This Black Metal Band Claims To Be From North Korea

Name a metal band from North Korea (or the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea [DPRK] if you wanna be technical). I’ll wait. And don’t say Red War or Teagirl, as we’re not quite sure that either of those bands are actually from the DPRK. Now we’ve got the newest contender in the “might be from North Korea, but probably not” category – 구룡 (gulyong), or Kowloon in English.

구룡 claims to be from Rason, North Korea, which is right up near the northern border of the country where it meets China and Russia. The music is pretty solid, lo-fi black metal-type stuff and there’s a part of me that genuinely hopes these musicians are currently in North Korea – not for the mystique or whatever dumb reason, but because this is actually pretty good and I’d hate to see it tainted by yet another band claiming to be from somewhere they’re not. Lookin’ at you, Ghost Bath.

My question is this – listening to 구룡 makes it pretty obvious they’ve heard black metal before. But how? Foreign media is a massive “no no” in the DPRK, and then having the state sanction people creating music that shadows foreign media is… not likely? Unless DPRK have no idea about extreme metal, but I’m guessing they do.

Anyway, check it out below. The following is description written by of their debut EP 백두의 소환 (baegduui sohwan), or Summon of Baekdu, translated from Korean: “This recording took place over a period of six weeks in the Sonbong District of Rason City, North Korea. We used the recording studio during the permitted hours, but there were several interruptions due to equipment and power supply conditions.

“All equipment is state-owned, and we handled it in accordance with regulations. Three songs were completed, and all recordings were completed under the same conditions. This album is the sound of our land. Those who will listen will hear. The record exists. That is enough.”

And this is the band’s own bio, also translated from Korean: “Kowloon is an arts group from the Sonbong District of Rason City, North Korea. The group recorded music within a limited timeframe and under limited conditions. All activities were conducted in accordance with regulations, and this album is a document capturing the sentiments and spirit of our land. Kowloon members participate in national cultural projects, and this album was produced as part of those projects.”