The hard rock trio release their 4th album having relocated to Los Angeles. Out on the 30th of January on Suicide Squeeze Records.
Blackwater Holylight are all about the contrast between menace and melody, as they describe it – sometimes they are the hunters, sometimes they are the prey. This a reassuringly old-school heavy rock album. The guitars absolutely crunch at times, solid waves of noise. They are never overwhelming though, the vocals frequently supplying a balancing sweetness, or emotional counterpoint to proceedings.
This is a band that are well versed in their art, you can trace the development over the four albums, and this feels like the strongest outcome yet. ‘How Will You Feel’ is a confident, assured opener. ‘Involuntary Haze’ has a stylistic similarity. Lead-guitarist Mikayla Mayhew shares: “This song holds up a mirror to empty promises. Pretending there’s room for someone when your heart’s already full. It’s the moment you realize you’ve been fooled, not by anyone else, but by your own excuses.”
Single ‘Bodies’ is the heaviest track yet as it grinds into life. The band said “This song is about the experience of being in a human body, self acceptance, and how our bodies are simply a suit for our souls. It is a reminder that our bodies are uniquely ours, that they are temporary homes for something infinite and that we all make a home for ourselves as every day passes.”
The next track is another single, ‘Heavy Why?’ It sounds absolutely epic. It almost recalls The Cranberries. Singer Sunny Faris shares: “‘Heavy, Why?’ Is a lyrically light and instrumentally heavy arrangement that cryptically but intentionally speaks to the experience of being disembodied and poses the question, simply, of: ‘Why? Why is it such a hard, lonely, agonizing and heavy experience to be turned away from Self.’”
‘Giraffe’ changes things up, a short instrumental over a bassline that exudes menace. ‘Spades’ is another powerful piece of doom-laden grungy, heavy guitar.
The final four tracks lack a little of the earlier differentiation. They are all well executed and filled with thoughtful ideas, but they don’t quite pop to the same extent.
There is much to enjoy on this one – plenty of heavy riffing, controlled intensity and, as you can tell from the band’s comments, a thoughtful intelligence at work. Well worth a listen. It might well be even more of a grower as the year continues.
Essential tracks: ‘How Will You Feel,’ ‘Bodies,’ and ‘Spades.’
Preorder Vinyl: https://amzn.to/4plbaxW
Preorder CD: https://amzn.to/4jv5bp4
Tour dates:
17 May – UK London – Desterfest
18 May – UK Newcastle – The Cluny
19 May – UK Glasgow – Stereo
20 May – UK Manchester – The Deaf Institute
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