‘BLKLSTRS’ plays as if four guys got together to fuck with time signatures. There is not a single moment on the forty minutes on offer that uses conventional song structure. The result is a barrage of noise which neither takes on a hardcore personality nor touches on the edges of punk. The minimalist nature of the sound makes the outcome even more impressive, with each track barely pulling all four instruments together for longer than ten seconds at a time. Vocally, Billy Mason-Wood is a man possessed, delivering a unique style reminiscent of drowning vocal chords in whisky. These southern rock influences are evident in both vocal style and instrumentation, and regularly provide a menacing groove to the record.
It is almost unfathomable to understand how a record can sound so ruthless without actively forcing the music down the listener’s throat. The subtlety of the composition is key, rather than taking the in-your-face approach chosen by a number of contemporaries. On ‘OK47’ the closing moments are perhaps some of the most tortured vocals delivered in recent times, supported simply by a nominal base line. ‘Ask Yourself a Question if the Answer is Go Fuck Yourself’ is more ominous than staring the end of the world in the face. These moments are indicative of the bold nature of the band, where less is more and the outcome is truly explosive.
BLACKLISTERS have demanded attention with ‘BLKLSTRS’ and it is undoubtedly an attention they are going to hold onto. This is forty minutes of pure instability and foreboding savagery. Noise rock has not sounded this refined and powerful in years. ‘BLKLSTRS’ is a truly exceptional record.
BEN TIPPLE