"An abrasive blend of doom metal, psych rock, goth and a tangy soupçon of pop music." -- Paste Magazine
"They mesh elements of doom, Krautrock and atmospheric indie into one bewitching rock whole." --Classic Rock Magazine
Empty surrounds all of me. It’s a poignant line from the third album by Blackwater Holylight that encapsulates the search for self when suddenly everything has changed. There’s a theme of processing vast personal trauma throughout Silence/Motion that eloquently — both lyrically and musically — and simultaneously embodies the crushing emptiness, sorrow, strength and rebuilding of recovering from personal devastation.
“There was so much grief both in the world and interpersonally during the process of creating Silence/Motion,” says vocalist/bassist Allison “Sunny” Faris. “The four of us gave one another more space to be ourselves, to experiment with each other’s ideas and to be gentle with one another more than we ever have before. So, we knew this tenderness would manifest in extremely honest arrangements, and I think that you can hear that throughout the record.”
Curiously, considering the dark times in which it was created, this is the band’s most melodic and catchy music so far. Blackwater Holylight, as the name suggests, is all about contrasts: It’s a fluid convergence of sound that’s heavy, psychedelic, melodic, terrifying and beautiful all at once. And, Silence/Motion finds the band honing those contrasts, letting ideas and moods fully develop from song to song, rather than filling every song with a full range of their capabilities. It allows the band to go fully prog-rock here, and simply stay hushed and intimate there. There’s a new confidence to the band in how seamlessly they wield their stylistic amalgam.
“Writing this album was extraordinarily difficult emotionally, however it did come to fruition fairly quickly,” Faris says. “In the past, the theme of vulnerability has always been a big player and it definitely showed up full force while writing this album.”
Blackwater Holylight recorded the album as a four piece: Faris on vocals and guitar (on “Silence/Motion”, “MDIII”, “Around You” and “Every Corner”) and bass for the remainder, Sarah McKenna on synths, Mikayla Mayhew on guitar (and bass when Faris plays guitar) and drummer Eliese Dorsay. For Silence/Motion the band chose to work with a producer for the first time, bringing in A.L.N. (of Mizmor, Hell) to produce, along with recording engineer Dylan White — who also helmed their previous album Veils of Winter (2019) — at Odessa Recording Studio in Portland, OR. Guest vocals on album opener “Delusional” are by Bryan Funck (Thou.) Mike Paparo (Inter Arma) and A.LN. (Mizmor, Hell) lend guest vocals to album closer “Every Corner.”
“The analogy is that with our first record (Blackwater Holylight, 2018) we were getting into to the car and buckling up,” Faris says. “The second (Veils of Winter, 2019) we were turning the car on, and with this third we have kicked into drive toward our destination. Our destination is a bit mysterious and has the ability to change from day to day, but we’re on our way.”
Silence/Motion is available on LP, CD and download, released on October 22nd, 2021 via RidingEasy Records.
BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT TOUR 2022:
5/09 San Diego, CA - Casbah*
5/10 Scottsdale, AZ - Pub Rock*
5/11 Albuquerque, NM - Sister*
5/14 Lafayette, LA - Freetown Boom Boom Room *
5/15 New Orleans, LA - The Goat*
5/16 Atlanta, GA - 529*
5/18 Charlotte, NC - Snug Harbor*
5/19 Durham, NC - Pinhook*
5/20 Baltimore, MD - Metro Gallery*
5/21 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda’s*
5/22 Brooklyn, NY - Saint Vitus Bar*
5/24 Boston, MA - Middle East (upstairs)*
5/26 Montreal, QC - Le Ritz*
5/27 Toronto, ON - Garrison*
5/28 Youngstown, OH - Westside Bowl*
5/29 Columbus, OH - Natalie’s*
5/30 Indianapolis, IN - Black Circle*
* Bleakheart supports
6/01 Chicago, IL - Sleeping Village**
6/02 Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club**
6/03 Green Bay, WI - Lyric Room**
6/04 St Paul, MN - Turf Club**
6/05 Omaha, NE - Slowdown**
6/07 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive**
6/08 Salt Lake City, UT - Metro**
6/09 Boise, ID - Neurolux**
6/10 Seattle, WA - Chop Suey**
6/11 Vancouver BC - Rickshaw**
6/12 Portland, OR - Revolution Hall**
6/15 Sacramento, CA - Café Colonial**
6/16 San Fransisco, CA - The Eagle**
6/17 Santa Cruz, CA - Felton Music Hall**
6/18 Los Angeles, CA - Lodge Room**
** Spirit Mother supports
Artist: Blackwater Holylight
Album: Silence/Motion
Record Label: RidingEasy Records
Release date: October 22, 2021
01. Delusional
02. Who The Hell?
03. Silence/Motion
04. Falling Faster
05. MDIII
06. Around You
07. Every Corner
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