ALBUM REVIEW: Tomorrow Will Be Without Us – Black Mirrors
Some may say that four years is a long time to wait for a new record, whilst others may think that it’s no time at all. BLACK MIRRORS have clearly taken their time to produce their latest body of work, which definitely isn’t a pitfall. Let’s face it, the Brussels-based rock four-piece have gone through a lot since the release of their debut EP Funky Queen. After the success of the compilation, they gained popularity rather quickly, resulting in securing a record deal with Napalm Records, and the hype only grew following the release of their debut album Look Into The Black Mirror in 2018. Will their latest body of work Tomorrow Will Be Without Us manage to live up to high expectation?
This album is said to be heavily inspired by 90s rock music, whilst lyrically the album “traverses humankind’s increasing apathy towards the world around them.” The first track is Snake Oil, which immediately grabs our attention with a fantastic grunge-filled opening riff. As soon as Marcella Di Troia‘s vocals come in, we feel hypnotised. Her vocal talent is just incredible, managing to up the ante when needed. When the opening riff floods back into our eardrums, the song gets even better. By the time we reach the final minute, the instrumentals just blow us away even further, making us quickly realise how talented this band actually are.
Lost In Desert begins with another memorable guitar riff. However, the song starts to feel a little bit stale over time. Whilst there is no denying that this band have a good thing going on, there isn’t a lot to be said for this single. Next up is the title track, in which Di Troia shows off her powerful vocals in the best way. Unfortunately, the three minutes and 21 seconds of this track just go unnoticed, with nothing really to show for it. Hateful Hate, I’ll Kill You follows in a similar vein, sadly. By this point in the release, the riffs all seem to be sounding pretty identical to one another.
Ode To My Unborn Child is next, which almost has an acoustic country vibe to it at the very start, giving a much needed boost to the album. Unfortunately, this song ends up getting a little bit boring with no real progression witnessed throughout. Through The Eyes Of A Giant is surprisingly catchy at the very start, and it has us singing along from the offset. This is definitely one of the better songs on the release. Collapsology (Raise Your Voice) is the next track, featuring Chilean-American multi-instrumentalist Alain Johannes. This song is the turning point in this record, with Johannes‘ guitar work just making it a sure-fire banger. Next, Anthropocene has some solid instrumentals throughout as well as a pretty catchy chorus – another definite highlight – while Tears To Share is another song that shows Di Troia‘s true vocal capabilities. However, that is the only redeeming feature. The closer is Say It Again and the best part about this track is the fantastic guitar work courtesy of Pierre Lateur.
Overall, we wouldn’t recommend Tomorrow Will Be Without Us by BLACK MIRRORS. Whilst there are some sure highlights within the release, they are hard to find, and ultimately the main thing that this album is good for is a nostalgia trip back to your youth.
Rating: 6/10
Tomorrow Will Be Without Us is out now via Napalm Records.
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