Blackwater Holylight
Veils of Winter
Riding Easy Records
I think all metal bands look back to Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid” for inspiration. That’s what I hear lurking behind Blackwater Holylight’s opening track “Seeking Secrets.” It captures that spirit and sound and reinterprets it against a more modern hard rock sensibility. The vocal is somehow ominous yet lighter in spirit; it’s the vocals in this all female metal band that soften the menace. Those vocals sort of hang in space and call out to you: “Come and listen with us….” Underlying the vocals we find a hypnotic guitar line chanting to itself, seeking inner peace and a rich chord structure.
Even ominous titles like “Death Realms” takes us to a calm and peaceful place, yet one still active with hope and love. “Love?” you ask? A metal band singing about love?” Why not. Rocking out is all about what you want, and not what you can’t have. By “Lullaby” we no longer expect a rough power chord driven sound. Here we enter a moodier space, dimly lit and with a sound is no longer angry but one that chills along with the lava lamps. I am on a journey, not a rampage. But wait – “Motorcycle” disrupts the party as it marches across the soundscape, now infused with that dark energy we expected up front. I put it to you: this is an unexpected gem, dark, smoky and yet uplifting. Give Blackwater Holylight a spin or whatever other motion you use to get your music these days. I suspect you’ll be intruded just as I was.
https://blackwaterholylight.bandcamp.com/album/blackwater-holylight
