BLACK MAP | In Droves | Album Review
NOTE: This review was written and posted in March 2017.
Now, Black Map is a project consisting of Ben Flanagan of Trophy Fire, Chris Robyn of Far, and Mark Engle of Dredg, all of which are a part of great bands whose music should be listened to. But, as all of these bands are on a hiatus from making music right now, this trio of musicians decided to form this band in order to keep their creative and talentful minds running. This band is described as being an alt metal/post-hardcore band (not modern post-hardcore obviously), and has toured with bands such as Chevelle, which I will say early on that is a band that seems to be a bit of an influence to this project. But this isn't just a band that is influenced by any of its favorite bands and just wants to be a carbon copy of that band, whilst still offering very recommendable music. Black Map forge an identity and a personality that is truthfully all of their own, and emanate that without any hesitation throughout all fifteen tracks this album features, including the three "Transit" interludes which are tracks 1, 8, and 14.
The first actual song on the album, "Run Rabbit Run", which also happens to be the leadoff single and the track that people know the most from this album, gets things started in a very awesome way. This track showcases what this band is all about within a bevy of aggression, but also a bit of melody, backed up behind a tower of songwriting and musical talent. However, the adjacent track, "Foxglove", sets the roof on fire. And that's what I feel is missing from a lot of albums in the present day. Opener tracks that show the listener the ropes of the construct of the band, and then following it up immediately with a track that expands any tangible horizon and lets the band's talent fire on all cylinders. This is something that you'll find on many of the tracks that make up this album, particularly in Side A of this effort. "Foxglove", "Ruin" and "Heavy Waves" are all examples of tracks that intertwine massive alternative metal riffs with beautifully melodic choruses as well as the highest quality songwriting, and I feel that all three tracks are just as flawless.
However, it's whenever I approached Track 7 on the album, "Octavia", when I realized something else about this album. This track, and to be honest, a good portion of this album, really reminds me of a long forgotten band named Mad At Gravity, who released an album entitled "Resonance" in 2002 that had a very similar feeling to it. This was an album that had songwriting and charisma that was just as strong as this, and it was definitely an that definitely stood out among the crop of bands it was associated with during the time of its release. To be blunt, you could put both "Octavia" from this album and "Run For Cover" by Mad At Gravity on a comparison chart, and you'd definitely get two songs that sound very similar. And that is something that's just awesome to me. This is definitely a special attribute that can't necessarily be awarded to any band you hear today. And that's what makes "Octavia" a pure highlight from this album.
Going further into the disc, Side B doesn't necessarily have the unbridled strength that Side A inhabits, but there are shards of it that do show up. "No Color" is another track that showcases all of the best traits of this band, featuring a very strong chorus and also continuing to deliver the excellent songwriting this band possesses. Same thing could be said for tracks such as "Just My Luck" as well as softer and more melodic tracks like "White Fences" and "Dead Ringer" (a track from Side A). While tracks like those two I just mentioned aren't tracks I find myself constantly going back to, I appreciate their efforts just as much, because they do showcase that they can make a slower track work just as well as a harder one. And, once again, I can't stress enough how good the songwriting is throughout all of these tracks, as well as the talent. The vocals are very three-dimensional and compliment everything around them perfectly, the drumming is very creative and intricate, the guitar parts are very simple but have a lot of charm to them, and pretty much every other person involved with this album, including the producer and mixer, are all at the top of their game with this album and leave no stone unturned.
Man, we've had a fantastic year so far. I'm not being ignorant to the other months of the year because there could be tons of poorly reviewed albums this year. But, as for "In Droves" by Black Map, this is SO not one of them. In fact, this album is going on my Best Albums Of 2017 list at the end of the year. And I have a feeling that it might actually be reserved for either of the Top 2 positions on that list. This album is such a phenomenal listen that I encourage every single person to check out right now. Black Map is a band that deserves to get as much recognition as Starset or Nothing More in terms of new rock bands goes, and I feel that this has passed both of those bands, and others like them, in terms of quality. Now, those are fantastic bands that have unique styles that are utilized to their advantages, and if you remember, I gave the latest Starset album a glowing review. However, this is a disc that I am rewarding a much more glowing review. Please listen to this right now.
RATING: 10/10
What did you think about the record? Was it good? Was it bad? Let me know in the comments below. And of course, these are only my opinions. If your opinions are different, awesome! If they're similar, then that's great, too. So, don't hesitate- comment to me about it down below. Take care.
Rating: 98/100
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