Djent, a genre of progressive metal, is both distinct and unique. Not a lot of musicians can master the genre, and not a lot of listeners are able to digest it. However, the few who find the genre as their favorite almost rise above the masses. One band mastering the genre of progressive metal/Djent/alternative rock is five-piece band Black Idol, who hail from Serbia and they have just released their latest single “Son of No Desire”.
The song talks about – obviously – desires! When you want to keep your loved ones close, should you change, let go of the past, or let them go instead? Does the hurt you carry affect such a relationship so negatively to the point that you have to let go of all of your desires?
Taking inspiration from the likes of Porcupine Tree, Tool, A Perfect Circle, Deftones, Leprous, and Karnivool, the song commences with an instrumental session before the lyrics dive deep into the heartfelt meaning behind the song. The echo of the harmonies in the vocals carry the signature style of Black Idol’s sound, which flips into falsetto so effortlessly. The djent sound is undeniable, and the song takes a slow pace in the middle, before exploding in full throttle once again to fill your ears with impeccable pacing, electric guitar riffs, and eargasmic vocalization.
“Disintegrate, feel the urge to give up faith. And then glue the pieces back again, glue them once again. To hesitate is to die of self-disdain. Never to see the thought manifest,” sings the band in the first verse, which shows hesitation to abandon a certain connection, only to find yourself back into it at full force.
“”Black Idol” embodies everything we would rather not think about or admit to ourselves—the division between our irreconcilable desires, past and present, and between others and ourselves,” shared the band. “The band’s sound captures this dynamic using all the tools available to them, such as whispers, screams, distortion, and orchestration, to convey these complex emotions. – Uros, as the band’s lyricist, on the concept behind the band’s name and sound.”
Longing to meet the faces behind the madness? The band is composed of Timur Barsukov on drums, Vasily Shabrov on bass, Aleksandar Bojkovic and Uros Savic Kain on guitars, and Aleksa Matic on vocals. Together, they managed to snag the award for 3rd place in the Art-Waves international song contest with their latest single “Son of No Desire” before it was released. Impressive!
The music video is sinister, to say the least. The black and white tone sets the scene for something eerie, as the band is pictured in the middle of an abandoned forest, with masks hung around the trees. It follows an anonymous murderer, who makes an appearance at the end of the music video with the same scary but now bloodstained mask. Not for the faint of heart!