Album Review ~ Black Rain ~ 'Black Rain'

Forgoing a traditional path for a DIY-sound and ethic, Black Rain has crept up with a successful atmospheric debut album. The self-titled release features an entire B-side of live recordings, while the album itself pops out with a vivid deep purple cover design. Dancing the line between goth and punk, Black Rain was originally released not only digitally but on cassette and disc, paying respect to analog media in an age of streaming.

“Inside” opens with all the woe of a gothic tragedy, interweaving death and romance in a slashing beat. With the continual vow, “I’ll die, I’ll die, I’ll die tonight,” the song descends into an energetic rush to the end.

For those looking for more power, “Save Me” descends on listeners with large fulfilling drumbeats kicking up atmosphere. Engaging melodic emo chords pile on top of an eighties punk groove. The song itself signifies spiraling out of control with no way to break the fall. It’s the downfall after a life spent dreaming, a grim commentary to pumped up instrumentals.

“Satanists” rings with an infectious riff that only pauses to give bass a chance to kick off.

The drum driven “Shotgun” amps up the vulnerability. Pleading desperation builds atop a pulsing beat that doesn’t let up. The boot stomping fourth track beckons listeners to the floor to be entranced by siren-like croons howling along to the rhythm, a dismal vampiric rave. This track especially feels the influence of past goth rock bands that have paved the way.

Live wire energy, angsty lyrics, and a smoky bass line is the consequence of “Fear.” With a sound that reverberates, awakening all senses, “Fear” brings out the chaotic side of the band’s punk influences. Deep penetrating vocals and a mad sequence of colliding riffs, the song goes out with an unapologetic bang.

The B-side of Black Rain contains a live set recorded at a venue called The Bunker. The first of these live recordings is “Shadows Cry.” Heavy bass and a steady beat echo off each other. Immersive lyrics in the style of spoken word draw you in. “Shadows Cry,” throbs with subtle power waiting to unleash. The beat carries into the next track “Broken Words,” where scratchy chords slide up the fretboard with the intensity of the verse, daring to escalate. Unwavering bass reverberates. “Broken Words” packs in the energy that the last track was building up to.

Heavy on the bass drum, “I Suffer Alone” chocks up a threatening rhythm. Aggressive poetry in motion, the vocals rise with each line becoming more brutal in their delivery. Meanwhile the music moves like a spell entrancing anyone in earshot. Dark and harsh, “I Suffer Alone” raises the stakes, evaporating that line between post-punk and ambient goth with big sweeping instrumentals.

“Dust Tubes” brings us to a searing apocalyptic reality with a pessimistic look to the future. Industrial drumming persists against Cowey’s droning commentary; meanwhile fiery licks fuel the rhythm like the song’s ammunition. These tangy licks collide into full on riffs, carrying the solemn track and the album to its epic finale, leaving one wanting more. Black Rain’s self-titled debut demands to be heard in an era of TikTok pop hooks and heavy metal breakdowns. Of course, true punk rock has always been about paving your own path. While there are fragments of the album that flow like a Killing Joke or Bauhaus bop, this gloomy atmospheric punk act embraces a modern era with their own unique sound.

Review by I’m Music Magazine Music Journalist Alice Kearney