Review by Gary Spiller for MPM
The latest single offering from hard-as-steel Merthyr Tydfil metallers Florence Black opens the new year with an almighty behemothic thump.
Just three weeks ahead of the release of their much vaunted second album ‘Bed Of Nails’ the unleashing of the titular track, from this forthcoming monumentally high-grade slab of Welsh metallic deliverance, serves a heavy-handed notice that, following all the successes of the past few years, 2024 is going to be The Year of Florence Black.
Since the summer months of ’23 the creative tap has been producing forth a steady stream of new material. The architectural purpose has been there right there from the initial outings for ‘Start Again’; the high-voltage kinetics in their delivery of the first single during their statement of intent headline performance at June’s Love Rock Festival will, cerebrally, remain long.
The buzz has increased, release upon release, through the epic raspings of ‘Don’t Hold Me Down’ to the bleeding candle lit emotions of the electrifying ‘Warning Sign’.
Via the freeway-hugging sentiments of ‘Look Up’ the levels of anticipation have continually risen steeply. From where I’m stood, a far from lonely location incidentally, there’s absolutely nothing that will derail this freight-train that’s hurtling right of The Valleys.
‘Bed Of Nails’ continues the exponentially expansive evolution and growth in maturity of this Merthyr triumvirate; the beckoning is beyond deafening. From gentle, sensitive yet somehow spiky preliminaries the track swiftly comes crashing down with Alpine avalanche forces. Tristan Thomas’ six-string combines elegantly with the powerhouse output from bassist Jordan ‘Foz’ Evans and percussive mastery emitted by Perry ‘Perk’ Davies.
It’s trademark FB without a doubt but with subtle nuances that skitter in and out making a telling difference to that which has preceded this latest chapter.
Can you live again?” rages Thomas furthering, somewhat demonically, “Scratching down at the wall of fame!” It’s fast, it’s furious but it’s synched in precision; executed with laser guided accuracy the darkened kaleidoscope threatens to blow the world away.
Coinciding with the album launch Florence Black hit the road with their biggest UK headline tour to date commencing with Glasgow on Thursday 1st February and concluding with a sold-out show at Cardiff’s Tramshed nine days later.
Stream ‘BED OF NAILS’ here: https://songwhip.com/florence-black/bed-of-nails
Pre-order BED OF NAILS here: https://florenceblack.tmstor.es/
For more information:
https://www.florenceblack.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/florenceblackUK/
https://twitter.com/florenceblackUK/
https://www.instagram.com/florenceblackuk/
