ALBUM REVIEW: In A Bizarre Dream – BlackLab

Sometimes, the strangest bedfellows produce shockingly good results. Take Japan’s self-styled ‘Dark Witch Doom Duo’ BLACKLAB for example – a band so enamoured by the doom of BLACK SABBATH and the avant-pop of STEREOLAB that they literally smashed those band names together to create their own, and took cues from each to develop their sound. On their new album In A Bizarre Dream, that low, slow, fuzzed out avant-garde doom has been dialled up to the max.

Like Cerberus, the album presents itself as a three headed monster with Cold Rain, Abyss Woods and Dark Clouds leading the charge. Snarling and gnashing, BLACKLAB carves a path that feels distinct and clear; and while they’re all very similar in their approach of sonic destruction and throat shredding vocals, there is enough to set these apart. Whether it’s the hazy atmosphere of Cold Rain, the potent riffage of Abyss Woods or the punk-paced drumming of Dark Clouds, they all tie back to that central ethos of ripping your head off with your wildest psychedelic trip. One body, three very dangerous heads.

Evil 1 continues the theme, but is paired with the far more melodic and introspective Evil 2. Sung entirely in their native Japanese, vocalist and guitarist Yuko Morino delivers a spellbinding performance that ensnares and moves within you – this is aural possession at its finest. It also marks a wide ranging change at the midpoint of the album – everything after this point leans more into melody and clean vocals over roars and growls. Penultimate track Monochrome Rainbow presents the record’s strongest chorus by a country mile and deserves to be a linchpin of future live sets with its driving guitars and pulsating drums.

Toward the tail-end of the album, Lost continues the theme of fuzzy loud bits with melodic phases sprinkled in, but there’s something distinctly late 90s/early 00s riot grrrl-slash-teen drama soundtrack about it. And as textured and varied as it makes a release that could very easily have sounded samey throughout, it does leave the back half of the record feeling directionless. The title track is an instrumental interlude that hams up the atmospherics and gives a sense of calm; and Crows, Sparrows And Cats veers more into the art pop realm vocally and actually features STEREOLAB vocalist Laetitia Sadier. 

Then it all comes full circle with the furious Collapse closing the record. Though it ends rather too abruptly, it is a frenetic and intoxicating thrill ride that delivers that final hammer blow and ensures that In A Bizarre Dream will not be forgotten in a hurry. Again though, it makes the final five tracks of In A Bizarre Dream feel more like a compilation or a ‘best of’ rather than a single body of work.

All told, BLACKLAB have produced something of a peculiar one. There’s loads here that works and some of those opening tracks are utterly irresistible. But there’s just something in the scope of the record and the many sounds it touches on that holds this back. The end result feels a tad messy or unsure of itself, but ultimately, fans of psych-leaning doom should be more than happy with this to see them through the year.

Rating: 7/10

In A Bizarre Dream is set for release on August 19th via New Heavy Sounds.

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