There are many great extreme metal bands in Sweden, but only one from Kalix. This remote beauty spot near the Finnish border, on the northernmost shores of the Baltic, is home to Jacob Björnfot, creative mastermind behind melodic black/death metal project, KVAEN. KVAEN's debut album THE FUNERAL PYRE was released unto the world in the beginning of 2020. Heavily influenced by traditional speed metal, folk music, death metal and relentless black metal the album received stellar reviews and launched the project unto stages all over Europe. In 2022 KVAEN released their second album THE GREAT BELOW featuring Jeff Loomis (Arch Enemy, Nevermore), Mike Wead (Mercyful Fate, King Diamond) and Vreth (Finntroll). The album once more received a blazing reception, taking the band to new level and proving that KVAEN truly are a force to be reckoned with. KVAEN’s third album The Formless Fires - their first for those world-renowned headhunters at Metal Blade Records – is a sumptuous but bitingly intense exploration of beauty and violence, a melodic black metal masterwork radiating an inspirational sense of place. Order: www.metalblade.com/Kvaen