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Reviews

Shaman’s Harvest, Blacktop Mojo and Eddie & The Wolves Rock the Hairy Dog!

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Two of the best bands in the US through the 2010s until now are finally touring the UK, and they’ve been doing so together! They’ve done a whole host of shows up and down the UK over the last month, and there was no way we weren’t covering the tour. We already saw them at the Manchester show, but wanted to put out a review of their show in our hometown as it felt extra special. spoiler alert, we had a blast!

You know the drill by now. Eddie & The Wolves are the best band ever. We’ve been over this before. But, in all seriousness, this was a dream come true for me and the rest of the band. To not only support the two legendary bands in Manchester but in our hometown too was truly special. To everyone who came down, the promoters, the bands themselves, and every single person who worked on every show, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I know for a fact that all five of us had an absolute blast playing to the packed room of our favourite venue, and rumour has it we sounded pretty good, too! It certainly felt and sounded great my end!

After a quick, rather stressful changeover, the incredible Blacktop Mojo took to the stage. We obviously caught them in Manchester and loved them then, but honestly they felt like they were somehow on an even higher level at The Dog. They were absolutely incredible from the very first note to the last! Tour opener ‘Wicked Woman’ was incredible, and personal highlights for me are Pollen tracks ‘Red Enough’ and ‘Weary I Roam’ (no surprise there, given that I loved the album). Honestly, I’ve had the former stuck in my head since Thursday! ‘Burn the Ships’ and ‘Prodigal’ were also awesome, and capping off the set were two absolutely PHENOMENAL covers. Running into the Alice in Chains classic ‘Them Bones’ off the back of ‘Trouble on the Rise’ will always blow me away. Then, we got treated to something truly special, as the band closed out the set with their much-loved cover of ‘Dream On’.

The band, too, played their asses off throughout. All of the instrumentation was incredible and the sound and tone for it all was off the charts. Their unique blend of hard rock, grunge and blues was on full display throughout, and myself and everyone else in the crowd loved it. Meanwhile, Matt James’ stage presence and hugely underrated vocals fit perfectly over the top. Whether it was foot-stomping, fuzzy rock songs, slower ballads, or even just him and an acoustic, he sounded amazing and you couldn’t take your eyes off him throughout. But then again, Matt Curtis’ harmonies throughout also added so much, and really rounded out the sound perfectly. The band are all born performers who really put on a great, high energy show on such a small stage. I desperately need to see them on something bigger!

Not long after, the headliners Shaman’s Harvest came on. For a band that I have been a fan of over a decade at this point, they played an almost perfect setlist, and I loved every minute of it! Whether it was opening on the one-two-punch of ‘The Come Up’ into ‘Dangerous’, newer bangers like ‘Voices’ or classics including ‘Country as Fuck’, ‘In Chains’ or perennial set-closer ‘Dragonfly’, it was all amazing. Heck, even the new song, ‘Rock and Roll Queen’, sounded amazing live. And the fact that I got to see ‘Broken Dreams’ live on this tour… *chef’s kiss*. It was of course a big reason why I imagine a lot of people got into them in the UK, and for them to finally bust it out live, even if it was just for a couple of shows, was amazing!

Just like Blacktop, the band were really on top form live, too. Everyone sounded incredible, and Nathan Hunt’s effortlessly powerful voice and suave, chilled-out stage presence was magnetic. And, while I don’t necessarily want to use the word chilled for a rock/alt metal band, that’s very much what it was. It was stomping swamp rock, for the most part, and everyone play their parts to perfection. It’s easy to see why they have toured with some of the biggest and best names across the US, as they and Blacktop are both incredible live bands. Everyone in the crowd hung on every second of their set, and Nathan had them in the palm of his hand throughout.

