Every year there's a few cool records that slip past my radar. However this one is one I actually caught first time round but didn't review. Fast forward a year and Edinburgh thrashers Black Talon have made their way back to my eardrums. Their latest EP Existential was released in 2019, four years after their killer debut LP, Endless Realities. The band have went through a few lineup changes in the interim, downsizing from five members to four, so let's check out what Black Talon have to offer.
The EP opens with the almost titular "Existential Crisis", showcasing the band’s capacity for killer riffs straight from clicking the play button. The song twists and turns seamlessly from pounding thrashing riffs through slower melodic-tinged moments, making for a perfect soundtrack to the psychological subject matter. Follow-up “Descent” is a tension-building instrumental leading into “Deprecation Zone”. Black Talon are showing a more progressive side here with more technical riffing in the former. The band are performing expertly tight here maintaining the complex rhythms. Drummer Dave Taylor does a stellar job across the EP in this respect, showcasing plenty of rumbling fills and syncopated hits while keeping the varying beats. The bulk of the latter is a straight-up catchy thrasher, full of hooky riffs and shredding solos - each flash of virtuosity is just as memorable as the riffs.
The progressive songwriting is explored further in “Unmarked Grave” with it’s haunting clean intro, swelling between latin-esque phrases and tense arpeggios. The song continues with it’s slow-burn technical riffing building in tempo to it’s furious thrashing second half. Existential ends with a final dose of straight-up thrash riffing in "Mentality Divine" with plenty of killer soloing, guaranteed to get the head banging.
Black Talon have put out a solid EP exploring some new territory while remaining true to their sound. Existential shows some growth while remaining relentlessly catchy. There’s plenty of headbanging thrash riffs and pit-stomping moments with gang shouts throughout, certain to get the crowd thrashing. Overall an awesome effort that leaves you looking forward to what Black Talon do next.
Thanks to Black Talon for sending me a copy of Existential. Check out more from the band following their links below! Black Talon: Facebook | Bandcamp | YouTube | Spotify
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