Black Masses – Black Masses

There are many alternative rock bands out there trying to get their music to a broader audience. The problem begins at the point where most of those bands sound nearly the same. It seems like the majority aims for a particular sound that, when produced by so many artists/bands, becomes repetitious, bland, and uninteresting. Luckily for all admirers of quality alternative rock music, there are bands like Black Masses that stand out from the vast sea of repetitious artists. There’s something about their music that keeps your attention from the first to the last song of their album. They know how to keep your ears focused on every verse, chorus, chant, chord progression, riff, bassline, or rhythmic segment included on this pleasant ear appealing voyage called Black Masses.

The album carries seven thoughtfully assembled alternative rock numbers that will satisfy even the pickiest fans of the genre. Considering the number of tracks included, some purists would say this is more of a mini-album than a full-length, but I will leave that debate to them. In this situation, the music is more important, and this duo does it with a lot of style. Black Masses avoid all the cliches that define contemporary alternative music. They’re not going with the flow like most musicians and bands nowadays. After all, what would they do if their music would sound exactly like any other alternative rock album produced by so many in their tiny bedroom studios? This way, Black Masses nailed by all means by delivering an ear-appealing alternative rock album, fully stacked with many sonic delicacies and surprises.

This album offers colossal echoic ambiance achieved by generous dosages of studio reverb. Therefore their tunes sound heavier, colossal, and monumental without being pretentious, annoying, and boring. Quite the contrary, all the ideas and musicianship invested in this material sound superb, and you’ll have a hard time finding any bad moments throughout the album. I adore that abrasive, raw, dirty tone that resembles grunge, stoner, or garage rock guitar sound. There’s something about the generous servings of distortion which keeps you motivated to listen to this material again. All the riffs, chord progressions, themes, melodies, and harmonies provide enough entertaining moments that you’ll immediately fall in love with this material. Besides the excellent guitar maneuvers, you’ll enjoy rhythmic acrobatics and flawlessly performed singing parts. You’ll also notice heavy dosages of southern rock, hard rock, indie rock, and grunge, but alternative remains their primary weapon of choice. It’s an album you unquestionably need to hear to comprehend its brilliance. The album is available on all streaming services.