Black Peaks [Underground Greats]
Since 2013, Black Peaks have wasted little time in establishing themselves as math-rock stars in the making. TMMP has championed them for some time, and for many a good reason. Here are five of them:
1) Their tracks are fully immersive.
Some bands soundtrack your life in a nostalgic sense, pushing and pulling you into the past, running over pains, worries, and victories alike. The music’s there, right in your ears – but so are some things you might rather forget.
Black Peaks’ tracks take a different tack. Songs like Glass Built Castles and Saviour will use up all your mental bandwidth, pushing the world away and allowing real relief from everyday stresses and strains. These guys will bend your brain into a mind-pretzel, twisting time in ways that would leave Stephen Hawking scratching his head.
We all need an escape hatch – and Black Peaks’ music works perfectly. Unless you have a migraine, anyway.
2) The Deftones influence is strong in these ones…
…but at the same time, Black Peaks aren’t ripoff merchants. They possess a uniquely compelling collective voice of their own – one that happens to frequently veer in the direction of the Sacramentan alt-metal titans while never fully succumbing to their gravitational pull. An act of perfect creative balance.
3) Live…well, fuck me.
Trying to go an entire Black Peaks set without touching your face to check it hasn’t actually melted off is a serious challenge. You thought it was hard to hold a Rowntree’s Fruit Pastille in your mouth without chewing it? Think again. Although you could always try both challenges at once – if you’re bloody mental.
4) They’re not sitting on their laurels.
Glass Built Castles and latest track Crooks are a level beyond spectacular (and sadly presently unavailable) EP Closer To The Sun (released back when Black Peaks were known as Shrine), and there’s an album on the way. Check out the videos below for the auditory story so far. Based on the progress Black Peaks are making (and the frankly terrifying fact that they’ve only been around for two years or so), you can bet their debut album will be explosive.
5) They’re slaying British festivals this summer.
Y Not, Boardmasters, Hevy, ArcTanGent, Reading, Leeds – festivalgoers of all stripes are going to find themselves faced with the opportunity to see what all the fuss is about. If you’re one of them, don’t sleep in and miss Black Peaks’ slot. Set Glass Built Castles as your wakeup alarm, stick your phone’s volume on maximum, and order your friends to beat you with sticks if you hit the snooze button. It’s for your own good.
Links / Video / Music
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