Black River – “Black ‘N’ Roll”

Go fuck yourself! That’s pretty much what Black River is screaming at you throughout their 2009 release, Black ‘N Roll. This is a high tempo, amps set to 11, balls to the wall record.

Although considered a metal band, the album offers more of a punk/metal fusion, reminiscent of Motorhead. And with Maciej Taff’s deep roaring vocals there’s an added darkness. With some bluesy undertones, these guys sound like they should be performing in a dingy roadhouse inhabited by the damned, reminiscent of the movie from “From Dusk Till Dawn.” There’s even a track, “Lucky in Hell”, where you can scream ‘more cow bell’!

Black River might never be the most lyrically adept band, but we should be able to forgive them given that English is clearly a second language. Kudos for the effort. Also, for a band that seems to be a side project for its member, this is an impressive result. I would love to see these guys live, I wouldn’t expect anything less than the high energy displayed on the album.

Notable tunes: “Isabel,” the title track “Black ‘N’ Roll”, “Loaded Weapon” and “Morphine” (a cool little track with nothing but vocals, some lead guitar, rim shots and a high hat for the first 2.5 minutes).  [ END ]

Track Listing:

01. Barg Bag
02. Isabel
03. Lucky In Hell
04. Black ‘N’ Roll
05. Breaking The Wall
06. Too Far Away
07. Loaded Weapon
08. Morphine
09. Like A Bitch
10. Young ‘N’ Drunk
11. Free Man

Run Time: 42:36
Release Date: 07.20.2010