Black Love - Black Love

Labels: Don't Live Like Me Records, Good Post Day Records, I.Corrupt Records, L'Oeil Du Tigre, Zegema Beach Records, Aorte

Formats: Vinyl/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 30 Sep 2014

Tracklist: 

1. Corps Etranger

2. Black Baby Jesus

3. Becker's Leitmotif

4. Libertines

5. L'insoutenable Légèreté De Sauce

6. Ø

7. La Fois Que Le Spot Est Passe Au Feu

Here's a new Zegema Beach Records roster series review, because I've been binge watching some more of Dave's 'Out Past The Rings' videos on YouTube and I haven't done one for a week or so. This one features French-Canadian post-hardcore/post-rock band Black Love. This self-titled record was co-released in September 2014 via ZBR and the other labels mentioned above and still serves as the most recent music to come from the band, as they don't appear to be active currently.

I’ve been cooking up some plans for future features but more on that later. Gotta keep myself focused on Black Love and the glorious music they make on album opener ‘Corps Etranger’. Masters of  the cinematic slow-build, they deliver an instrumental that’s fit to bursting with intrigue and imagination as it increases in volume and layers. It’s not entirely instrumental though as about three-minutes in, raw screamed/part-clean vocals come over the horizon and add an old-school screamo texture to the song. Proper heart-wrenching.’ Black Baby Jesus’ is so rhythmic and upbeat, with great melodic guitar work flowing throughout and even more emotive vocals, and enigmatic percussion. It reminds me of a crossbreeding of ‘Between Order And Model’ era Funeral For A Friend and Russian emo band Ensslin. I hope that makes sense but if it doesn’t, I don’t care.

One thing that really stands out on Black Love is the musicianship, which features so much talent all round. ‘Becker’s Leitmotif’ is just over four-minutes in length but flies by in seemingly no time at all, thanks to the aforementioned musicianship. Add to that the harsh vocals, which leap out of the speakers even when enveloped by the instruments. It gives you such a euphoric feeling listening to it. Black Love adds an edge of funk to ‘Libertines’ alongside the spoken-word/clean vocals that give way to more caustic screams later on. The song is littered with lyrics that describe teenage emotions and love. The music backs it all up with an equally emotive backdrop that’s every bit as dreamy as it is urgent.

The opening tones of ‘L’insoutenable Légèreté De Sauce’ seem almost menacing but that menace is soon banished by dramatic instrumentation that’s joined by what sounds like brass at times (but I may be mistaken). I’m sure that members of Albatros guested on here!?. Anyway, just listen to it, as it’s beautiful. ’Ø’ follows on immediately after and it’s mix of feedback and gentle riffing is hauntingly good. Sort of in the same that a nursery rhyme is in certain settings (horror films). It’s wholly instrumental and bridges the gap to album closer ‘La Fois Que Le Spot Est Passé Au Feu’. This final song is probably the most post-rock that Black Love go in terms of their sound. It’s big but not obtuse, more rhythmic than off-kilter and mid-paced, as opposed to violently fast. It’s perfect.

In a year where Cassus and their album Separation Anxiety have been on constant rotation (still), and where I’ve discovered Japan’s Lang (thanks to Dog Knights Productions), I do wonder how I managed to miss Black Love for so long. It may be over 6 years old now, but this is another one I’ll be revisiting over and over again.

You can stream and grab 'Black Love' as a name-your-price download below:

Black Love - https://www.facebook.com/blacklovemtl/

Physical copies can still be purchased from the links below:-

I.Corrupt Records - http://icorruptrecords.limitedrun.com/products/

Zegema Beach Records (CAD/INTL) - http://www.zegemabeachrecords.com/ / (US) - https://zbrusa.com/

Don't Live Like Me Records - https://www.facebook.com/dontlivelikeme/

Good Post Day Records - https://www.facebook.com/goodpostdayrecords/

I.Corrupt Records - https://www.facebook.com/icorruptrecs/

L'Oeil Du Tigre - https://www.facebook.com/loeildutigre/

Zegema Beach Records - https://www.facebook.com/zegemabeachrecords/

Aorte - https://www.facebook.com/Aorte