“…the atmospheric heft of Fallujah… the punishing hardcore of Wolf King… the brutal technicality of Behold the Desecration and Anisoptera… influences that range from alternative rock to slamming brutal death metal… an intersection between all things dark, melodic and heavy…”
Well, that seemed like an intriguing come-on for this new California band Black Passage, whose line-up actually does include members of the bands referenced above. And as it turns out, their music actually does harness those divergent musical ingredients, and does so in ways that prove enticing rather than forcing them together like manacled prisoners on a chain-gang.
We have an example of Black Passage‘s successful hybrid of contrasts for you today, a video for a track called “Tables Turn” off their new album The Veil, which will be released on July 26th.
The video depicts a man trying to bury himself in alcohol, or perhaps in a shallow grave, or perhaps both. The song is as heavy and intense as the video, and at times just as despairing, but there’s also an unmistakable vibrancy to the track that seems to belie the idea of complete surrender to darkness.
Much of the vibrancy (and sense of despair) derives from the darting, pulsating riff at the core of the song (and the bleating, shrieking notes that interject themselves), along with the head-snapping snare rhythm and pounding bass line. On the other hand, subdued clean vocals channel a morose darkness, though they become more intense, rising into a tortured wail when the music itself becomes more tumultuous. The song cycles between these refrains, but in the middle there’s a sudden intrusion of a murderous growling bellow as the song becomes a sequence of punishing sledgehammer blows. And yet that sequence doesn’t seem out of place. It’s just a different kind of darkness.
Lots of things make the song catchy, from that crazed little bleating guitar motif (of all things!) to the jolting rhythms, but maybe most of all the morphing clean vocal melodies, which are memorable.
Today’s song and video is the third to be revealed from The Veil so far, and we’ve included the other two below as well (“Left To Waste” and “Silent Home“), along with a pre-order link. Black Passage are:
Julian Zidarevich (Behold the Desecration) – Vocals
Kevin Wilson (Behold the Desecration) – Guitar
Robby Perry (Anisoptera) – Guitar
Brian Mojica (Wolf King, Behold the Desecration) – Bass
Andrew Baird (Fallujah) – Drums
PRE-ORDER:
https://www.blackpassage.net/merch
FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/blackpassageband/
3 Responses to “AN NCS VIDEO PREMIERE: BLACK PASSAGE — “TABLES TURN””
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Nothing about this is my typical cup of tea, but all of this is doing it for me HARD. Thanks for sharing; this is a terrific find!
Right? I didn’t know how I’d feel about this going into it, but I’ve been listening to these songs a ridiculous number of times when I should be moving on to other things.
More cleans less growls.
So hard to find bands that actually get it, like, it’s ok to drop the growling vocal style; it’s old, sounds childish, and keeps metal back confined in a box.