Calmando Qual - Moral Pollution

Calmando Qual’s Moral Pollution single was released in 2004, years before the band changed their name to Twisted Clock (Japan only), and features their original drummer Maya. This fairly unknown band is a master at taking their self described Gothic Emotional Rock to the nth degree. Their mix of melancholy and ferocity with the dark and desolate create a mystique not often heard. With this single, Calmando Qual weaves their particular brand of darkness into a unique piece of art.

Haitoku starts off with a few slow, deep bass notes from K layered between Maya’s sharp drum taps and Tasc’s synth, which foreshadows the mood of the song. Tak's distorted guitar rhythm picks up the beat after the brief intro and the song lapses into a grim and haunting world. The guitar work courses through the dismal veins of Haitoku with sinister intent. The drums and bass echo gloom from every angle of this song, and the synth weaves through it like an eerie haze. Hibiki’s voice resounds through the darkness like a slowly intoxicating absinthe that floats just above the music. A guitar solo signifies the climax, and Tak creates an artful hook that drives the song deeper into the subconscious. Haitoku is a tad slower and more liquid than CQ’s usual fare, but it practically oozes dark emotion.

Born IQUAL pain ups the ante just a notch as its sound meanders from deep torment to something louder and more frightening. It begins with Tasc’s keyboard in a low but slightly forceful tone, followed by the drums and guitar. K creeps in slowly with the bass, but keeps it intense and ominous throughout the entire song. Tak shies the guitar a little from the foreground and snakes an almost slippery sound through the song. The vocals range from heart wrenching to downright menacing, and are punctuated by deep bass notes that not only vibrate the strings, but the whole song. This song has the feel of a pain that comes from a desolate, far off place in the soul of this band and is led out just as it was led in with a few looming keyboard notes.

Paradox comes on like a swarm of flies through a nightmare and keeps its brazen tone rolling until the very end. Short and heavy bass soaked verses mix with a harsh, accelerated chorus. Hibiki creates a playfully threatening and abrasive vocal attitude that’s subtly paralleled by Maya’s drumming. Portentous synth ties the mood of the song together and creates just the right edge of mystery. With its devilish sound bringing about the end of Moral Pollution, Paradox is the apex of this single.


Moral Pollution is neither the beginning nor the end for Calmando Qual, but holds its own neatly in the middle. For those who’ve never had the chance to hear this band and are yearning for something different in the gothic arena, this single is well worth a listen. It’s a brief introduction to a band that will leave some unabashedly hooked.