We’re back with a new Ode To The Artist and this time we wanted to take a look at some rock icons: Boohwal.
The band was formed in 1985 by songwriter and guitarist Kim Tae-won. Originally the band was called ‘The End’. However after the departure of their vocalist Kim Jong Seo, they switched it up. Boohwal stands for the Korean word for resurrection.
Boohwal was part of the Big 3 – that’s not to mean the big entertainment companies like JYP, SM and YG – but the three big bands who were leading the heavy metal trend in Korea, alongside Baekdoosan and Sinawe.
Rock Will Never Die
From the release of their first album ‘Rock Will Never Die’ they became super popular. Lee Seung-Chul who was the vocalist for the album received a lot of praise. Their title song ‘Heeya’ was a massive hit.
Here’s Lee Seung-Chul performing the track during his 30th anniversary concert. He left the band in 1988 but eventually came back in 1993 for the band’s third album.
The band, with its various members – they’ve had 15 different versions, has released 13 full-length album and several digital singles. It’s quite a bit to all put in one single feature, so here are some of the highlights.
From their 1987 album ‘Remember’:
From their 1993 album ‘Loss of Memory’:
From their 1995 album ‘잡념에 관하여…’:
From their 1997 album ‘Discover of Fire’:
From their 2002 album ‘새벽’:
From their 2006 album ‘Love’:
There is no doubt that this band is super iconic and has left a lasting impression on the Korean music scene.
Go listen to their discography on Spotify here.
