Chris O’Brien, David Dicks, Keith White and Steve Burgess are Blackwood. The band from Nashville, Tennessee formed in 2021. According to their website it began as a studio project. They have gone on to play live shows and also released four singles to date all of which were released in 2022.
The band plays some intense music and I thought all four songs were well produced and written. “Lullaby” was their latest single so I decided to start with that song. The music hits you all at once. It’s an emotive song which reaches some epic heights. The song felt inspirational and in a lot of ways I thought it was about a love letter to a significant other. I thought the band had a lot of chemistry. They push and pull which created a very dynamic song. This one will hit you in the heart.
“Lose It All” has more of an ’80s metal flavor perhaps with some grunge influence as well. Alice In Chains did come to mind when listening to this one. The guitars cut through the mix and the drums hit hard. This is the type of song that sounds best played loud. It was also easy to see why they decided this would be a good single. It’s a repeat worthy song and contains a hook that you will want to sing along with.
“Train” is the heaviest song yet. The band goes all in and I have to say the guitar tone was incredible. Alice in Chains did come to mind again but with more of a contemporary flavor. The song hits on all cylinders. It’s just an onslaught of sound. The mix was so well done I could make out everything including the work on the ride cymbals. I have to say the guitar solo on this song just rips.
Last but not least is “Inundated One” and this is another song that rips. It’s dangerous, it’s got an attitude like any good rock song worth its salt. The band displays some serious technical skill but it’s more creative for me. Everything is musical and fits together well.
Blackwood has a huge sound. It’s the type of music you can’t ignore even at low volumes. They make the kind of music that demands to be heard live. That being said these are the types of recordings that will make you anticipate a full album. This is a great start from the band.
Comments