BY SYDNEY SPENCER// Since the debut of their first album, Passover, in 2006, The Black Angels have been revitalizing the psychedelic rock genre. The New York Times described the group as, “playing psychedelic rock as if the 1960s never ended, and they are an absolute master of it.” With colorful influences from Led Zeppelin and The Velvet Underground, The Black Angels dirty guitar riffs and entrancing bass solos bring a unique old-school creativity to the modern rock world.
Establishing their roots in Austin, Texas, The Black Angels gained popularity through their MySpace music page and a psychedelic collaboration album released by Northern Star Records. Their first album, Passover, features their top hit song, Young Men Dead. Similar to the psych-rock movement of the 1960s, many of The Black Angel’s songs contain bold themes questioning government and armed-conflict. The group continues delivering these powerful messages in their newest album, Death Song, their first full-length album in four years. The album is unique and progressive in that it was written and recorded during the 2016 election – as expected, it has a strong emphasis on a political climate dominated by division, anxiety, and unease. Regarding sound, the 11-track collection offers a sharply honed elaboration on their signature sound – menacing fuzz guitar and cutting wordplay, steeped in a murky hallucinatory dream.