Overall, it was an absolutely brilliant night. The touring bands were incredible, and it’s wild to think that this was practically their first times playing over here, given how much they packed out each venue! We had a blast with an awesome night of live music, surrounded by likeminded people who are surprisingly hard to get out in Derby sometimes! I cannot recommend either band enough, both live and on track, and given that they are already teasing about coming back over here soon, you may not have too long to wait before you can check them out. Because, if you ever get the chance to see either band live, I cannot recommend going to see them enough, they’re well worth it! Oh, and Eddie & The Wolves are also worth a watch, too…

Interviews & Features

Gorilla Riot: ‘Everyone just rallied in and helped for the cause, and within a week it was done!

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We had the chance to sit down with the awesome Gorilla Riot ahead of their set with Asomvel the other night (review here). Check it out below!

How’s the tour been so far?

This is the fourth show we’ve done upto now. Glasgow were cool. Weirdly enough it’s took us 10 years as a band to get up there, which is a bit odd. But it was good man, good vibes, definitely want to go back there. Then Newcastle, same again. Then Blackpool, played there a million times before but it was sweet!

And what can we expect from the show tonight?

Just some good old-fashioned rock’n’roll. It’s just a 30-minute set so just a power half-an-hour. Well, whatever Arj can sing, which is everything!

You’ve not long added a backing vocalist, what’s it like to be/have that in the band?

Luci: It’s really nice! I’ve known everyone for a long time; I’ve done a lot of Arj’s solo stuff and the acoustic side of things, and it’s been really nice to join in the rock band! We have fun, we have a good laugh!

Yeah, hearing you guys at sound check it all sounded to mesh together perfectly!

That’s good, it’s all downhill from now! That’s probably the best soundcheck we’ve done on this tour. It’s a great venue here, we’ve done it once before and that was cool!

And you guys are on the last week of the album crowdfunder, right?

Yeah, around that. 26th, so it’s close! We’re over it [the goal] now anyway. Which is mega. I didn’t think we’d get that response that quick. Everyone just rallied in and helped for the cause. It’s like us, you’re gonna get it done so get it fucking done. And within a week it was done! No fucking about or bullshit.

Is the album all written, then?

It’s all done, recorded and ready to go! We started recording it like two years ago and the recording process took a while. It’s been ready to go for a little while to be honest, but it’s just releasing it that we needed the help with.

Have got a rough idea of when we might get some new music?

It’ll be the back end of the year. I think we’re trying to aim for autumn, not winter. That’ll give a bit of longevity for the back end of the year to get on the road and work it. The album launch is booked, though! Not 100% set on dates but end of September, early October time. The plan is to be on the road for most of October, we’re still finalising gigs at the minute, and that will probably extend into November and December too.

We have Rock the Peak, and a few Stripped Back shows through the summer time to keep us going, too.

How did the Stripped Back shows come about?

We’ve always done it, to be fair. There’s a lot of influence running through the band and instead of just putting it into one we kinda separated it. People make the mistake of thinking it’s acoustic, but it’s not. It’s just less loud. Arj plays acoustic on most tracks, there’s more backing vocals, slightly different arrangements… it’s nice for us to hear the songs differently. If you look at our last record, Peach, it’s a full-on grunge album, while if you go back to the American Honey EP, it’s more soulful. It’s just good to separate on them and focus on it.

I don’t know, I’m just excited for the new stuff. As soon as we did that we did a couple of gigs with the Stripped stuff and I absolutely loved it. But then you do five or six shows of that, and you get a little bored, and you wanna do the rock stuff again. Who is anybody to tell you what the fuck to do? I’m gonna get paid anyway!

Do you have a dream tour lineup you’d want to be a part of?

It’s one of them I’m gonna be honest, I’m fucking sick of rock music! I don’t know, I’m pretty happy to just go with it and see what happens. I don’t really have a dream tour or situation. I’d like to play at Manchester Apollo at some point. That was the first gig I ever went to there. In regards to all that stuff though I’m just happy to ride the wave and go with it!

I like Gary Clark but they have a stint and then drop off. If Temperance Movement were still about that would have been cool. Skindred would be cool because they’re nice guys. I’d love to open for Keith Richards. Not the Stones, just Keith! At the Ritz or Royal Albert Hall or something like that.

Reviews

The Hex of Penns Woods: Almost Honest Come Out of the Gate Swinging!

