Blackwater Holylight: Portland, Oregon.

Blackwater Holylight, as the name suggests, is all about contrasts. Its a fluid convergence of sound thats heavy, psychedelic, melodic, terrifying and beautiful all at once.

As a heavy band, their songs arent anchored to riffs, but rather riffs come and go in waves that surface throughout the bands meditative, entrancing songs. Its a hypnotic sound, with orchestral structures that often build tension and intrigue before turning the song on its head not by simply getting louder or heavier, nor by just layering elements. They expertly subvert the implied heaviness of a part, dissecting it and splaying the songs guts out to seep across the sonic spectrum.

Now, having toured together extensively following the bands wildly-successful breakout self-titled debut in 2018, Blackwater Holylight has honed their sound and identity to a powerfully captivating beast. Their live set is all about the slow build, seeming to combine the melodic tension of early Sonic Youth crossed with the laconic fever-dream blues of the first Black Sabbath album, and wiry experimentation of post-punk and krautrock.