Kingnomad – “Mapping The Inner Void” [Album Review]

I must admit that I have an undying jealousy for the Swedes; their country is filled with amazing people, culture, a rich history, and one of the best pysch/stoner/doom scenes in the world, all which is set to a beautiful backdrop. If I wasn’t in possession of this incredible album, I might just have to write a tourism piece for Sweden.

But what is a much-understated Swedish characteristic is their work ethic and ability to both conceive and produce things that are so humbling and unapologetic. It’s something that is missed quite often in North America, where a lot of the times what is produced has to be glammed up and gimmicked. Kingnomad is a prime example of what should be done during the process of writing music; their passion and love for the art shows endlessly through out this album. No gimmicks. No frills. Just pure rock and roll.

Mapping The Inner Void begins with a collage of distant music of a soft piano, before getting down to business with a smoke-fueled 70’s riff and harmonic vocals. It carries a nice pace throughout which is reminiscent of 70’s occult rock (think Coven or Sabbath). And while these days you can’t throw a rock without hitting a 70’s fuzz band, Kingnomad has stuck its nose out ahead of the race. Filling those voids that others had left behind. Maybe it’s the aforementioned thought of their passion that is pouring out of their basement studio that has tapped into the true spirit of old doom.

The DIY drive behind this group is a factor that will take them far. The small village in Northern Sweden will act as a hub for this band, keeping them grounded enough to push forward and turn out groundbreaking albums. While no tour dates have been announced, expect to see a lot more attention on these guys, not only with gigs, but also in heavily rotated playlists this year.

Mapping The Inner Void Track Listing:

01. Lucifer’s Dream
02. Nameless Cult
03. Whispers From R’lyeh
04. The Witches Garden
05. The Green Meadow Part 1 & 2
06. She Wizard
07. The Waiting Game

Run Time: 36:42
Release Date: February 24, 2017

Check out the album’s song “Nameless Cult”