Law of Time- EP
by Blackmore
The very first time my dad saw Blackmore was when they were opening for VIZA at the El Rey Theater in 2013. As a promotional measure, Blackmore had pre-recorded a two-song mini-EP with “Beautiful Hurricane” and “Battlefield.” I can tell you, the recording quality difference between that EP and this one is immense. Law of Time is professionally recorded and the music sounds like it written by a band that is selling out arenas.
Law of Time showcases Sulahian and Aslanyan’s phenomenal guitar skills most in “Animalistic” and “Backdraft.” The complex, metal riffs are deeply laced with Armenian influence and complement Barrios’ vocals perfectly.
The vocals in Law of Time are excellent, but surprisingly are not Barrios’ best work. His voice is much better represented live, which is actually quite a complement.
An aspect of Blackmore’s music that I particularly like is the fact that the guitarists work off each other and their previous rhythms. This causes the guitar riffs to become increasingly intriguing as the song progresses.
I haven’t really touched upon drums or bass, and that’s because they aren’t loud and in your face, like they might be in some metalcore bands. However, I don’t want you getting the wrong idea. The bass and drums are an essential piece to Blackmore’s sound.
It may take a few rounds of listening to Law of Time before you begin to really get hooked on the music, but once you do, you simply can’t stop. A wise woman once told me that if it takes awhile before you start loving an album, you’ll never get sick of it and the album will undoubtedly end up being one of your favorites. Along with Law of Time, this has proven true for me with The Black Market by Rise Against and The Campaign by Affiance.
Repetition plays an important role in Blackmore’s music, but not in a negative way. They strategically repeat variations on the main melodic lines, which definitely keeps the music interesting. This is especially evident in “Battlefield.”
My favorite riffs on the album come from the beginnings of “Animalistic” and “Beautiful Hurricane.” I end up with those guitar lines stuck in my head every time I listen to the album.
“Downfall,” the final song on the EP, has a deceptively calm start for the first forty-five seconds. Stick around, and you’ll witness some hardcore rocking lead by Barrios’ powerhouse vocals and Sulahian and Aslanyan’s guitars. In fact, the bass line takes on a metalcore feel for a minute or so in the middle, which Blackmore pulls off perfectly. “Downfall” is definitely the perfect way to end The Law of Time.
Elaborating on that, the order of the EP is well though out and sequences ideally.
Every aspect of this album is masterful and—not to be repetitive—perfect. Much like Nothing More’s self-titled full-length, the music is addictive and fun both live and on CD. Nothing More and Blackmore will actually be playing a show together at the Troubadour on September 3rd.
Be sure to head over to the iTunes store and purchase this album…I promise you won’t regret it.
Zoe Adler is a music journalist from Long Beach, California. Besides her website, which is her pride and joy, she works with the GRAMMY Foundation and the Long Beach Independent. Additionally, Ms. Adler is a musician, spending half of her time playing the flute, piccolo, trombone, and marching baritone. She has been with TeenView Music since the very start and hopes to make something of it in the future. |