There are two Kiwi albums that I have been waiting for this year with baited breath. The first one was The Shadow Masters from 8 Foot Sativa and this one from Blacklistt. Both bands are on somewhat of a comeback trail so both their new releases were critical to their future endeavours. I’m very happy to say that neither of these albums failed to deliver. Both have given us outstanding releases.
Blacklistt hit the comeback trail about 2 years ago with their first show back being at Homegrown where they were greeted with a huge reception. On that day they released their first single off the album and announced the new name and the intention to record the album which has taken just under two years to finally make it to our airwaves. Since then they have released another three songs to help build the excitement and it was all justified.
This album is classic Blacklistt. There has been only one major change in the line-up since they took a break and changed their name and that was the drummer and their new drummer slots in perfectly and there sound has not changed much at all. I think the most dramatic change in sound when they were still Blindspott and this came between the first and second albums with the guitar sound on the End The Silence having more of a chaotic swirl to it.
The opening tracks Tell Me Who and From the Blind Spot staunchly announcing their return. Big songs with big attitude it’s a great opening to the album. Home is one of the softer moments of the album but fits right in the mix and will be a great sing along anthem at the shows. Worth fighting for was one of the singles released to build the anticipation and showcases their uniqueness.
Not My Hell blew me away. It’s one of the most touching songs I have ever heard. It’s a very sad song that breaks your heart and is on par with Just know from End The Silence both being very personal songs. This is quickly becoming a fan favourite as I have seen on social media sites which has surprised me somewhat as a large portion of their fan base would be into rock and heavy metal and Not My Hell is far from both styles. I may lose a little credibility with my Metal friends but I cried my eyes out the first time I heard this song. It captures all the emotion of those innocent ones taken from us too soon and the feelings for those left behind to deal with it.
Burn was another single release and returns to the aggression of previous songs like Suffocate, S.U.I.T and Lit Up from their debut release as Blindspott. This is another great song and has gone down a treat live. White lies encourage you to rock out and we slide down to a quieter pace that leads us to the end of the album. The final song Reflections takes us out and is another song that is quickly becoming a fan favourite.
Blacklistt takes you on a soaring journey from relentless aggression to some of the softest touching moments I’ve ever encountered. This album stays true to their roots and will grow their exploding fan base.
Featuring 4 of the 5 original members of Blindspott.