THE BLACK ANGELS – MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURG, BROOKLYN, NY – 9th April 2011

A quick note on support act, from Montreal, Canada, ‘Suuns’. I was intrigued to see what this lot was all about having read some heady appraisal…particularly surrounding their live performances. Their sound is certainly something different, binding electronic dissension and rock hedonism into something a little unconventional. Having recently toured with ‘Crystal Castles’ and this time around with, ‘The Black Angels’, they are clearly open to tackling all of the sounds that they can muster. Therein lays the problem for me. Their house/dance beats and sounds are much more suited to their strengths than the pop-arty, Sonic Youth type efforts. Certainly one I plan to listen to a little more, but they didn’t blow me away in the manner in which I had read that I would be.

Where ‘Suuns’ failed to deliver the knockout blow that I anticipated, ‘The Black Angels’ certainly did not. This psychedelic rock band from Austin, Texas, has had a hold on me for a good few months now since first hearing their material. This relationship blossomed to almost love affair status having seen them twice in their hometown a month or so ago at SXSW. Their name apparently derives from the ‘The Velvet Underground’ song ‘The Black Angel’s Death Song’ and it’s very easy to make comparisons to bands like ‘Black Mountain’, ‘The Velvet Underground’ and most of all, in my opinion, ‘The Doors’. Formed several years ago and with tree albums to date behind them in, ‘Passover’, ‘Directions to See a Ghost’, and recent effort ‘Phosphene Dream’ released late last year, the band are starting to receive the acclaim that they deserve.

  

They swaggered on to the stage at Music Hall of Williamsburg with the talented Alex Maas taking front and centre and lit the place up with ‘Bloodhounds on My Trail’. Now I don’t profess to be a fan of country music (indeed it’s quite the opposite), but his one has some country undertones with a bluesy sound that harks back to Johnny Lee Hooker, B.B. King and Muddy Waters. Following this lively start, Maas delivered the haunting sounds that only he can in ‘The Sniper At the Gates of Heaven’ and one of my favourites, ‘The Sniper’ in which the opening riffs belong somewhere on the Pulp Fiction sound track. This vibe continued in ‘Haunting at 1300 McKinley’ before getting extremely psychedelic with the base heavy ‘Yellow Elevator #2’. 

Maas continued his amazing delivery in his cool and collected manner with ‘Black Grease’. He almost caresses the mic stand and delivers his lyrics in a moving way that underlines his passion for the music and sounds that he conveys.  The lead man was never far away from keyboard, synthesizer, maracas, tambourine or base guitar and continued to underline his talents in all areas. Accompanied on vocals by Christian Bland on this trippy little tune, ‘Manipulation’ was brilliantly executed. Maas’s style in this one somewhat similar to that of ‘Tim Booth’ from Manchester 80’s band, ‘James’.  Maas was back to his Jim Morrison, ‘Doors’ vibe, maracas again in hand with, ‘River of Blood’ before the darker, ‘Entrance song’. We then flipped back to the 60’s in the funky little song, ‘Telephone’ which resembles some of ‘The Beach Boys’ tones and heavy use of the electric organ. Strangely enough, the track finished off with a base sound that had me thinking of ‘The Beatles’, ‘Come Together’…this a deliberate ploy to merge nicely in to ‘Young Men Dead’ which is murky and aggressive with Maas at his very best blaring, “Run for the hills, pick up your feet and let's go” in the chorus. Somewhat calming the baying crowd down with the current albums first track, ‘Bad Vibrations’ the band went for a short pause which the ecstatic audience probably required more than the band themselves (particularly drummer, Stephanie Bailey who had been banging those skins hard all night long).

Mass took to the stage on his own, base guitar in hand for the first assault on the Encore with a poignant track. I confess to having no clue as to what this song on or where it resides in ‘The Black Angels’ discography, but keen to learn if anyone knows. The video (above) is similar in both setting and delivery to that witnessed and enjoyed last night.  The band ended a fantastic set strongly with ‘You On The Run’, the catchy, ‘The Prodigal Sun’, and energetic ‘You In Color’.

On a personal note, this show set a solid marker for 2011 gigs…the competitors have a fair distance to go to beat it as far as I’m concerned. I will say that this may be largely in part to this kind of bluesy, psychedelic rock being right down my street. It may not be music the masses will listen to day in day out, but it’s certainly a band to have on your playlist. In terms of seeing them live…it’s really quite simple. If they’re playing anywhere near you, go and see ‘The Black Angels’…they will not disappoint and may possibly be a God send. Rating 9/10

SET LIST

- Bloodhounds On My Trail

- The Sniper at the Gates of Heaven
- The Sniper

- Haunting At 1300 McKinley
- Yellow Elevator
- Black Grease
- Manipulation 

- Science Killer
- Entrance Song
- Telephone 
- Phosphene Dream

- Young Men Dead
- Bad Vibrations

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- Alex Mass (Solo effort)

- You On The Run

- The Prodigal Sun
- You In Color