Black God’s second studio album Two is a simple, effective, stripped down battle that doesn’t stop until the last note rings out. Other than a little finger play through the intros and melodic outros, the tracks are as straight-forward as can be, pulsing with an energy that truly adds to the raw urgency of Rob Pennington’s vocals and the feeling of the record overall. The album is dotted with short mechanized intros that seem to be coming from a transistor radio, almost reminiscent of Snapcase or Meshuggah. The songs are saturated with anti-authority rants befitting of the genre with well-balanced, earned wisdom you’d expect with a more aged and established band.
The single “Everyone’s a Friend,” (a song about the vapid superficiality of Facebook that seems inescapable) is a the crowning gem of the bunch. Two was released as a seven inch with six tracks, all under two minutes, much like their previous effort One. You may have to play the album twice around before you finish your first beer, but it’s well worth the flip.
The band is made up of old veterans of the scene, which unfortunately makes touring nearly impossible. Rob Pennington (vocals) also hails from Endpoint, By The Grace of God, and Black Cross. Ryan Patterson (Guitar) is involved in Coliseum and Black Cross. Nick Thieneman is active in Young Widows (and formerly Breather Resist), and Ben Sears is in Mountain Asleep. With the main members of the band coming over from Black Cross (originally Black Widows, bassist Evan Patterson left the band, after which the left over members decided to deconstruct and start again) Black God has decided to take a necessary return trip to a more familiar and overall simplified sound. The tried and true tight package of short, solid tunes is worked to perfection by the band.
The Kentucky hardcore scene seems to be blooming, with these guys falling somewhere in the center of the mix. Two is a significant progression for the band, making them a tighter and more solid punk band, the simple, focused delivery suits them well. Black God brings you into a territory familiar yet often ignored.
Two is available on Bandcamp and through No Idea Records.
