Mawiza announce new album ‘ÜL’ with defiant lead single ‘Wingkawnoam’

Like a smoke signal, over the past decade, MAWIZA have risen as a guiding force for indigenous metal. By incorporating native instruments, shamanic chanting and tribal rhythms into their contemporary influences, the band represent both the ancestral and modern sides of Mapuche culture. Their fresh yet timeless take on groove metal has won them a Chilean Grammy along with the respect of scene elders like Mercyful Fate, Mastodon, Slipknot and Joe Duplantier from Gojira, who’s featured on their upcoming new album.

Now, Mawiza are officially announcing their third full-length ÜL by releasing a stunning video for the album’s lead single and opening track. “Wingkawnoam” marches to an industrial beat, but this band of modern-day warriors are guided by the dreams of their indigenous land.

“ÜL means ‘chant'”, Mawiza says. “The album represents the voice of the land, the origin of feeling, the first call to connect with emotions. It is the part of the spirit that, for a few seconds, becomes one with the wind. It’s a force we can hear, resonate, communicate with and return to”.

Watch the video for “Wingkawnoam”: https://youtu.be/xmGW3emx36Y

While they’ve shared the stage with metal’s most influential acts, Mawiza draw from their indigenous roots. Even the lighting strikes of distortion on the lead single from ÜL are conducted through the natural wood of Toki guitars. “Wingkawnoam” marches to an industrial beat, but it’s pounded out on a Mapuche ceremonial drum. “Kultxung is a sacred instrument for Mapuche people”, says drummer Txalkan. “When a shaman plays this drum, they take the energy of the sky and pass it down to the earth”.

ÜL calls for the protection of Mapuche territory. “Milla milla milla rayen Txemfulu pelom lolen püle / Golden flower, You used to grow on the illuminated side of the ravine”, Awka chants in his native language Mapuzungen. Despite developers encroaching on Wallmapu territory, Mawiza continue to honor their ancestor’s unwavering resistance. In English, “Wingkawnoam” means “To Decolonize“. The song’s bounding rhythm mirrors the way a deer dances while eluding its predators.

“When a wemul (deer) is running, it makes a false step to distract what’s chasing it”, Awka says. “We chose a more progressive rhythm for this song as a way to confuse the colonizer”.

Mawiza are a force of nature on ÜL. With sky-scraping riffs and earthshaking grooves, the album’s nine chants awaken the fiery spirits of their homeland. But like their ancestors, the band look to the spirit world for guidance. “Mapuche people believe that dreams are messages from our ancestors”, says Awka. “Wingkawnoam” recounts three separate nocturnal visions – of a mysterious tree, a cemetery-guarding cougar and a bloodthirsty hummingbird – all of which long for reconnection with the natural world.

“Ngillangillatumekeiñ ñi pewmayaetew / We are begging for what was once dreamed”.

The video for “Wingkawnoam” was filmed on location in a Mapuche community outside of Santiago, Chile. “That was really important”, Mawiza says. “We come from the Mapuche, but not enough people recognize that our communities are still very much here”. After a long day on set, the band gathered inside the same ruka that appears on the back cover of ÜL to pray, cook and hear stories from their elders. “It’s important to meet these communities with humility. By not talking a lot and just listening, you’re showing respect. You’re not imposing your own ideas”.

The story captured by the video also comes from the Mapuche. “I read about this Catholic priest in the Pascual Coña, which is a book that compiles the experiences of a Mapuche elder”, Awka remembers. “As a colonizer, the priest was not welcome by the Mapuche and taken prisoner, but members of the community couldn’t agree on his punishment. So his fate was decided by a game of palin”.

In reality, the priest was allowed to go free. But “Wingkawnoam” dares to imagine an alternate ending. Fanned by the flames of the ruka, with one last defiant scream, Mawiza bring his story to a truly headbanging conclusion. Not only does the priest die in the end. The Mapuche steal the colonizer’s power by eating his heart.

“History is normally written by the colonizers”, Mawiza says. “We have to show the indigenous vision”.

Mawiza would like to thank our Mapuche community Ngillatuwe Maipu for welcoming them during the video shoot for “Wingkawnoam“. Their guidance was essential.

The video for “Wingkawnoam” was directed by Andrés Hetzler (@andreshetzler).

“I have been working with Mawiza for several years,” Andrés says. “It’s always an honor to continue our collaboration. Their message deserves a strong and powerful visual. For this video, the band wanted to bring the history of the Mapuche people to a new audience. It shows how important political decisions were resolved in Mapuche culture through a game of palin. I proposed to integrate the band around the bonfire of a ruka, as a symbol for oral storytelling, as this is where Mapuche people gather to remember their history”.

ÜL means “chant” in Mapuzugun. The album represents the voice of the land, the origin of feeling, the first call to connect with emotions. It is the materialization of a part of the spirit that, for a few seconds, becomes one with the wind—a force we can hear, resonate, communicate with, and return to. ÜL is Mawiza’s indigenous chant, and like smoke, it rises as a message to the skies.

Like their Mapuche ancestors, Mawiza always look back. ÜL chants to awaken the energies that have fallen asleep in the land, using the power of the great cities to resist the noise of imbalance. In this way, the album becomes another element of nature, a force defending itself, speaking in its own language to keep fighting and condemning those who continue to futilely subjugate their own strength.

With ÜL, Mawiza present themself to the world with a decolonizing and empowering mission. The album proclaims that nature possesses consciousness and spirit. Opening song “Wingkawnoam” emphasizes the importance of indigenous Mapuche thought by following dreams as precise guides for one’s path in life.

“Pinhza ñi pewma” is a dream that Mawiza’s vocalist Awka had during a time when hummingbirds were nowhere to be seen. Their chant was absent and the chilco plant was disappearing. In Awka’s dream, four hummingbirds came to feed on the blood from his fingertips, as if it were nectar flowing from the flowers of the chilco.

ÜL pays tribute to nature and Mawiza’s ancestors. “Ngulutu” recalls ancient battles between the Mapuche and the Spanish in Santiago, Chile. “Mamüll Reke“, “Wenu Weychan“, “Lhan Antü“, and “Kalli Lhayay” are filled with rhythms and sounds reminiscent of the most hermetic rituals of the Mapuche people. They were used by shamans to induce trance and heal the sick, to communicate with and greet the spirits of the mountains.

Closing song “Ti Inan Paw-pawkan” features chants from members of Mawiza’s indigenous community, as well as Gojira frontman Joe Duplantier. It is here, during the album’s finale, that the band stake their claim as both indigenous and urban. The song acknowledges the mission entrusted to Mawiza by Mapuche authorities and by the land itself: to raise awareness about balance on Earth in an empowered way and to call for greater attentiveness to Mapuche territory. Otherwise, the consequences will be dire.

Lineup:
Awka – Lead vocals & rhythm guitar
Karü – Lead guitar & backing vocals
Zewü – Bass & backing vocals
Txalkan – Drums & percussion