While already Chilean Grammy winners, this year, Mawiza continued their rise as a guiding force for indigenous metal. Behind their critically-acclaimed new album ÜL, the modern day Mapuche warriors appeared on magazine covers, took the stage at major summer festivals and brought home a LIT Music Award.

Today, Mawiza are capping off 2025 by releasing a special performance from Gojira frontman Joe Duplantier’s Silver Cord Studio. Introduced by ceremonial Mapuche chanting, this session features the thunderous stomp of “Wingkawnoam”, the towering “Mamüll Reke”, earthshaking lament “Ti Inan Paw-Pawkan” and other defiant anthems from ÜL. Fittingly, the band closed their Silver Cord session with a rousing cover of Gojira’s “Amazonia”.      

“I love Mawiza! For their music, for who they are as individuals and for what they stand for”, Joe Duplantier says. “They represent and honor their powerful Mapuche heritage, amplifying its relevant message of connection with our roots and the universe as a whole. And they do so with determination and in the most modern way, with heavy riffs and an openness to new ideas and to the world. A conversation between past, present and future. Don’t give up the fight!”  

Watch Mawiza’s session on the Silver Chord Studio YouTube channel:

ÜL is available now on  Season of Mist. Order & Stream: https://orcd.co/mawizaul

“In the winter season of 2024, Mawiza arrived at Silver Chord Studio in New York, right in the middle of the Northern summer. We came answering an invitation from Joe Duplantier”, recalls Mawiza’s vocalist and guitarist Awka. “We traveled light, almost with nothing, the way bands from the bottom usually move. By trusting more in our newen than in any objects, we knew that if the path was true, the music would find its own tools. And that’s exactly what happened. Joe welcomed us with a generosity that still moves us, a kind of care for guests that feels very close to what we are taught since childhood in our nation. He didn’t hesitate to lend us his own instruments so we could shape the noise we carry inside”. 

“Silvercord felt like a crack in reality for us”, Awka continues, “metal breathing from the walls, the city howling outside, and us walking with the shadow of our ancestors over a faraway land. The north of Abya Yala has ancient guardians; we felt them watching, testing us, opening the way only because we arrived with respect and memory. 

“We thank Joe for his honest and powerful hospitality, along with his family for receiving us with warmth from their hearts. We also thank Jamie for his impeccable work and all the people at Silver Cord. Finally, we thank the spirits of that distant mapu for letting us create without losing the pulse of who were are. We returned to our territory marked by a dark echo, a spiritual weight that is born only when the energy of nature and the brotherhood of metal meet in distant lands”. 

Don’t miss Mawiza when they headline next year’s Pumapu Rock Fest XVII and perform at Midgardsblot.

Mawiza 2026 Tour Dates
January 10 – Santa Juana, Chile @ Pumapu Rock Fest XVII [TICKETS]
12- 15 August – Borre, Norway @ Midgardsblot [TICKETS]

more dates announcing soon!

Tracklist
1. Wingkawnoam (3:38) [WATCH]
2. Pinhza Ñi pewma  (4:29)
3. Ngulutu (3:50)
4. Nawelkünuwnge  (5:06)
5. Mamüll Reke  (4:24) [WATCH]
6. Wenu Weychan (6:13)
7. Lhan Antü (4:08)
8. Kalli Lhayay (3:58)
9. Ti Inan Paw-Pawkan (featuring Joe Duplantier from Gojira) (4:42) [WATCH]

Tracklist(English Translation)
1. To Decolonize (3:38) [WATCH]
2. Hummingbird Dream  (4:29)
3. Western Storm (3:50)
4. Become a Cougar  (5:06)
5. Just Like The Tree (4:24) [WATCH]
6. The War of the Sky (6:13)
7. Dead of the Sun (4:08)
8. Let It Die (3:58)
9. The Last Harp Call (featuring Joe Duplantier from Gojira) (4:42) [WATCH]

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

Guest musicians
–Fabiola Hidalgo (Liquen) contributes vocals to “Wingkawnoam”, “Pinhza Ñi pewma”, “Ngulutu” and “Mamüll reke”
–Joe Duplantier (Gojira) contributes vocals to “Ti Inan Paw-Pawkan”