The awesome stoner/doom rock newcomers Almost Honest are set to release their debut album this coming Friday. We’ve already chatted to the band about it (find that here) and now we’re finally gonna check it out!

A very stoner riff opens ‘Alien Spiders’, the instruments building in pretty perfectly into a crescendo. Even as it explodes in with the full track, all three instruments remain right at the forefront, all a highlight in their own way. I have to say, it might have been nice to have another guitar to fill out the sound a little, but it still sounded awesome. The backing vocals add so much to the catchiness and overall sound, too. The chorus is awesome and the whole track just as a bouncy, fun aspect to it. It’s like the perfect blend of Red Fang and old-school Queens of the Stone Age. The bridge/solo is of course more awesome playing from the incredibly talented band, and the song ends with a big final chorus. What a fantastic way to open the album and a great introduction to the band!

Single ‘Amish Hex’ the grungy, stonery riff vibes perfectly. I get pretty awesome The Sword energy from it all, too. The rest of the band explode in and fill out the song perfectly, like I was expecting them to do in the previous track. It’s a HUGE sound. The vocals sound fantastic over the top of the steady verse and awesome drumbeat. Also, the harmonies are again a huge highlight. it makes the chorus pretty damn catchy. The guitar solo is also awesome, fitting in with the vibe of the track perfectly. It’s an amazing track, and one that easily makes our playlist!

‘Ballad of a Mayfly’ opens straight into some really interesting double-tracked vocals over a great chord progression. I wasn’t expecting this more pop-punk approach to songwriting, but it worked perfectly with the band’s style. The riff soon explodes in, bringing back the stoner/doom rock in the best way possible. The harmonies and vocals in the verse almost remind me of Alice in Chains, which I fucking LOVED. And then the band add in one of my favourite things in rock music that is far too underutilised: whistling. The bass and whistle harmonising is phenomenal and something I never thought would be as good as it is. Everything about the solo/bridge is also awesome, from the riffing to the drum fill. This is another incredible song and the second in a row to make our playlist!

There’s an awesome chaotic energy that runs through ‘Colony of Fire’, mainly from some of the best drumming I’ve heard this year. The way it plays off the simple, single-guitar riffing is insanely impressive. It’s another good, catchy chorus, but honestly the instrumentation is the highlight of this track. Everything from the 2:30 minute mark is amazing and highlights just how incredible the band are as musicians. It almost gives off early Tool vibes with the slightly proggy nature and the guitar tone. I love it. And more Alice In Chains vibes from the harmonies, too. It’s the third straight track to make our playlist, and I’m not even mad in the slightest.

Tracks like ‘Eyeless Herd’, ‘Goliaeths Lamp’, ‘Haunted Hunter’ and ‘Where the Quakers Dwell’ are more awesome tracks. However, they are pretty similar to the others I’ve spoken about already. That isn’t a complaint by any means, I just don’t want to repeat myself over and over in my gushing!

‘Laughter of the Deer Owl’ is an awesome track and features the amazing Brandon Yeagley of Crowbot. Again the riffing is top notch, and Brandon brings a lot of greatness to the track. His distinctive voice gave it a very Crowbot feel in the best way. And it’s a great radio-friendly stoner track that still has plenty of heaviness and awesome instrumentation. Hats off to Brandon and Almost Honest for coming together to create something that somehow feels distinctly like both parties!

‘Mortician Magician’ is a lot of fun. From the ringmaster-like intro to the slower, heavy choruses filled with call-and-response vocals, this is a blast to listen to. I love all the dynamics, too. Whether it’s dropping out just to a guitar or the awesome bridge/breakdown riff, all of it is awesome. It constantly keeps you guessing. And THAT solo towards the end is awesome!

Then we sadly reach closer, ‘William Penn’. However, it is a damn good way to close the album, and a really interesting track overall. It’s more of an interlude track than anything, being sub-three minutes, but the more clean sound of the guitar as it fades in is beautiful. Even when the distortion comes in over the top, it has an almost calming feeling to it all. It’s epic too, and definitely a fitting finale.

