The Blackout
The Blackout, for many, are a band that really achieve their potential and excel in the live environment. Thankfully, on tracks like ‘Never By Your Side’, this energy transcends to their studio material. One unfortunate side effect of the great metal/post-hardcore scene in Wales is that, unfairly, a lot of bands will get grouped in with the rest, regardless of whether they’re doing anything special. Furthermore, any post-hardcore band from the area will struggle to crawl from under the shadow of Funeral For A Friend. The Blackout, however, have had no problem becoming a huge force to be reckoned with. Their recent success even included a support slot with My Chemical Romance, which showed how well the Welsh group can handle an arena stage. New album HOPE is already helping increase their great reputation, seeing The Blackout realise their potential. ‘Never By Your Side’ shows how heavy and raw this band can be, with an incredible riff and brilliant dual vocals reminiscent of Funeral For A Friend, albeit heavier. The clean melodies are typical of the genre and may not turn any heads, although the scream-laden verses are aggressive enough to turn some heads. If ‘Never By Your Side’ is anything to go by, 2011 will most likely become the year The Blackout are seen as an important post-hardcore band in their own right, rather than a teen band ridiculed by older members of the scene. What do you think of the video? Female First - Alistair McGeorge