Recording Studio
Estudio del Sur in Chile

Producer
Pancho Arenas

Sound & Mixing Engineer
Pancho Arenas

Mastering Studio
West West Side Music

Mastering Engineer
Alan Douches

Cover Art
Kata Ulloa

Follow Mawiza
Bandcamp: https://mawizakvlt.bandcamp.com
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/mawizakvlt
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/mawizakvlt
TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@mawizakvlt
Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/artist/4oJP24bXA2fbdVmNGNmCtt
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mawizakvlt
Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/mawiza/1653435953

Backed by their defiant and critically-acclaimed new album, Mawiza continue to serve as a guiding force for indigenous metal. Fresh off a spirited European tour with fellow Chileans Ater, the modern day Mapuche warriors recently received a new medal from the LIT Music Awards. “Mamüll Reke”, the towering single from ÜL, was named the Silver winner in the category for Metal/Hardcore Songwriting.

“We are deeply honored by this recognition” says Mawiza’s guitarist and vocalist Awka. “Our chant ÜL was born from our struggle to defend the land and the spirit that lives within it. Knowing that people from around the world have felt that pulse, the call of nature and resistance, means everything to us. Deep thanks to the judges and to everyone who keeps this newen alive”. 

With its quick-fire double bass and cavernous growls, “Mamüll Reke” might sound like a world that’s on the verge of collapse. But at its core, the song is steeled by the resilience and resistance of not only the Mapuche people but also their native land. In English, the song translates to “Just Like the Tree”. Soaring above the clouds with brightly piercing flute, the enchanting chorus summons its harmonious energy with a mournful Afafan war cry.

Mamüll reke / Lhalu witxan / Afafalen / Lhayaiñ ka (Just like the tree / that dies standing / chanting the war cry / we will die too).

“This is one of the most melodic songs on ÜL“, Mawiza says. “We wanted it to bring the same energy that you carry into battle. We will die like a burning tree standing. Because nature has taught us everything we are”.

ÜL is available now on  Season of Mist.  Order & Stream: https://orcd.co/mawizaul

Don’t miss Mawiza when they headline next year’s Pumapu Rock Fest XVII

Mawiza 2026 Tour Dates
January 10 – Santa Juana, Chile @ Pumapu Rock Fest XVII [TICKETS]

more dates announcing soon!

Tracklist
1. Wingkawnoam (3:38) [WATCH]
2. Pinhza Ñi pewma  (4:29)
3. Ngulutu (3:50)
4. Nawelkünuwnge  (5:06)
5. Mamüll Reke  (4:24) [WATCH]
6. Wenu Weychan (6:13)
7. Lhan Antü (4:08)
8. Kalli Lhayay (3:58)
9. Ti Inan Paw-Pawkan (featuring Joe Duplantier from Gojira) (4:42) [WATCH]

Tracklist(English Translation)
1. To Decolonize (3:38) [WATCH]
2. Hummingbird Dream  (4:29)
3. Western Storm (3:50)
4. Become a Cougar  (5:06)
5. Just Like The Tree (4:24) [WATCH]
6. The War of the Sky (6:13)
7. Dead of the Sun (4:08)
8. Let It Die (3:58)
9. The Last Harp Call (featuring Joe Duplantier from Gojira) (4:42) [WATCH]

Mawiza are a force of nature on ÜL. With sky-scraping riffs and earthshaking grooves, these nine chants call for the protection of Mapuche territory. Opening ceremony “Wingkawnoam” stomps to an industrial groove, but the song’s bounding rhythm mirrors the way a deer dances while eluding its predators. “History is normally written by the colonizers”, the band says. “We have to show the indigenous vision”.

Mawiza have seen the Mapuche Nation endure tremendous hardships. With its storming leads and blood-pumping chants, “Ngulutu” echoes the ancient battles between the Spanish and Mapuche by channeling the strength of the Mapocho and Maipo rivers. Half of the video for “Mamüll Reke” was filmed on Mapuche territory in southern Chile, outside the city of Valdivia, that is now controlled by two timbre companies.