Overall: This was fucking awesome! There isn’t a bad track on the whole album and there is so much to love throughout. There are multiple standout tracks, too. This band have gone from strength to strength recently and I honestly think that with this release it will strap a rocket to their back. I’ll be listening to this a lot in the coming weeks and months, and anyone who is a stoner or doom or grungy rock fan should check this out immediately!

The Score: 9/10

Features, Interviews & Features

HARDBALL: ‘We’ve finally learned some of the newer songs, now that we’ve had to play them daily!’

BC’s own Hardball released their debut, self-titled album a few weeks ago (check out the review here). We had a quick chat with them about it, which you can find below!

Firstly, how has the tour been so far?

It’s been great! We’ve finally learned some of the newer songs, now that we’ve had to play them daily.

How would you describe your sound?

Loud, boneheaded, thrashy. Lately, I just say “grunge” for brevity- I don’t think it fits perfectly, but it’s a decent approximation of our sound.

What’s it like playing a gungy-style of music in this day and age? 

I’m into it. The shows are bumpin’.

What would you say the scene is like over in Canada? 

It’s pretty broad, and every locality is a bit different than the other so- varied I guess?

How has the response been to your album?

Our friends love it!

What is your writing process like? 

Depends on the situation, but as it pertains to Hardball- Scott comes up with the crux of the song, and we develop it into an arrangement together.

Do you have much planned for the rest of the year?

Ah the usual, slugging it out, more gigs around BC. I’ll be recording some solo stuff, and maybe we’ll get to crushing a second Ball LP.

What would your dream tour be?

One that we didn’t have to organize or handle any logistics of ourselves, where we just show up at the gig, throw down, and then take it easy for the rest of the evening.

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: The Hives, URNE and More!

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Another big week in New music, featuring everything from indie to death metal. Joi

The Hives: The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons

Owen: It’s been 11 years since we have heard an original release from Swedish group The Hives. Having spent the last couple of years appearing at festivals big and small, it wasn’t unexpected, but when a band haven’t released anything in a decade it’s hard to keep the hope. 12 tracks of high frequency,
fast-paced, shout-along punk rock, The Hives have created a riot from start to finish. My only complaint is that each track feels like a safe bet from the band. If it ain’t broke… I know, but it feels like any decision they took was a safe choice. The exception to this is the track ‘Stick up’ as it is the only track on the album that could possibly be fit into another genre. ‘Stick up’ leans more into the world of
Blues and the shift in vocals to a more Tom Waits sound was a great addition. Overall, the high energy and electrifying nature of the album makes me hope we don’t have to wait another decade until we hear more from The Hives. 7/10

URNE: A Feast on Sorrow

Joe: I was a HUGE fan of this band’s debut album. After getting turned onto the band by Trivium’s Matt Heafy, I did a very positive review (you can find it here). So, with lofty expectations and anticipation, will they beat an 8.5/10 with their new release?

Opener ‘The Flood Came Rushing In’ took a moment to really grow on me, the more hardcore style vocals and almost punk edge to the speed and attitude throwing me off. However, the slower and cleaner, Machine Head style breakdown in the middle and all the awesomeness that followed really blew me away. It sets the tone for the whole album pretty perfectly, too. ‘To Die Twice’ and the title track channel that early Gojira energy that I was waiting to hear again. Meanwhile single and album highlight ‘Becoming the Ocean’ is a more black metal take on Machine Head’s sound.

And we have to talk about the two prog tracks, ‘A Stumble of Words’ and the closing song. They are everything I want out of this genre of music, and I love them both so much. They’re heavy, brooding, and the perfect blend of black metal, death metal and doom. The riffing is amazing, the vocals are perfect and the structuring and writing is off the charts. The former track in particular may be my favourite that they’ve done, and I’m desperate to see it live.

It’s an incredibly well rounded album that doesn’t feel like over 50 minutes at all. If you’re a fan of the heavier side of metal, I’d recommend checking this out ASAP. It’s going to be in the discussion for album of the year come December, I’m sure. And it does in fact beat the last album, getting a 9/10!

