AKHIL SOOD

I’m sorry, vocalist, but you suck. That’s OK though; Blek isn’t really about the vocals. Or even about the guitars. And it’s obviously not about the drums or the bass because, meh, who gives a shit about the rhythm section anyway? Instead, Blek, and Hexes + Drama, is about a collective state of existence where – apologies for the following cliché – the sum of the parts surpasses individual chops. It’s like when you hear ‘Aneurysm’ by Nirvana, and you can’t help but think, ‘These guys are just on and in that moment’. That’s what Blek – despite the ridiculous typo name – are about: The moment; the ethereal synchronicity and the connected chain of thought that runs through the spine of this tightly knit three-piece.

Nominally, they’re sort of like a grungy indie/alternative outfit. A very busy and packed drum delivery – sounds to me like the guy’s got a very special relationship with his toms and snare, not that I'm judging; as long as it sounds good – locks in with spectacularly ugly and distorted bass lines that threaten to consume, but that’s OK too, because the riffs are warm like a drunk old uncle. The guitars form a fuzzy carpeting layer, with the writhing, mangled and gloriously dirty guitar-bass interplay forming several highlights through the short five (plus one) duration of the EP. The chemically treated, megaphonized vocals don’t add or detract much, instead staying on the fringes mostly and allowing aforementioned ‘moment’, i.e. the song itself, to simply bloom. It’s really just the sensibility that matters, even in the bouncy disco-inferno ‘Fog + Strobe’. And while I was sold the second I noticed a Wes Anderson reference (‘The Life Aquatic with Steve’), and while ‘Minus the Makeup’ is a personal favourite that explodes periodically with its intense dynamics, the album is really about the complete experience that needs to be had. There’s a distinct lack of subtlety on Hexes + Drama, but that ends up adding to the charm if anything.

Hexes + Drama is available for download at www.ennuidotbomb.com.