But the band are steeled by the resistance of not only their Mapuche ancestors but also their land. Soaring above the clouds with brightly piercing flute, “Mamüll Reke” draws its harmonious energy from a mournful Afafan war cry. “Mamüll reke / Lhalu witxan / Afafalen / Lhayaiñ ka (Just like the tree / that dies standing / chanting the war cry / we will die too)”. 

“The Mapuche are still standing”, Mawiza’s vocalist and guitarist Awka says. “You can cut us down, but if one falls, ten shall rise”.

For the album’s climactic harp-strung defense, Mawiza bring together allies from across their community. Gojira frontman Joe Duplantier joins forces with Mapuche tribesmen on “Ti Inan Paw-Pawkan”, which comes roaring down with the rushing force of a waterfall. “We wanted this song to sound like nature resisting the advancement of the city”, says the band’s drummer Txalkan. “Even when crushed by industrial pollution, nature is always pushing up from beneath the concrete”.    

On ÜL, Mawiza summon ancestral spirit with modern groove metal.

“I have been working with Mawiza for several years,” says Andrés Hetzler, who filmed all three videos for ÜL. “It’s always an honor to continue our collaboration. Their message deserves a strong and powerful visual”.

“This was a profound experience”, says the band’s photographer Kata Ulloa. “I would like to thank the Mapuche community for opening their doors to me, welcoming me so warmly and allowing me to get to know their culture from the inside. I would also like to thank Mawiza for trusting my aesthetic and vision for their album cover. I deeply love the band’s honesty and character, as subtle as it is expansive”.

More info:

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

Guest musicians
Fabiola Hidalgo (Liquen) contributes vocals to “Wingkawnoam”, “Pinhza Ñi pewma”, “Ngulutu” and “Mamüll reke”

Joe Duplantier (Gojira) contributes vocals to “Ti Inan Paw-Pawkan”

Recording Studio
Estudio del Sur in Chile

Producer
Pancho Arenas

Sound & Mixing Engineer
Pancho Arenas

Mastering Studio
West West Side Music

Mastering Engineer
Alan Douches

Cover Art
Kata Ulloa

Follow Mawiza
Bandcamp: https://mawizakvlt.bandcamp.com
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/mawizakvlt
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/mawizakvlt
TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@mawizakvlt
Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/artist/4oJP24bXA2fbdVmNGNmCtt
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mawizakvlt
Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/mawiza/1653435953

Like smoke from a shaman’s pipe, Mawiza have risen as a guiding force for indigenous metal. Integrating tribal rhythms and ancient instruments into groove metal has won these modern day Mapuche warriors respect from the Chilean Grammys and scene elders like Mercyful Fate, Mastodon, Slipknot and Gojira. Now, with their third album and first for Season of Mist, the band are summoning a towering defense of their ancestral land. 

“Sung entirely in Mapudungun, it’s as thematically enlightening as it is musically distinct”, Metal Hammer UK writes about ÜL in an 8/10 review. “…these up-and-comers feel close to fully formed and vital to listen to”.

“In a genre that too often forgets its own roots, Mawiza are digging deep into language, into legacy, into land and returning with something eternal”, writes Metal Lair. “Not just a great Latin American metal record. One of the year’s most important”. 

ÜL was released, Friday, July 18, and you can hear all nine defiant anthems by listening to the full album stream on the Season of Mist YouTube channel.  

Order the album: https://orcd.co/mawizaul

“ÜL is the voice of the land, the origin of feeling, the first call to connect with emotions”, Mawiza says. “Our new album is the materialization of a part of the spirit that, for a few seconds, becomes one with the wind – a force we can hear, feel resonating, communicate with, and return to. It is our indigenous chant, and like smoke, it rises as a message to the skies”.

Hear Mawiza perform ÜL during their ongoing European tour with fellow Chilean metalheads Ater. 

