Blackhole – Back To It At Last

In true “me” style, I discovered Blackhole a year after the band had decided to call it a day, and that continues to sadden me. They were a part of the British Punk and Hardcore wave that really caused a stir in the early 2000’s, that sadly wasn’t set to last too long.

The underground UK Punk scenes have always been strong, and MF has seen and heard their fair share of evidence, but there were a handful of bands that gained larger national and international attention.

Names that come to mind include the original Gallows line-up, The Ghost Of A Thousand and the crux of this article, Blackhole. A band that should have lasted far longer than they did, and a band that have decided to give Punk and Hardcore another foundation-level shake.

During their initial time as a band, Blackhole toured with the likes of Cancer Bats, The Ghost Of A Thousand, Every Time I Die and other heavy names, many of which are still just a audibly dangerous now.

2007 saw the absolute cracker – and soundtrack to my first year at University – ‘Not That This Is A Bad Thing’. It’s hard to believe this was so long ago. Clocking in at just under three minutes, it’s gritty old-school Hardcore Punk that could have easily been a bay-area smasher, yet, had a quintessential British kick (IN THE FACE!) to it.

2009 saw Dead Hearts – which you can still get on Amazon on CD/MP3 by the way – an eleven track lesson in chunky, jagged and, lyrically, very real, riff-laden Hardcore, with all of Punk’s aggression included. A sound supplemented with slight Metal infusions and a “Rockier” twang that really made them stand them out amongst their peers.

I loved Gallows at the time (and I still listen to them now), The Ghost Of A Thousand were fantastic (please reform!), but with Blackhole there was that intensity, the pure anger and pull-on your-heart-strings retorts to just about everything.

The band’s violently abrasive, yet tuneful, instrumentals emanate from your speakers and command you to stand and fucking listen: Simple as. Richard Carter howls, bellows and screams at you in a way that’s far more than the standard and satisfying angry Hardcore.

For a very close friend of mine and myself, it was the song ‘Forever’ that stuck out. If you’re new to the band, then I won’t ruin it. If you’re not, then you know what’s coming.

The band are out on tour this October with Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes and Creeper. Sadly, I won’t be in country to go to the shows, and that’s gutting, so I implore you to get your arse to that front row and watch the Brothers Carter slay it.

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes are, quite frankly, explosive live, and I hear good things about Creeper, so make a date if you can. Plus, you know… BLACKHOLE!

Anyway, the following links are guaranteed to suck you in and destroy your world. Blackhole, enjoy:

• Blackhole can be found on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram.
• Dead Hearts, can be found on Amazon in both CD and MP3 download and there are some videos and tracks also uploaded on their Youtube Channel.
• The Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes tour dates can be found Here.

#StayFresh