BlackLab

UNDER THE STRAWBERRY MOON 2.0

NEW HEAVY SOUNDS CLANDESTINE JAPANESE DOOM DUO GET A FROSTY RECEPTION

Self-described “Dark witch, doom duo from Osaka, Japan”, BlackLab released their debut locally on CD in 2017. Now, however, the folks at New Heavy Sounds have thankfully exposed this thunderous band for all of us to hear, and remixed the album to spotlight the Frostian heft of the guitars. Comparisons to Boris will be inevitable, since BlackLab excel at melding monstrously heavy doom riffs with mostly garagerock vocals and clean, oriental accents. BlackLab are a more extreme, arcane force, though, and Yuko Morino (guitar, vocals) and Chia Shiraishi (drums) wear their influences proudly, particularly on Symptom Of The BlackLab, where they begin with Iommi’s signature riff and devolve into something more akin to a Tom G Warrior morbid tale. The entire album is raw, noisy and groove-laden, with only the drum-free drone of Big Muff outstaying its welcome at nine-plus minutes.

FOR FANS OF: BORIS, CELTIC FROST, 5IVE