The Sherlocks: People Like Me & You

Charlotte: Indie rock band The Sherlocks have skyrocketed to become a well-loved band in the alternative scene in the past few years, and their latest album People Like Me & You will undoubtedly act as a catalyst in their journey to stardom. Taking inspiration from Yorkshire legends without feeling like copycats, The Sherlocks bring a fresh sound to the genre. Tracks like ‘Sirens’ and ‘Don’t Let It Out’ are predicated to be crowd-loving anthems for their loyal fan base in their upcoming tour. 7.5/10

Public Image Ltd.: End of World

Joe: This was… ooooo… this was bad. John Lydon and Keith Levene’s lovechild dropped their 11th studio album last week, and first in eight years. I’m not the biggest fan of Sex Pistols or The Clash outside of a few songs, so have actively avoided this band for as long as possible. I’m probably going to piss off a lot of people with this review.

‘Penge’ is maybe the worst opening track I’ve ever heard. And, sadly, it doesn’t get much better after that. Unlike my previous review, this one definitely did feel like it was over 50 minutes long. I wanted to turn it off by the third track, yet I still had 10 to go. Johnny’s never had the best voice in the industry, but my god it felt like he was struggling at times here, sounding like a strangled cat. The instrumentation for the most part is fine. If you like basic 70s/80s new-wave with a touch of early punk, that is. And while there were a couple of catchy moments throughout, the lyrics were pretty terrible for the most part.

If you found yourself liking this, great. I understand why the band have fans, but I am certainly not one of them. 2/10, I shall continue ignoring this band now.

Caskets: Reflections

Joe: The UK melodic hard rock/metal band put out their sophomore album on Friday. While the Pierce the Veil/Asking Alexandria sound does feel a tad dated in 2023 for a new band, it’s still a good album. The modern-ish sound simply doesn’t have the edge or intrigue that the genre has developed these days. While BMTH lead the genre, there are bands like Bad Llama that do it heavier, or Stray From the Path that add rap elements. There are a lot of bands doing this sound and unfortunately this may get lost in the pack a little bit.

Still, having said that, there are some great, enjoyable tracks on the album. ‘In the Silence’ and the lead single, ‘Guiding Light’ are both a lot of fun. And as an album, it’s very well put together and easy to listen to as a whole. If you like the genre you’ll probably love this, but I’m kinda burnt out by it at this point. 6.5/10

Phil Jamieson: Somebody Else

Charlotte: Grinspoon’s Phil Jamieson has released his debut solo studio album Somebody Else, an album fuelled by nostalgic lyrics. Phil Jamieson combines alternative rock/pop riffs with that iconic 80s new-wave feel to create an album that may very well cement his sound as a solo artist. I struggled to get into it too much, though. 3/10

The Black Skeleton: The Rear View

Joe: The melodic rock band have released their much anticipated debut album. It’s a very interesting blend of styles, giving off vibes of The Cult, RHCP, Iggy Pop, Bowie and others, yet with a modern edge to it all too. The rock ‘n roll and punk elements match up perfectly with the catchy, huge choruses and hooking melodies. Heck, single ‘Swear’ channels grungy Alice in Chains energy in the best ways. And the slower stuff like the title track almost gives off Matchbox Twenty/Stone Temple Pilots vibes. ‘Puppy Run’ is a funky, jazzy masterpiece.

It’s so hard to pick just a couple of highlights off the album as it’s all so different and so good. The variety is amazing and made it such an easy listen. There’s something for everyone here, and the band definitely have a new fan in me. 9.5/10

Werewolves: My Enemies Look and Sound Like Me

Joe: This whole album is a wonderful slap in the face right from the first second. Opening into an evil fast riff complete with a blast beat, the death metal band aren’t fucking around. From then on, it’s heavy, thrashy goodness from start to finish. There is some slight variety; ‘Destroyer of Worlds’ is a Seasons in the Abyss style plodding track, yet is still insanely heavy. It’s my favourite track on the album as it is the most different one, the rest being all out death metal. It’s great, and if you’re into the genre you’ll surely love it. It did wear a little thin for me by the last few tracks, though. 7.5/10

Hail the Sun: Divine Inner Tension

Joe: Straight up, this album is amazing. It’s mathy, heavy and yet channels a lot of pop, punk and even desert rock energy as well. I remember checking out the latest Blood Command album last year (review here) and it’s very similar to that. However, I enjoyed this a lot more than that album. Right from the album opener and title track the band had me hooked and didn’t let go throughout.