Immortal Flame 2025 European Tour
July 19 – Targu Jiu, Romania @ Piano
July 20 – Sibiu, Romania @ Rock & Bike
July 21 – Timisoara, Romania @ Nemesis
July 22 – Brasov, Romania @ La Templarie Pub
July 23 – Arad, Romania @ Club Flex
July 24 – Budapest, Hungary @ Riff
July 25 – Szeged, Hungary @ Varosi Club
July 26 – Pecs, Hungary @ Vararok
July 27 – Ostrava, Czech Republic @ Barrack
July 31 – Pinerolo, Italy @ Spazio Nino
August 1 – Barberaz, France @ Brin De Zinc
August 2 – Ostend, Belgium @ B52

Mawiza are a force of nature on ÜL. With sky-scraping riffs and earthshaking grooves, these nine chants call for the protection of Mapuche territory. Opening ceremony “Wingkawnoam” stomps to an industrial groove, but the song’s bounding rhythm mirrors the way a deer dances while eluding its predators. “History is normally written by the colonizers”, the band says. “We have to show the indigenous vision”.

Mawiza have seen the Mapuche Nation endure tremendous hardships. With its storming leads and blood-pumping chants, “Ngulutu” echoes the ancient battles between the Spanish and Mapuche by channeling the strength of the Mapocho and Maipo rivers. Half of the video for “Mamüll Reke” was filmed on Mapuche territory in southern Chile, outside the city of Valdivia, that is now controlled by two timbre companies.

But the band are steeled by the resistance of not only their Mapuche ancestors but also their land. Soaring above the clouds with brightly piercing flute, “Mamüll Reke” draws its harmonious energy from a mournful Afafan war cry. “Mamüll reke / Lhalu witxan / Afafalen / Lhayaiñ ka (Just like the tree / that dies standing / chanting the war cry / we will die too)”. 

“The Mapuche are still standing”, Mawiza’s vocalist and guitarist Awka says. “You can cut us down, but if one falls, ten shall rise”.

For the album’s climactic harp-strung defense, Mawiza bring together allies from across their community. Gojira frontman Joe Duplantier joins forces with Mapuche tribesmen on “Ti Inan Paw-Pawkan”, which comes roaring down with the rushing force of a waterfall. “We wanted this song to sound like nature resisting the advancement of the city”, says the band’s drummer Txalkan. “Even when crushed by industrial pollution, nature is always pushing up from beneath the concrete”.    

On ÜL, Mawiza summon ancestral spirit with modern groove metal.

“I love Mawiza! For their music, for who they are as individuals and for what they stand for”, Joe Duplantier says. “They represent and honor their powerful Mapuche heritage, amplifying its relevant message of connection with our roots and the universe as a whole. And they do so with determination and in the most modern way, with heavy riffs and an openness to new ideas and to the world. A conversation between past, present and future. Don’t give up the fight!”.

“I have been working with Mawiza for several years,” says Andrés Hetzler, who filmed all three videos for ÜL. “It’s always an honor to continue our collaboration. Their message deserves a strong and powerful visual”.

“This was a profound experience”, says the band’s photographer Kata Ulloa. “I would like to thank the Mapuche community for opening their doors to me, welcoming me so warmly and allowing me to get to know their culture from the inside. I would also like to thank Mawiza for trusting my aesthetic and vision for their album cover. I deeply love the band’s honesty and character, as subtle as it is expansive”.

Tracklist
1. Wingkawnoam (3:38) [WATCH]
2. Pinhza Ñi pewma  (4:29)
3. Ngulutu (3:50)
4. Nawelkünuwnge  (5:06)
5. Mamüll Reke  (4:24) [WATCH]
6. Wenu Weychan (6:13)
7. Lhan Antü (4:08)
8. Kalli Lhayay (3:58)
9. Ti Inan Paw-Pawkan (featuring Joe Duplantier from Gojira) (4:42) [WATCH]

Tracklist(English Translation)
1. To Decolonize (3:38) [WATCH]
2. Hummingbird Dream  (4:29)
3. Western Storm (3:50)
4. Become a Cougar  (5:06)
5. Just Like The Tree (4:24) [WATCH]
6. The War of the Sky (6:13)
7. Dead of the Sun (4:08)
8. Let It Die (3:58)
9. The Last Harp Call (featuring Joe Duplantier from Gojira) (4:42) [WATCH]

