SuppliedIn any good horror film there comes a moment where the story’s protagonist realizes they are not in a dream, that the nightmare unfolding before them is real and they have been dragged into in a world of terror from which there is no escape. For listeners of modern-metal outfit BLACK TONGUE’s debut studio album, The Unconquerable Dark, this feeling is all too relatable.
As the first, dissonant notes creep into your ears, it is already too late to escape – the darkness has arrived. The music builds on intro track “Plague Worship” like a supernatural force, wrapping itself around you, infiltrating your mind as its volume grows. When vocalist Alex Teyen finally come into the mix, it is the sonic equivalent of a Mortal Kombat fatality finisher; absolute devastation.
Hull, England’s BLACK TONGUE have been ripping apart underground metal scenes since the release of their acclaimed EP Falsifier in 2013, stunning fans and critics alike with their sludgy, impossibly down-tuned, groovy and progressive take on the deathcore/downtempo genre. If past releases established them as trailblazers in modern metal, this newest effort covers that path in molten rock and the scorched corpses of any who hoped to follow closely in their footsteps.
The first three tracks of The Unconquerable Dark set the tone instantly. “Plague Worship” is a nod to the past – reinvigorating the sounds that BLACK TONGUE’s oldest fans fell in love with, while second track, “In The Wake Ov The Wolf”, introduces impressive new progressions in songwriting with the addition of a catchy and memorable chorus. “Young Gloom” rounds out the trio, proving this outfit’s ability to turn the violence of their music into a bouncy, irresistible head-banging anthem.
BLACK TONGUE prove with The Unconquerable Dark that they are a force of nature in modern-metal (think 8.0+ on the Richter Scale). Simultaneously one of the most devastating and palatable metal releases of the year, this record has tectonic weight behind it. Like any good horror movie, this album sucks you in and refuses to loosen its grasp until the credits roll.