Donovan Melero has such an interesting, phenomenal vocal range through both cleans and scream that is hard not to compare to Kellin Quinn. Meanwhile some of the riffs and lead runs from the duel guitarists are amazing. Tracks like the opener, ‘Chunker’ and ‘I Saw You Hanging’ are all massive highlights, but honestly the whole album is great. I can’t really pick any faults here. It’s a solid post-hardcore album and worth checking out by any even passing fans of the genre. 8.5/10

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James of She Burns Red: ‘A bit all over the place, in a good way!’

We had the chance to sit down with James of the amazing She Burns Red after their set at Winter Rocks Festival a couple of weeks ago (read our review of the festival here). Check it out as we talk about the set and what they have planned for the next year!

So, how was the gig?

Really good, I really enjoyed it! Really fun! Always love playing Sheffield, we’ve done it a few times now. We did HRH Sleaze and then we played here last year on the Saturday. It was just good fun, I just love playing music!

And how would you describe your sound?

So we’re a wee bit punky and a wee bit grungy and a wee bit heavy… I don’t know man! A bit Wildhearts and Therapy and a bit all over the place, in a good way!

What’s it like being a part of this scene at the minute? It seems like the NWOCR genre is encapsulating a bit of everything nowadays!

Yeah, I mean because the New Wave of Classic Rock is a fanpage on Facebook, if they like a band then you’ll be included in it, it doesn’t matter what you sound like. ‘Oh, you should check out this band, they’re great’ and suddenly you’re part of that scene. Whether you like it or not, and I don’t mean that in a bad way! It’s almost like this creation of this scene out of nowhere. It’s really good though because people are coming to gigs, and after Covid especially which we were all a bit worried about. But no, it’s been an amazing thing to be part of.

I mean you think about the grunge scene; there were load of bands that sounded fuck all like each other. Like The Gets and Pearl Jam and all these bands, nothing like each other. But they all kinda worked together. And it’s the same here. It means that we can play with bands like South of Salem or Twister or Ward XVI or Massive Wagons, all these that sound different but all fit together.

You’ve released a couple of singles this year, right?

Yes, our next single is also due I think the start of next year. We’re actually in the studio from Monday to record the next part of the album. Finishing that around January/February time. Releasing it hopefully May or June.

So I assume it’ll be touring for the rest of the year after that?

I really fuckin’ hope so! The stage we’re at at the minute is we’re doing a lot of support tours, because there’s less financial risk involved. However, if things start to spike by the summer, fingers crossed.

Any surprises from the new music? Anything a departure from what you’ve put out so far?

Not really. As we said earlier, there’s a few songs that are a bit punky, a few that are more grungy, some melodic stuff in there too. So nothing out of the ordinary. If you’re familiar with our stuff you’ll know what to expect.

We’ve kinda got our sound harnessed. And that’s what’s really good, is that we did our EP and that kinda took us one direction, but then we managed to harness our sound and go in a different one. We’ve got everything going at the minute and it’s working really well.

And do you have a dream tour line-up you’d love to be a part of?

Fuck man, I’d love to support Danko Jones, they’re one of my favourite bands. That’d be amazing! They just get on with it on stage, play three songs and then ‘hey, we’re Danko Jones’ and then bam, loads more music. I love them. To the extent that this year on Spotify, 4/5 top tracks were Danko Jones.

We also love the South of Salem guys, it’s so great to be playing with them. I’m sure some people would say like Aerosmith or Metallica or something, but for me it’s Danko Jones and South of Salem, that’s who I’d want!