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

Guest musicians
Fabiola Hidalgo (Liquen) contributes vocals to “Wingkawnoam”, “Pinhza Ñi pewma”, “Ngulutu” and “Mamüll reke”

Joe Duplantier (Gojira) contributes vocals to “Ti Inan Paw-Pawkan”

Recording Studio
Estudio del Sur in Chile

Producer
Pancho Arenas

Sound & Mixing Engineer
Pancho Arenas

Mastering Studio
West West Side Music

Mastering Engineer
Alan Douches

Cover Art
Kata Ulloa

Follow Mawiza
Bandcamp: https://mawizakvlt.bandcamp.com
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/mawizakvlt
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/mawizakvlt
TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@mawizakvlt
Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/artist/4oJP24bXA2fbdVmNGNmCtt
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mawizakvlt
Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/mawiza/1653435953

Summoning thunderous tribal rhythms and indigenous instruments within the fields of modern metal has earned Mawiza recognition from the Chilean Grammys and respected elders like Mercyful Fate, Mastodon and Slipknot. But this band of modern day warriors are still a force of nature when paired down to their rawest form. 

Today, Mawiza are releasing an unplugged version of the latest single off the band’s upcoming third album ÜL. Though stripped bare, “Mamüll Reke” still stands in towering defense of their ancestral land.   

“Like other songs from ÜL, ‘Mamüll Reke’ was written in a way that everything could be reduced to melody and kültxung, the Mapuche drum”, says Mawiza’s vocalist and guitarist Awka. “The melody and lyrics are strong enough to guide the song on their own”.   

ÜL comes out July 18 on Season of Mist.

Pre-order & Pre-save: https://orcd.co/mawizaul

When Mawiza are armed with their electric guitars,  “Mamüll Reke” soars above the treetops amidst headbanging riffs and piercing flute. But the unplugged version of the band’s latest single feels just as heavy. Brittle acoustic strums scrape against rattling percussion. As Txalkan steadily pounds away like a procession of mourners, with weary resolve, Awka chants for defending the Mapuche’s land no matter the cost.

“Mamüll reke / Lhalu witxan / Afaflen (Just like the tree / that dies standing / chanting the way cry“, he sings with grim determination. “Lhayaiñ ka (We will die too)“.

“We aim for the unplugged versions of our songs to be even heavier and darker”, Awka says. “Without the distortion and loud drums, the message comes through more clearly. It might even be easier to feel our territory”.

To capture the song’s hard-fought message, Mawiza shot this video close to home. Spread along the outskirts near where the band live in Chile, the Panul Forest is Santiago’s last native forest. “It’s a very special place for us”, remarks Awka. “The forest has no protection against encroaching building projects, but the Machi, who’s the spiritual leader of the area, has always invited us to visit, sing, bring joy and share our newen, which means energy in Mapuzugun”. Stirred by its haunting final verse, “Mamüll reke” calls upon the spirits sleeping amidst the trees to reawaken. “Txüfken mew püruan kuyfi nhewen txepeam (I will dance on the ashes to awaken the ancient forces)”.

“We feel this forest is like ourselves, resisting time and the city’s advances”, Awka concludes. “It was the perfect place to record the unplugged version of ‘Mamüll Reke'”. 

The video for the unplugged version of “Mamüll Reke” was directed and edited by  Andrés Hetzler (@andreshetzler). 

Hear Mawiza perform “Mamüll Reke” and other defiant anthems from ÜL this summer when they tour Europe this summer alongside fellow Chilean metalheads Ater. 

Immortal Flame 2025 European Tour
more dates to be announced!
July 16 – Maribor, Slovenia @ Gustaf Pekarna
July 17 – Miskolc, Hungary @ Zugivo
July 18 – Deva, Romania @ John’s La Cetate
July 19 – Targu Jiu, Romania @ Piano
July 20 – Sibiu, Romania @ Rock & Bike
July 21 – Timisoara, Romania @ Nemesis
July 22 – Brasov, Romania @ La Templarie Pub
July 23 – Arad, Romania @ Club Flex
July 24 – Budapest, Hungary @ Riff
July 25 – Szeged, Hungary @ Varosi Club
July 26 – Pecs, Hungary @ Vararok
July 27 – Ostrava, Czech Republic @ Barrack
July 31 – Pinerolo, Italy @ Spazio Nino
August 1 – Barberaz, France @ Brin De Zinc
August 2 – Ostend, Belgium @ B52

