Black Tongue is a newer band from Hull, England which formed in 2013. They have already released two EP's and within the last year signed with Century Media Records. Black Tongue consist of five individuals, two of which were formerly in Infant Annihilator. Their newest release, The Unconquerable Dark is due to be released on September 4th this year.
When listening to new music, it's refreshing to hear original and different ideas. Metal is one of the more varied genres, so it's not terribly hard to find something different. Even so, many subgenres are saturated with similar sounds and techniques, copied riffs and guitar affects. Unfortunately, I admit I had written Black Tongue off to be one of these copycat deathcore bands. After all, doing a quick Google search reveals "similar artist people have searched for" to be those more popular Hot Topic bands you hear kids playing on their cell phones while waiting in line at concerts (but to each their own). It wasn't until I decided to review them and put some time in on The Unconquerable Dark that I found this was not the case. Sure Black Tongue uses plenty of breakdowns, has heavily down-tuned chugs, and gang chants, but they do manage to stick out of the crowd and offer some diversity.
Doomcore is what the band labels themselves as. I have heard this term before, but always assumed it would sound different (I still think it does). Yes, the subtleties of subgenres and labels. Let's move on.
The opening track, "Plague Worship", is a good indicator of what you're about to be offered on The Unconquerable Dark. Be prepared to be bombarded with entire songs that are three to four minutes long, and jump from one breakdown to the next. There are a few tracks on this album that the entire song is engulfed around four separate breakdowns tied together by simple transitions. Generally, this gets old over time, but I must say, Black Tongue owns it. As it is wearisome at times, they refreshingly incorporate a variety of breakdown tempos, chugs, and even some guest vocals from Eddie Hermida (Suicide Silence). The other aspect that keeps this album rolling is their identity in their music. There is an atmosphere of doom. A heavy acid-like perception that is dripping all over this album. The slow tempos, drawn out lyrics and screams, and the ambient guitar riffs all attribute to this. The music itself never speeds up too much, it's not technical at all, its basic brutality at its core, doomcore?
"L'appel du Vide" is one of the superior tracks on the album. The off-rhythm djent style groove within really stands out, and even though its uncharacteristic, it shows what the members are capable of in terms of getting creative with what is otherwise a pretty slow tempoed version of deathcore.
Black Tongue is definitely not my go to band, or even something I will listen to when I'm bored. It's pretty far from what I desire when listening to metal, but just the same, I have to give the band credit for doing what they do well. They keep it original, have a strong identity in their sound, and know what it is to communicate that much desired intangible mood and atmosphere so many bands miss. At around 47 minutes in length, there is no shortage in brutal music. The louder it is, the better it sounds. Perfect music to piss your neighbors off too.
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