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Interviews & Features

Black Mirrors: ‘If we continue to behave like we are doing now we might disappear!’

We had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with rising leaders of the new grunge movement, Black Mirrors. Having already reviewed their most recent album (which you can find here) we were excited to talk to them about it! Check it out below!

Firstly, how would you describe your sound?

I would say it’s a mixture of a lot of different things. Like we love music from the 90s but in the 90s a lot of different genres just appeared. Look at bands like Nirvana, Radiohead, Soundgarden. Even bands from the stoner sound like Queens of the Stone Age. Rage Against the Machine as well! A lot of great bands just appeared at that time, and I’d say our style is influenced by all of these bands. Bands from the early 90s which we really really love.

And the album just came out, it seems to be going down well?

Yeah, we’re having some very positive feedback on it, it’s really cool to hear!

And what was the writing/recording process like? Did you get caught out in Covid?

Yeah. It was pretty special for us because we did everything remotely with our producer, since he wasn’t allowed to come to Europe, and we couldn’t go to the US. So we did everything remotely through Zoom and stream. And yeah, we actually wrote the songs during the lockdown because… we didn’t do anything else! So we thought yeah, let’s be creative. The best things we can do is music, you know. So we started to write songs. I started to write songs as well which is pretty different to the first record because most of the ideas came from Pierre.

So basically for this one I added some ideas, we worked on it with Pierre and we started to work on the songs with our producer with a dual acoustic/lead guitar and vocals. Then with the whole band and then in the studio together.

And is there a theme running through the album? Or is it more a story per track?

We didn’t think about it as like, let’s do a project like The Wall, like a rock opera. But the thing is it’s true that after a while it was kind of obvious that the album was about how we just change and destroy the earth. How we’re leaving this planet and how humans are just destroying everything. That’s why we chose this title. It has different levels of meanings. The first one is very obvious, like at some point we’ll all be dead, so let’s do something nice between now and that time.

But you could also think about it like all the human beings; if we continue to behave like we are doing now we might disappear.

And the last way is that looking at not just human beings but all the living things on the planet, we are just one. One big thing. And it’s something that we should start to understand as people, to be like we share the same thing and the same energy, and we should fight for all the living beings, not just ourselves.

I imagine it’s quite cathartic to work through some of these issues through song?

Yeah, it’s something that you want to do as an artist, I guess. It’s our own reflection, our own vision on how it is now. A song like ‘Ode to my Unborn Child’ is really really deep for me and personal. It’s the most personal song I’ve ever wrote. It was like, we are now at an age where we’re thinking if we want kids or not. The whole thing was like, do we want kids on this world? It’s a world that I’m angry at, and I’m angry at myself too to be part of this world and this system. It’s a bit difficult and I’m struggling to live with that, daily. So it’s like, do I want any kids to feel the same thing that I do. So this song was almost a mourning process for me.

I imagine you’re doing a tour off the back of the album?

Yeah! Nothing is announced yet because we’re waiting for a good opportunity. The thing is this post-Covid situation is kind of tricky, it’s not that easy, especially compared to three years before. But yeah, we have something on the way and we’ll announce it in the next few weeks.

Have you had an issues setting up the tour?

Well, we can definitely feel that it’s different than before lockdown. Especially with ticket sales; now people are waiting till the last minute to buy the ticket. Or you have to pick between a lot of shows that you want to go to.

Also, the price of gas. It’s really expensive now. If you tour with a van or a bus it’s a big, big difference. Multiplied by two even, now. It definitely effects bands like us!

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Reviews

Tomorrow Will be Without Us: Are Black Mirrors Leading the Charge for the Next Grunge Revolution?

Something different from both Napalm Records and Belgium for us today. It’s not typically grunge/radio rock you first think of when you think of music from either, but Black Mirrors seem set to change that with their second full-length release. I’m definitely curious to hear it, so let’s dive right into it!

