Hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio, Blessed Black operates precisely according to their own creed: “Riffs Forever, Forever Riffs.” Guitarists Joshua Murphy and Jake Stone, alongside rhythm section Ray Bates and Brad Bellamy, have spent years sharpening a sound that sits squarely at the crossroads of Doom Metal, Stoner Rock, Grunge, and traditional Heavy Metal. Their approach strips away excess, leaving behind tectonic guitar harmonies and granite-like grooves that bridge ’90s melodic aggression with a slow-burning, desert-drenched weight. “Seasons Vol. 3,” arriving on May 1, 2026, serves as the third instalment in their ongoing serial concept, following “Seasons Vol. 1” (September 2023), “Seasons Vol. 2” (February 2024), and earlier releases including the “La Brea” EP (February 2021) and debut LP “Beyond The Crimson Throne” (January 2020). The quartet’s reputation has largely been forged on stage, their Muddy Roots Festival 2025 performance was widely noted by attendees for its sheer kinetic force and commanding vocal delivery. Those who witnessed those live sets will find that translated studio fidelity intact, with the band not only matching those expectations but pushing them further into denser, more hypnotic territory. “Beltane’s Pyre” opens with a ritualistic invocation, tracing the cyclical nature of time (“All that has been / Will come to pass again”) and the shedding of old identities. The lyrics draw directly on pagan spring traditions, framing personal purification around an imaginary flame: “Shed the skin of who you were / Let the fires cleanse you pure.” Musically, this 5-minute opener is built on a foundation of downtuned, fuzz-drenched riffs that move with deliberate, metronomic weight. The tempo locks into a hypnotic cadence, creating a ceremonial atmosphere where the guitars breathe rather than rush. Murphy and Stone’s lead work here is restrained but expressive, mid-song solo passages unfold over shifting rhythmic pockets before pulling back into the chugging, Stoner-Doom refrain. Vocal lines carry a solemn gravity, perfectly mirroring the lyrical motif of time collapsing (“The veil in between / The future and now will lift”). “Beacon” shifts the dynamic entirely, trading ritualistic warmth for psychological claustrophobia. Overrunning a tighter 3-minute runtime, the track maps a frantic internal collapse: the protagonist teeters on “the edge of this endless void,” frustrated by cyclical mistakes (“I can’t believe I’m back here again”). The rhythm section drives this urgency with a grunge-inflected stomp and Heavy Rock propulsion that feels deliberately breathless. Production choices here are stark; guitars are cranked to the breaking point, yet retain their melodic definition. The chorus operates as a desperate plea for external guidance, “Set the beacon alight / To guide me back home,” delivered with raw, unpolished urgency. It’s a compressed, tension-fueled composition that highlights the band’s compositional discipline—every note serves the narrative of exhaustion and the race against fading strength. “The Huntress” provides the EP’s crescendo and its heaviest slow-burn. Emerging from lyrical panic (“Awakened suddenly from the ache of the ground beneath”) into a mythic confrontation, the track operates on a dragging, tectonic groove. The title figure—inevitable, omniscient, and cruel—“controls your fate in truth,” a concept mirrored in the music’s relentless, plodding downpicking and muddy low-end saturation. At nearly seven minutes, Blessed Black utilise space as effectively as distortion; verses crawl with oppressive tension before breaking into expansive, Doom-laden refrains that evoke the exhaustion of an unending chase through shifting sands. The guitar work remains meticulously constructed, favouring weight over speed, while vocal delivery peaks in visceral intensity. A refined solo sequence at the midway point doesn’t offer escape but rather deepens the atmosphere, pushing the track toward its inevitable, surrender-driven climax. “Seasons Vol. 3” confirms Blessed Black’s mastery in fusing unrelenting instrumental weight with sharply focused lyricism. The progression moves seamlessly from the pagan mysticism of “Beltane’s Pyre,” through the acute introspection of “Beacon,” to the mythic dread of “The Huntress.” Production choices are deliberate and effective: guitars are left exposed in their full, granular fuzz, while vocal takes retain the live-room urgency that made their Muddy Roots set such a standout. The EP slots naturally into the current wave of Dark, groove-centric Heavy Music, drawing obvious affinities with acts like Sergeant Thunderhoof or Green Lung, yet refuses to be homogenised by them. It remains a tightly wound, three-track statement—no filler, no detours—offering three distinct Atmospheric landscapes bound by a singular, crushing frequency. For listeners who prioritise riff architecture and hypnotic pacing over speed or theatrics, this release cements Cincinnati’s Blessed Black as a formidable, essential force in the contemporary Doom and Stoner landscape.
Tracklist
01. Beltane’s Pyre (05:18)
02. Beacon (03:49)
03. The Huntress (06:18)
Lineup
Joshua Murphy (War Curse) / Vocals and Guitar
Jake Stone (ex-Smoke Healer) / Guitar
Brad Bellamy (Black Tractor, Phantom Queen) / Bass
Ray Bates / Drums