Blacklight is a Polish band which debuted in 2020 with Follow The Future (see review) and two years later they followed up with River Of Time (2022, see review). This Krakow-based band comes now three years later with a successor titled Future Belongs To. It probably took them a bit longer to release a new album due to some line up chances. The band's lead singer and drummer left. So nowadays they consist of Maciej Majewski (vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards),Robert Kurzyński (solo and rhythm guitar),Tomasz Szydło (bass) and Stanisław Skowroński (drums). The path the band has taken over the past few years has been full of twists and turns. It hasn't been easy for them. But the band's leader Maciej Majewski, who composed all the material, kept the spirit going on. Early 2024 the single Endless End was released and got positive feedback from fans. Work on the album however dragged on considerably. Finally March 2025 the recordings were completed and their latest album Future Belongs To was released. On this new album it is Maciej who has taken over all the vocal parts, except for the two songs Between Dreams And Reality and Feel The Same on which his wife Magdalena Majewski contributed with some extra vocal parts. Another guest was Wiesław Suruło who played flute on So Far Away. Knowing BlackLight's previous work, I can confidently say that this is their most consistent album. On the one hand the compositions are subdued and melancholy and on the other hand they also feature heavier elements. But in general the music is rather laidback from time to time and even moves towards postrock. Noticeable inspirations seem to come from bands such as Opeth, Tool, Gojira, Porcupine Tree and Riverside. But don't expect long guitar solos or other long instrumental parts on this album. Sure the guitar solos are present throughout the entire album but you don't hear the typical guitar shredders like in many metal or hard rock bands. As for the songs they are well written. They are not too complex and don't contain difficult time signatures. My favourites are without any doubt So Far Away, Between Dreams And Reality, Ghost and the last track on the album titled For A Hope. Conclusion: A nice album with not too complicated music which is enjoyable for people who enjoy bands such as Opeth, Tool, Gojira, Porcupine Tree and Riverside. Furthermore it is easy that Blacklight delivered with Future Belongs To their best album so far! *** Henri Strik (edited by Tracy van Os van den Abeelen) Where to buy? |
