Album Of The Week: All That Divides — Black Peaks
Many musicians draw upon their political views to inspire and drive their songwriting, and our Album Of The Week this week is testament to music’s timeless capacity to be an outlet for political expression. Mixing their cutting takes on the British political climate with their genre-blending sound, Black Peaks’ latest album is a triumph of a sophomore release.
Album number two, a prospect that daunts many a band, especially when success and mainstream attention from a first album have catapulted them into the limelight. Some bands fare well with this challenge, others do not. With All That Divides, however, Black Peaks have found themselves taking the success of their debut release, Statues, and replicating it to make another masterpiece of hard rock magic.
The album begins with the first single the band released in the run-up to All That Divides, ‘Can’t Sleep’. The song is, without a doubt, a comment on modern political times in the UK, with lyrics such as: “Darkness in their fingers/As they linger/From the front page to their flags”, taking aim at prevalent political issues and tying in well with the album’s title. Immediately, ‘Can’t Sleep’ illustrates one of Black peaks’ many appeals: the incredible vocal talent of front-man Will Gardner. His silky and clean vocals— often dream-like—transcend into aggressive spine-shaking howls and growls, but always sound completely under control. This, as well as the fantastic riffs produced by Joe Gosney, and the stunning rhythmic backbone provided by bassist Dave Larkin and drummer Liam Kearley, is what sets Black Peaks apart from many other new bands trying to break out into the genre.
‘Midnight Sun’ then provides listeners with haunting guitars that descend into a truly stomping riff and drum beat towards the end, whilst ‘Electric Fires’ proves its worth as the third single from the album with it’s unconventional structure — it features no clear chorus or verses — making it an intriguing, but nonetheless catchy song.
Moving deeper into the album, with track five, ‘Across The Great Divide’, we hear what feels like an increasingly emotional performance, with the lyrics turning to mental health and the feelings that arise from the dark moments in our lives. Lyrics such as those in the chorus, (“Out of these walls I cannot see/drowning alone I cannot breathe, your hands reach mine reaching out”) engage the listener with their vulnerability, bringing them closer to the music.
The album carries on in a euphoric, almost operatic fashion, providing more high-quality, well-thought-out songs. The penultimate track, ‘Slow Seas’, is a brutal attack on the right wing, anti-immigration sentiment that has come to shape our country’s policy. The first verse recites the lyrics “Oh, how could they drown in our waters?/Stop drawing borders/Start building bridges of hope”, making clear that the band don’t intend to beat around the bush when it comes to their views on such issues.
It is fair to say that Black Peaks have produced a masterful show of talent with this new album. They have proven themselves as amazingly talented musicians and songwriters, and, while they are often a genre-defying band — perhaps post-hardcore or metal would be fitting — they are a shining beacon within the alternative music community, illustrating how a band can, and should be, producing music in the twenty-first century. They will surely be around for years to come yet.
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