Their most recent single, ‘Snake Oil’, starts the album off with a bang, a fast-paced, simple riff running through it all. It drops back a little for the verses, Marcella Di Troia’s distorted vocals coming in perfectly over the top. It builds up into a huge chorus where her vocals clean up and a very catchy melody comes in. It’s grunge, but it’s also definitely dark and a little heavier. It’s giving me Twin Temple vibes just as much as Alice in Chains. Also, the outro building up more and more for a solid minute plus is fucking fantastic. It’s one hell of a way to finish an opening track and is a very satisfying crescendo. Playlisted!

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Another single from the album, ‘Lost in Desert’, feels a little lighter and more radio-friendly. It almost has a bit of a British indie vibe to it, or even a US alt-rock style. It’s giving off massive ‘Bohemian Like You’ by Dandy Warhols vibes. The chorus is another massive, catchy one, and almost feels uplifting despite the subject matter. We get a pretty decent solo to close out the track too. I’m loving these extended outros the band are doing, hopefully we get them throughout. This was another awesome track, and one I can see being play everywhere if given the chance. It’s the perfect single to introduce new fans who otherwise lean more towards the pop side, and it’s definitely a wise decision by the band to have a track like this. Hopefully it catapults them to the top where they belong!

The album’s title track is closer to a straight-up rock track, giving off big Soundgarden feels with the riffs and arrangement. The ‘oh’s and ‘ah’s over it still give off that same American alt vibe, though, it blending together well. The chorus is massively catchy, thanks in part to the awesome backing vocals. It’s another great radio-rock track, this time also giving off vibes of Halestorm and Dorothy in Marcella’s vocals. It’s maybe my favourite performance of hers on the whole album. Great stuff.

The final and lead single off the album, ‘Hateful Hate I’ll Kill You’, reminds me a lot of the opening tracks. It’s somehow a perfect mashup of the first two songs on the album, dark and heavier while still keeping that poppy, radio-friendly edge. It is a fun track, again despite the serious, deep lyrics, and one I’d love to see live as it seems they give a high-energy performance. It’s another easily added to the playlist.

‘Ode to my Unborn Child’ is, understandably given the name, the slower ballad of the album. It starts off low and acoustic-y and builds into a pretty folky track. It’s completely different to the rest of the tracks in all the best ways. The sound fits the sombre tale perfectly and is honestly a beautiful track. It’s a dark folk-rock track, a genre that is getting very popular at the minute, and it handles the shift perfectly. This is another playlisted track. Damn, it’s good.

‘Through the Eyes of a Giant’ somehow opens on a similar folky sound, but builds so seamlessly back into their previous sound throughout. The whole track feels like one big buldup, and I can’t help but love it. It almost had some Tool vibes in the middle part with the guitars. Y’all know how much I gush about Tool, so of course I loved this whole track. Just another track to make our playlist!

After a couple of epic folk-rock tracks, it felt slightly jarring heading into the most grunge track I’ve heard in years. The track is Alice in Chains as fuck, from the riffing to the double, harmonised vocals. I assume the lower harmony, the Jerry Cantrell of the track, is guest vocalist Alain Johann. He does an amazing job and adds so much to this track. It’s the first one so far I’d class as full-on grunge, and I love it. Another fantastic song!

‘Anthropocene’ is another more alt-rock track, going back to the first few songs in terms of sound. It’s not bad at all, but it does feel a little like I’ve heard this now. The final two tracks, however, do feel different. Both are a bit slower than ‘Anthro…’ and have a similar epic feel to the folk tracks. ‘Tears to Share’ is especially fantastic, building to a huge chorus that again reminds me of Dorothy. Meanwhile ‘Say it Again’ is a suitably heavy, fun way to close the album.

Overall: this was amazing. It’s rare to find a band so effortlessly hop between different sub-genres while all the while maintaining their own sound and style, but Black Mirrors do it perfectly. Be it grunge, radio-alt-rock or folk, everything they did was great. There isn’t a bad track on the album and they did a phenomenal job at keeping me interested and entertained throughout. There are going to be plenty of tracks that I’m listening to for long into the future. These guys are going right to the top of the music industry, just you watch!

The Score: 9/10