Band Biographies: Black Passage

Many like to pretend that life is all sunshine and rainbows, but it doesn’t take much to dispel this falsehood. Bay Area’s Black Passage know that all too well, and their music resultantly relates to those going through the darkest points in their lives. Their first release, The Veil, may showcase a number of familiar faces, from the atmospheric heft of Fallujah through the punishing hardcore of Wolf King to the brutal technicality of Behold the Desecration and Anisoptera, but this band is quite unlike anything you’ve heard from the above-mentioned names.

Drawing in a bewildering range of styles - influences range from alternative rock to slamming brutal death metal - and molding them to a recognizable blueprint is a feat in and of itself. Yet The Veildemonstrates this balance throughout - whether in the quiet moment of reflection in the title track or in the devastating heaviness that erupts thereafter, everything has its place. The vocals alternate between plaintive, smooth melodies and brutal, stomach clenching growls (a highlight as they interweave on “Tables Turn”), while the guitar work - masterminded by Kevin Wilson - similar switches between delicate melodies and punchy smackdowns, while the band dip their toes into black metal on “The Broken Hand”. It’s remarkable that such a group of diverse musicians play with this level of chemistry and clear vision.

By the time “Bleed For You” wraps the album up, it’s abundantly clear that Black Passage has succeeded in their goal of “providing an intersection between all things dark, melodic and heavy.” The band is already picking up momentum, and with so much talent packed in, there’s more where that came from. So join in, and draw back the veil on life to reveal the darkness underneath.

BLACK PASSAGE ARE:

Julian Zidarevich (Behold the Desecration) – Vocals

Kevin Wilson (Behold the Desercration) – Guitar

Robby Perry (Anisoptera) – Guitar

Brian Mojica (Wolf King, Behold the Desecration) – Bass

Andrew Baird (Fallujah) – Drums