And, honestly, I am quite happy that this experiment, if that’s the case at all, has resulted in only this – or perhaps this is exactly what Kūwāha’ilo intended. There’s quite a few bands doing the Eastern European-kind of Black Metal thing, but the core business of what Kūka’ilimoku is, has been rather unique. Or, at least the band is at the top of its league. The incorporation of indigenous instruments and vocals, acoustic passages and rather unorthodox melodies and rhythms truly made Kūka’ilimoku instantly recognizable.
Still, or just because of all that, ‘Aia I Ka ‘Ōpua Ke Ola’ is an album that feels as though it’s hovering somewhere between two worlds, just a touch too aimless. As a whole it is still very enjoyable and it is still much better than the average band going into these musical territories, but it lacks a certain intensity that made the band’s previous output such milestones in the genre. Without wanting to sound too harsh, if it were up to me, I’d like to hear a bit more Punk-style wildness and stripped-back Garage riffs again.
