Losing Forever
Self-Released, 2016
10/10
An effort from their early days, the trio of Castle Black present 5 tunes here, where their always exciting brand of punk, alt-rock, New Wave and grunge unfolds with a precise blend of hard hitting and alternating lighter textures.
“Sabotage” starts the listen with grungy guitars as post-punk ideas enter the rhythmic setting, and “Premonition” continues with some scrappy pop-punk nods entering the gritty atmosphere.
The back half of the listen doesn’t disappoint either, and includes the calmer, indie-rock influenced “Secret Hideaway”, which builds into a crunchy rocker, while “Leave It” gets nearly dance friendly as ‘90s alt-rock pours out with a buzzing energy. “Dark Light” exits the listen with a dense display of rugged and thicker song craft that even flirts with metal amid the angular, fuzzed out finish.
There just isn’t a dull spot in Castle Black’s impressive catalog of music, but if you’re looking for a quick taste, the 22 minutes here certainly embrace all their strengths in spades.
Travels well with: Thurston Moore- By The Fire; Swans- leaving meaning