Album Review: Black Spiders - "Black Spiders"

 

Safe to say that this one is much-anticipated. Having graced us with two excellent albums at the start of the last decade and been briefly touted as the next big thing by the music press, Black Spiders' sudden split in 2015 just as it seemed they were hitting their stride was a bit of a gutter to put it mildly. Happy to say though that 2021 sees Doncaster's finest rock export returning to the fray with a self-titled third album which is well worth the wait.

While the opening duo of excellent lead-off single Fly In The Soup and Stabbed In The Back have the necessary urgency about them to grab your attention straight away, the lurching Sabbath style riff of Wizard Shall Not Kill Wizard takes the heaviosity up a level to good effect while Back In The Convent sounds like Wolfsbane trading riffs with Van Halen and when the Priest style menace of Give 'Em What They Want and a well-executed cover of the Easybeats' Good Times (similar to the excellent INXS/Jimmy Barnes version on the Lost Boys soundtrack in style) follows up, you're in no doubt the band are on good form here.

Take note Massive Wagons, Dust Coda et al, THIS is how you do a good 21st century rock album which acknowledges its influences but well and truly kicks arse without falling into the trap of sounding either cringy or dull. Because whether Black Spiders are cutting loose with a slice of Motorhead style malevolence like Death Comes Creepin', slinging out the low-slung ZZ Top with added nastiness boogie of Nothin' To Lose or going full on stoner-metal on the seven minute closing epic Crooked Black Wings, this is an album which, similar to the Wildhearts' Renaissance Men a couple of years ago, tips its hat to those who rocked out before it but is savvy enough to know that this sort of music is like a shark in that it needs to keep moving forward and evolve if it doesn't want to die.

Shout it from the rooftops folks, the Spiders are back, gleefully flicking the V's at those who desperately want rock music to stay trapped under a glass dome, eternally stuck in its '70s state. Black Spiders is a very good comeback effort which definitely deserves your attention. Can't wait to hear these songs live once the current madness ends.

Bandcamp link 

NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑 (8/10)

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