It’s no secret that Austin boasts some incredible local talent and at the front of this pack are psychedelic rockers The Black Angels. Named after the Velvet Underground track “The Black Angel’s Death Song”, The Black Angels newest release is both an eponymous nod to their roots, and a musical leap forward. Formed in 2004, The Black Angels cultivated a timeless, neo-psychedelic sound that rarely got too topical. Death Song, written primarily in the lead up to the 2016 Presidential Election, is a departure from this; the album is a hard-edged reflection of the current political climate. Tracks like “Comanche Moon” link colonial genocide with the current social turmoil, and the album’s blistering opener “Currency” is a nihilistic musing on human extinction. The subject matter may be toxic but the music couldn’t be sweeter; the tracks are seething, hypnotic and enchanting; proving themselves a worthy legacy to the psychedelic greats like Lou Reed. The Black Angels have created a sort of audible existential crisis; chaotic and haunting yet somehow cathartic. They brought their sultry sounds to Studio 1A to celebrate the release of this beautifully timed album, check it out below! Or go see them for yourself at ACL Live at the Moody Theater, or for their release show at Waterloo Records later this week.
– Georgina Cook
**Upcoming Shows**
5/23 @ ACL Live at the Moody Theater
5/25 @ Waterloo Records
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