Review by Gary Spiller for MPM
“Praying to gods that don’t believe us, Screaming to saviours who’ve long since left us, Dying to feel the warmth erased by dead gods.”
These three lines of lyrics are more than just mere words, they’re an assertive assemblage of angst-ridden feelings and reflections borne upon the tears of a bleeding heart that flows into the tenebrosity of the endless abysm.
These three lines are Welsh alt-metallers Black Lakes at their very finest, pouring every last ounce of emotion into not just one track but an entire album’s worth of breathtaking splendour.
Blending aspects of hard rock and alt-metal, to name but two components, have earned them a deserved edge that ensures pigeon-holing within one category is simply impossible. It’s been fully two and a half years since Black Lakes released their well-received debut album ‘For All We’ve Left Behind’ an awful lot of aqueous matter has passed underneath the spans of the metaphorical river crossing since.
An industrious ethos that has seen Black Lakes win fans across the UK; gigs and festivals, no matter what the mileage, culminated, just a few weeks ago in a prestigious slot opening the Sophie Lancaster Stage on the final day of Bloodstock Open Air. Courtesy of winning a Planet Rock competition it’s no more than what this genre-defying outfit deserve and an opportunity to air material from this release that they firmly seize.
Walking where demons fear to tread Black Lakes ably shoulder responsibility to pass observation on challenging subjects ranging from the ‘small boat situation’ in the album’s lead single ‘White Cliffs’ right through to mental health in ‘Burn’ via the Stockholm syndrome entrapping us in Social media. It’s powerful matter and something to be listened to and absorbed in the manner that a fine wine is unhurriedly savoured.
In a mission statement that cannot be misinterpreted opening track ‘H.A.T.E’ goes directly for the jugular; a rasping rage, redolent of Florence Black, which tramples all afore. Ironically located, given that the track title is an acronym for Here At The End, we are presented with a cordial invite into ten tracks of exploration where the themes and despatch coil and writhe with the ferocity of an enraged snake pit.
Challenging the grey matter to consider the balance of resource usage versus the very future of our planet ‘Rapture’, in a sub-four-minute bursting of the dam serves focus. Insightful and as hard-hitting as the sumptuous barrage of rhythm and riff Black Lakes dish up this is an eye-opening provoker of thought. Sit back and soak it all in or bounce off the walls in a thriving mosh pit it’s ultimately the choice of the listeners but this is a track well suited to both.
The surging ebb and flow of the forceful tide of ‘Hurricane’, with its impactful utilisation of breakdowns, delights and it’s evident that the time in late 2023 spent in the studio with renown producer Romesh Dodangoda has paid huge dividends that in positive waves that see Black Lakes assuredly climb further rungs up the rock n’ roll ladder. Waves that crash relentlessly at the base of hooky affair ‘White Cliffs’. Expansive sounding it inherits the strengths, most aptly, of the deepest ocean.
Whilst the tempo takes a decrease in ‘Vapour’ the atmospherics and thought-provoking lyrics most certainly do not. The track’s gentle despatch wraps about the listener with the heart-breaking line “Wish I could disappear, wish I could turn to vapour” pulling at the emotions within a wrap that Linkin Park would be rightfully proud of.
Paralleling their debut album all tracks herein bar one clock in at around the four minute mark with just the title track, standing alone, at over five minutes. ‘Dead Gods’, for me, is the standout track of the album – the loftiest of peaks in a range of vertiginous pinnacles. A 21st century nu-metal Everest, if you like, amidst the surrounding Himalayan offerings. That triplet of lyrics atop this review are drawn from this gargantuan piece the rest I’ll leave for you to discover as these words express more than I can.
Latest single ‘Burn’, running on a short fuse wire, catches its prey swiftly. Surely destined to be a live favourite it’s ready for arenas with its contagious melodies and harmonisations. Dark and brooding ‘Dark Glass’ builds up into the latter stages of the album in fine style.
Rolling into ‘The Fallen’ a rollickingly cracking exploration of the alt and nu metal spheres we are ushered into the closing chapter ‘Dark Before The Dawn’. If it were not for the title track, then this would be the album’s highest point. A screaming rage that is beautiful in its sensuous form; constructed from the darkest material yet somehow a shining beacon of hope and optimism.
Based upon the four tracks delivered that memorable morning at Bloodstock I predicted that ‘Dead Gods’ was “shaping up to provide one heck of a seismic impact.” It’s an assessment I categorically stand by having had the privilege of exploring ‘Dead Gods’ in its entirety.
The soaring metalliferous offerings contained within this behemothic slab are the essence of the future, the direction of where the forward motion is heading. An album that stands, in parity, shoulder to shoulder with the might of releases, this year, from the likes of Judas Priest, Amaranthe, Unleash The Archers and Scarlet Rebels.
Order our brand new EP and Pre-order DEAD GODS now – https://www.blacklakes.com
Black Lakes are:
Will Preston | Vocals
Scott Bradshaw | Guitar
James Rowlands | Guitar
Lee Harris | Bass
Dafdd Fuller | Drums
Black Lakes online:
https://www.facebook.com/Blacklakes/
https://twitter.com/BlackLakesUK
https://www.instagram.com/blacklakes.uk
