Buckinghamshire trio Black Talons offer up an energetic, explosive and filthy riff-driven rock sound that they describe as “distorted, driven and loud.”
The Milton Keynes band started as a two-piece, in their words, “making a bunch of noise together. Around a month later, they got offered a gig opportunity, which led to them taking things up a notch. They drafted in Marc on bass earlier this year, the sound clicked, and they started writing more and playing more shows.
And on the sound they’ve crafted, the band told us: “We sit somewhere between alt-rock, punk and grunge, gritty, riff-heavy stuff with a bit of melody thrown in. If you like bands like Reuben, Dinosaur Pile-Up, or Pulled Apart By Horses, you’ll probably vibe with what we’re doing.
Our latest taste of this is Atom Bomb, which was released last month. It opens up with a distant spinning guitar riff, which kicks in over lively drums and drops into a feisty opening verse. That feeds into a lively verse of a variety of shouty vocals, and a little guitar riff drops into a more intense verse. A second chorus drops into a cool little lick that gradually intensifies with heavier drums and a big scream, ending with a darting little guitar line under whispery vocals. And a big scream ushers in a lively final blast of the chorus.
On the track, the band said: “The reception so far has been great. People seem to really respond to the energy and the riff-driven sound. For anyone who hasn’t heard it yet: it’s a punchy, aggressive track with bighooks and a heavier edge that we’ve been moving towards. It’s the sound of us settling into who we are as a band. It is emotional, angry, and cathartic.”
That track follows on from debut single White Lightning, which opens up with a cool riff feeding into a gradually building verse and a big singalong chorus. And personal favourite Microdoser, which starts with a filthy little darting riff and blasts into lively guitars and drums. Stabbing guitars lead into a verse of edgy vocals that intensify and drop back into stabbing guitars, and the track comes to a heavy instrumental conclusion. Give it a listen in the stream below.
The Black Talons sound is influenced by everything from 90s grunge and alt-rock to punk and post-hardcore. As they explain: “Bands like Nirvana, QOTSA, Reuben, NIN, Hot Water Music, they all feed into what we’re doing in one way or another. It’s more about a certain attitude and energy than copying a specific sound.”
“A lot of my inspiration comes from everyday life and the weight we all carry. Things like frustration, burnout, pressure, and that feeling of being disconnected. Atom Bomb is really about losing control of our addictions.”
There’s plenty more to come from Black Talons, who are well underway writing their first full-length album, which they hope will be released later this year. They’ve just finished up a run of a few shows with Marc on board and plan to play gigs as often as possible.
You can follow Black Talons on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, and check out their music on Spotify, Bandcamp and Apple Music.
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