Behind The Tracks: Blackwood – Release Me (Single) (2025)

Some songs pull you in quietly, only to smash you apart. Blackwood's Release Me does exactly that.

The track opens with a calm, fragile melody, then erupts into jagged, thrash-driven riffs reminiscent of late-80s Metallica, full of snarling aggression and tension. Each return to the calmer verses deepens the emotional conflict — the struggle between the need to break free and the pull of love and memory.

With delicate guitar lines and soft vocals that hint at the son's inner turmoil, lines like "Another sleepless night I wonder endlessly / Where have you gone" feel intimate, almost confessional, a glimpse into a mind wrestling with expectation and loss.

The chorus of — 'Release Me' — hits harder than ever now. In live performances, it's not just a lyric, it's a catharsis. Yet for the band, playing it has become profoundly challenging. The father at the heart of the song passed from cancer not long after its release, turning every line into a confrontation with grief, memory, and the unresolved emotions that inspired the track.

By the bridge, long, swelling chords underpin repeated chants of holding on, culminating in a gut-wrenching scream that leaves both listener and performer raw. It's a song that demands everything from Blackwood, not just in technique, but in emotional honesty.

'Release Me' is harsh yet tender, chaotic yet precise — a sonic reflection of love tangled with control, and loss tangled with longing. It doesn't just demand attention; it demands empathy. By the final note, you don't just hear the song — you feel it, and the weight of its story lingers long after it ends.