Can’t wait to chant along to ÜL? Hear the whole album a week before it comes out by RSVPing for the band’s upcoming Bandcamp Listening Party

ÜL Bandcamp Listening Party
Thursday, July 10 @ 1 pm Eastern Time – RSVP

Tracklist
1. Wingkawnoam (3:38) [WATCH]
2. Pinhza Ñi pewma  (4:29)
3. Ngulutu (3:50)
4. Nawelkünuwnge  (5:06)
5. Mamüll Reke  (4:24) [WATCH]
6. Wenu Weychan (6:13)
7. Lhan Antü (4:08)
8. Kalli Lhayay (3:58)
9. Ti Inan Paw-Pawkan (featuring Joe Duplantier from Gojira) (4:42)

Tracklist(English Translation)
1. To Decolonize (3:38) [WATCH]
2. Hummingbird Dream  (4:29)
3. Western Storm (3:50)
4. Become a Cougar  (5:06)
5. Just Like The Tree (4:24) [WATCH]
6. The War of the Sky (6:13)
7. Dead of the Sun (4:08)
8. Let It Die (3:58)
9. The Last Harp Call (featuring Joe Duplantier from Gojira) (4:42)

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

Guest musicians
Fabiola Hidalgo (Liquen) contributes vocals to “Wingkawnoam”, “Pinhza Ñi pewma”, “Ngulutu” and “Mamüll reke”

Joe Duplantier (Gojira) contributes vocals to “Ti Inan Paw-Pawkan”

Recording Studio
Estudio del Sur in Chile

Producer
Pancho Arenas

Sound & Mixing Engineer
Pancho Arenas

Mastering Studio
West West Side Music

Mastering Engineer
Alan Douches

Cover Art
Kata Ulloa

Follow Mawiza
Bandcamp: https://mawizakvlt.bandcamp.com
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/mawizakvlt
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/mawizakvlt
TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@mawizakvlt
Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/artist/4oJP24bXA2fbdVmNGNmCtt
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mawizakvlt
Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/mawiza/1653435953

To the broad world of metal, Mawiza are still an ascendant new force, but these modern day Mapuche warriors have always stood fiercely by their indeginous roots. The band’s upcoming third album and first since winning a Chilean Grammy calls for us to restore our balance with nature. While the latest single from ÜL warns that the apocalypse is fast approaching, “Mamüll Reke” proudly demonstrates Mawiza’s staying power by relying on all they’ve learned from their ancestral land.

“This song is devoted to nature” Mawiza says. “If necessary, we will die to defend our land”.

ÜL comes out July 18 on Season of Mist.

Pre-order & Pre-save: https://orcd.co/mawizaul

Hear Mawiza perform “Mamüll Reke”, “Wingkawnoam” and other defiant anthems from ÜL this summer when they tour Europe this summer alongside fellow Chilean metalheads Ater. 

Beyond Somber 2025 European Tour
more dates to be announced!
July 16 – Maribor, Slovenia @ Gustaf Pekarna
July 17 – Miskolc, Hungary @ Zugivo
July 18 – Deva, Romania @ John’s La Cetate
July 19 – Targu Jiu, Romania @ Piano
July 20 – Sibiu, Romania @ Rock & Bike
July 21 – Timisoara, Romania @ Nemesis
July 22 – Brasov, Romania @ La Templarie Pub
July 23 – Arad, Romania @ Club Flex
July 24 – Budapest, Hungary @ Riff
July 25 – Szeged, Hungary @ Varosi Club
July 26 – Pecs, Hungary @ Vararok
July 27 – Ostrava, Czech Republic @ Barrack
July 31 – Pinerolo, Italy @ Spazio Nino
August 1 – Barberaz, France @ Brin De Zinc
August 2 – Ostend, Belgium @ B52

Before banding together in 2014, Mawiza had already seen the Mapuche Nation endure tremendous upheaval. Half of the video for “Mamüll Reke” was filmed on Mapuche territory in southern Chile, outside the city of Valdivia, that is now controlled by two timbre companies. “Txekalefuy küllfün piwke / We walked with pride in our hearts“, Awka sings during the song’s somber opening verse, accompanied by dry scuffling snare, a raw buzzing bass line and fields of tree stumps.      

