THE BLACK Country is an area of England where the industrial revolution was at its most intense, in cities like Birmingham, Coventry, and Wolverhampton.
In the late 1960s, it was this region of metal-work factories that produced Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and half of Led Zeppelin, and by extension birthed a new musical genre, heavy metal.
Continuing that proud tradition are fellow Black Country natives, the post-metal/sludge/drone band Empires of Light who play The Cellar Bar tomorrow at 9pm.
Although the band only formed this year, its members have long experience on the English metal underground, having served in Opium Lord, History Of The Hawk, and Sealclubber. Meanwhile their sound draws on Pelican, Earth, Sunn, Wolves in the Throne Room, and Godflesh.
Their debut EP Apricity, released on British label Thirty Days Of Night, was described by Terrorizer’s Kez Whelan as a “diverse and engaging listen, running the gamut from torrential, Isis-esque riffery (‘Sumerian’ ) to deep, haunting drones à la Godspeed You!
Black Emperor (‘Dalmatia’ ) and right back to the kind of harrowing, concentrated misery that can only really be found in the West Midlands (‘Meredith’ ).”
The EP is available through Bandcamp. The concert is organised by HexenHaus Promotions. Support is from local bands Twisted Wrath and Brainwasher. Admission is €4.
