“What’s in a name?” returns! Firstly, because why not? And secondly because the moody, gothic driven sound produced on White Light Black Moon does not sound like something coming from a band called Bloody Knives. But maybe that’s the point. Don’t judge a book and all that jazz…
But I digress.
Treading a fine line between trip-hop (Think Psyence Fiction-era UNKLE and the kinds of percussion used on those songs), drum ‘n’ bass and post-rock, Bloody Knives tapped into a sound that’s truly unique which makes White Light Black Moon an instant stand out within a sea of mediocrity.
If you take Soft Kill’s dark drones and combine it with Replicant’s driving beats and synthetic atmosphere then you’d have a good idea of where your expectations of Bloody Knives should stand. White Light Black Moon joins a packed 2018 with already so many great post-rock goodies (Like the aforementioned Soft Kill along with Fotocrime, both out now) yet easily shines thanks to the rhythmic onslaught of “Darkstar” to start things off.
From there, it gets even better.
“Demonism” really starts to show the sonic prowess of Bloody Knives with this synthetic wall of sound layered into a deafening hum, “New Machines” is like a Goldie drum ‘n’ bass beast turned up to eleven with these haunting screeches throughout from guitarist Jack O’Hara, and “Midnight Hour” has this shimmering synth breakdown that’s a cross between Fright Night and Starman.
“Under The Black Moon” moves and grooves with an emphasis on the former with this song driving full speed as Jake McCown pounds away and goes even further when “Slicer Repeater” enters next. That’s right, kids! The song’s called “Slicer Repeater” and it’s not only one of the coolest song names but also one of the coolest songs on here…like drifting through the ether with these dreamy vocals from Preston Maddox (Who is also responsible for the killer low end and synths along with McCown) as a mechanical beat pulsates underneath and these synths and sounds meander in and out creating a sense of chaos within the calm.
Look, I could go on and on about any of these tracks for way too long but my best advice is this: listen for yourself. You’ll like what you hear.
White Light Black Moon is out now and you can buy yours here or by clicking below. It’s really kind of brilliant. For more on Bloody Knives, be sure to check out those ever important social pages by clicking here.