Brooklyn’s Blackout is the type of band that likes to lay it on real thick. And that’s not to be mistaken with exaggeration; if Blackout excels at one thing on The Horse (RidingEasy) it’s putting down some of meatiest riffs committed to tape. Pretty impressive for a band that hails from a borough that’s become synonymous with food trucks, overpriced coffee and just being straight up soft.

And while Brooklyn has become a gentrified parody of itself, Blackout are actively mining for some of the grime and debris of the New York City of yesteryear. ‘Let ‘em Ride’ lets its opening riff simmer in a pool of despair for a few minutes and then detonates into a brief punk screed before settling into a mammoth groove. ‘Graves’ ends up feeling like a gritty reinterpretation of Soundgarden’s ‘Rusty Cage’ with its infectious-as-it-is-heavy riff and seismic breakdown. ‘Roach Bites’ sheds any unnecessary components and speeds things up to not quite Thrash acceleration, but moving at a brisker pace than most other tracks.

Since we’re talking about brisk, it’s worth pointing out that despite its Doom and Sludge metal leanings, half of the songs on The Horse are quite short. ‘Rat Spirit’ summons up the same suicide watch dreariness and a commanding performance from drummer Adam Taylor in just about three minutes flat. They pull off the stunt again with the rising tension and spiraling riffs of ‘Amnesia.’

Packing so much amplifier noise into such a constrained space is truly a marvelous feat, but what would happen if those numbers had more room to expand and branch off? I reckon we’d get something more akin to what is heard on ‘Holy Wood,’ which is the most punishing of all on The Horse. Christian Gordy’s guitar just churns in the background as it if were grinding away the bones of the competition into dust.

Seems like Brooklyn isn’t just for the hipsters anymore.

8.0/10

HANSEL LOPEZ