As Black Peaks vocalist Will Gardner shrieks the chorus-of-sorts to ‘Say You Will’, there’s a moment of jaw-dropping awe. You'd be able to hear a pin drop if it weren't for his all-encompassing delivery. As we’re watching the Brighton four-piece almost literally explode inside the tiny Tunbridge Wells Forum the sheer power smacks us square in the face, something Black Peaks have been doing up and down the country in celebration of their ‘Statues’ debut.
When penning some words about the record, we threw around terms such as “masterpiece” and “epic”. These were not used lightly. Come their live performance their sheer intensity is magnified. It’s almost impossible not to gush over a band who implement innovative musicianship on this scale. If there were ever concerns that Black Peaks might be unable to live up to their recorded sound, they are a distant memory within seconds. Any concerns that uniqueness has become a thing of a past are quashed with ease.
“I think we are quite unusual in that we never wanted to sound like one specific style or genre of music,” Will offers as a reason for their rising success. “Many bands get caught up on sounding like one particular band (not that there is anything wrong with that) but we have always ended up blending the sounds of all our favourite music into one big melting pot. It’s not a deliberate writing style either; it’s just the mash of what comes out of the four of us in a rehearsal room. I think it might be this mix of lots of different styles of music and soundscapes that has turned people’s heads the most.”
That melting pot includes the likes of experimental metallers Tool and progressive pioneers Pink Floyd, both of which shine through in their live performance. Our friend and gig companion turns to us as Black Peaks enter the stage: “This is the first time I’ve seen a band with entrance music at the Tunbridge Wells Forum.” Yet it’s far from superfluous and self-serving.
Black Peaks thrive on showmanship, edging closer to the immersive production of their heroes. “If you have the budget to make something truly enthralling for your fans that fits the scale of the music then it has to be done,” Will exclaims, enthusiastically pointing us towards Pink Floyd’s ‘Pulse’ live spectacular and Roger Waters’ ‘The Wall’.
There are nods to Muse and Queen in their grandiose eccentricity, ‘Statues’ never shying away from pushing the boundaries of commercial viability. For an album released in part through a major label, it’s a largely unknown entity. It’s a gamble that has every chance of paying off, but one that few might have been willing to take. There’s an extended outro to ‘Hang Em High’ sitting part way through the album that challenges the listener. Rather than remove it to ease the flow, it remains in place, stubborn and proud.
“There’s been a bit of a battle between us as to whether we could keep that extended section in there and some of the other more experimental parts of the album,” Will admits before clarifying the band’s position. “We’ve tried to stick to our guns though as whatever we recorded in the studio was part of an organic process and vibe that we were all feeling as part of that song at the time. Once you start chopping up and rewriting songs after you’ve recorded you get into dangerous territory there.”
It’s a creative freedom Black Peaks have cultivated over time. It’s neigh impossible to place boundaries on a band so free of restriction in sound. Simply by keeping those experimental moments in place, the band are blurring the lines of commercial possibility. Judging from the cross-section of society present at their live shows, there’s a market actively looking to be challenged.
“There was never and never has been an agenda to our writing,” Will suggests as the catalyst for such interest. “The one thing that we tried to do from the start though was stray away from pigeon holing ourselves into just playing with or sounding like a ‘metal band’ or a ‘math core’ band. We are lucky enough that when we get into a studio the music that we play sounds just like the four of us.”
Black Peaks are ever-evolving too. If ‘Statues’ plays with fragile genre convention, their new material on show looks set to rip it apart. Having waited a considerable time since recording for their debut album to see the light of day (“It’s been really hard not to constantly make changes to the album after sitting on it for so long,” Will notes), they’ve had time to further hone their skills. “We are already well stuck into the next record,” he says, the new track (tentatively entitled ‘Desert Song’) growing their intricate jarring of melody and ferocious math-metal. It’s further evidence that convention has no place in Black Peaks’ sound. As they forge forward without any agenda, it becomes increasingly evident that they have confidently and resolutely disposed of the rulebook.