“Trees are sacred to the Mapuche”, Mawiza says. “They are a source of strength. But now, the native forest is being completely erased by corporations who have taken over our territory”. 

With its quick-fire double bass and cavernous growls, “Mamüll Reke” might sound like a world that’s on the verge of collapse. But at its core, the latest single from ÜL is steeled by the resilience and resistance of not only the Mapuche people but also the land. In English, the song translates to “Just Like the Tree”. Soaring above the clouds with brightly piercing flute, the enchanting chorus summons its harmonious energy with a mournful Afafan war cry. Mamüll reke / Lhalu witxan / Afafalen / Lhayaiñ ka (Just like the tree / that dies standing / chanting the war cry / we will die too).  

“This is one of the most melodic songs on ÜL“, the band says. “We wanted it to bring the same energy that you carry into battle. We will die like a burning tree standing. Because nature has taught us everything we are”.

The other half of the “Mamüll Reke” video was filmed amidst a native forest in the nearby Kalfvgen Community that’s overseen by local Machi Paola Aroca Cayunao. This medicine woman invited Mawiza after accompanying them to their set at Fluvial 2024. “We have come to share a great relationship with her”, Awka says. “There is a great energy amongst the land where she lives. The environment is great for soaking in the spirituality of the Mapuche”.

It’s only during this portion of the video that Awka dances the Pürun, mirroring the ostriches that are often spotted around his home city of Temuco. With their feet now back on native ground, “Mamüll Reke” ends with images of native plants returning to the barren soil, as if awakened by the band’s heavy, grooving, ancestral rhythm.           

“The Mapuche are still standing”, says Mawiza. “You can cut us down, but if one falls, ten shall rise”.      

The video for “Mamüll Reke” was directed and edited by  Andrés Hetzler (@andreshetzler).

Additional video credits
Camera & Drone Operator – Roberto Urzúa
Colorist – Soledad Gatica
Executive Producer – Unai Garcia
Producer/Art Director – Awka Nawel

Tracklist
1. Wingkawnoam (3:38) [WATCH]
2. Pinhza Ñi pewma  (4:29)
3. Ngulutu (3:50)
4. Nawelkünuwnge  (5:06)
5. Mamüll Reke  (4:24) [WATCH]
6. Wenu Weychan (6:13)
7. Lhan Antü (4:08)
8. Kalli Lhayay (3:58)
9. Ti Inan Paw-Pawkan (featuring Joe Duplantier from Gojira) (4:42)

Tracklist (English Translation)
1. To Decolonize (3:38) [WATCH]
2. Hummingbird Dream  (4:29)
3. Western Storm (3:50)
4. Become a Cougar  (5:06)
5. Just Like The Tree (4:24) [WATCH]
6. The War of the Sky (6:13)
7. Dead of the Sun (4:08)
8. Let It Die (3:58)
9. The Last Harp Call (featuring Joe Duplantier from Gojira) (4:42)

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

Guest musicians
Fabiola Hidalgo (Liquen) contributes vocals to “Wingkawnoam”, “Pinhza Ñi pewma”, “Ngulutu” and “Mamüll reke”

Joe Duplantier (Gojira) contributes vocals to “Ti Inan Paw-Pawkan”

Recording Studio
Estudio del Sur in Chile

Producer
Pancho Arenas

Sound & Mixing Engineer
Pancho Arenas

Mastering Studio
West West Side Music

Mastering Engineer
Alan Douches

Cover Art
Kata Ulloa

Follow Mawiza
Bandcamp: https://mawizakvlt.bandcamp.com
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/mawizakvlt
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/mawizakvlt
TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@mawizakvlt
Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/artist/4oJP24bXA2fbdVmNGNmCtt
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mawizakvlt
Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/mawiza/1653435953