Devil's Gate Music
Related Articles
Dutch sextet Blackbriar are an intriguing proposition. Gothic to the core, with an eerie, atmospheric feel about everything that they do. But yet they don’t show what you might class as traditional Goth rock influences. Not a Sisters of Mercy, Bauhaus, Type O Negative, or even The Cure influence to be found. Or even a Siouxsie Sioux influence, for that matter. Instead, they are becoming increasingly unique with their sound. A major part of this is the heartaching, beguiling, siren-like vocals from Zora Cock.
If anyone needs a comparison for comparison’s sake, then perhaps the only one to make regarding Zora Cock might be with Kate Bush or Björk. Both of these artists display a sense of strength and fragility not often found in modern rock vocalists today, but Zora possesses both these qualities in abundance, helping give Blackbriar an edge in a crowded marketplace. And the new album ‘A Thousand Little Deaths’ is hers and Blackbriar’s finest moment to date.
‘A Thousand Little Deaths’ flows perfectly, taking the listener on a Guillermo del Toro-like poetic journey with Zora Cock acting as storyteller. More of a monochrome-filled world rather than a multicoloured Tim Burton one.
The sweeping arrangements on opener ‘Bluebeard’s Chamber’ set the scene for what is to unfold over the 10 tracks that make up the album, in particular, the subtle keyboard flourishes from Ruben Wijga add depth and character. Zora’s vocals swirl around the room, filling it with wonder – this is an album best enjoyed sans headphones – and sweep the listener up. Hooky (the “Oh, I’ve ruined it all, oh/Ruined it all” refrain will linger on for days on end) and full of intrigue, it’s a great way to snare the listener in.
‘The Hermit and the Lover’ is faster-paced, with an almost progressive-like feel to the music in places. That Kate Bush mention from earlier…this (along with ‘The Catastrophe That is Us’) is where that comparison is strongest. Zora’s vocals ebb and flow, rising up and down on the vocal register, and mixed with the heavy guitars, bring a cinematic quality to the track. Just one standout track on an album of many. ‘The Fossilized Widow’ is another standout, and one that will no doubt bring Symphonic Metal comparisons (mainly because of the lavish intro). Played with a waltz-like pace here and there, it’s easy to imagine the ghosts at Disney’s Haunted Mansion swaying back and forth to this one in the ballroom scene where holograms of skeletons in ballgowns come to life.
‘Floriography’ has a heavier feel, the guitars are more prominent in the mix and play an important role – especially toward the end of the song where a guitar solo might normally be lurking, instead, it’s a Gothic jam full of spooky touches that sneak up on the listener, with Zora’s haunting vocals fading into silence. René Boxem’s drum sound on ‘A Last Sigh Of Bliss’ is perfect. Heavy when it needs to be, especially on the crushing intro, and subtle when subtlety is called for. Slight Middle-Eastern atmospheric touch to the music, and as Zora herself says, “It’s a sultry, seductive, and euphoric song with heavy guitars and a chorus that makes you want to run barefoot through a moonlit field in a lace gown.”
‘Green Light Across the Bay’ is lighter, and the water theme is perfect when you consider Zora’s gentle, siren vocals that seep into every pore. Boxem’s drum sound is, once again, stellar throughout. ‘I Buried Us’ is storytelling at its finest, all acted out in front of some punishing rhythms and huge orchestral arrangements that bring Hans Zimmer to mind. The video that accompanies it is stunning, and if ever Blackbriar delivers a video that is purely the band lip-syncing in a rehearsal space, then somebody needs to check on them.
Every aspect of ‘A Thousand Little Deaths’ shows a band in the ascendancy. From the playing, to the songcraft, and the quality of music videos produced, it all screams a band constantly looking to develop and one-up themselves from the previous offering. There is so much to love within this album.
‘A Thousand Little Deaths’ is available now via Nuclear Blast Records; more information HERE.
Review – Dave
Group shot/coffin shot – credit – Abbey Bandphoto
Live shot/images from ‘A Last Sigh of Bliss’ video – 𝘑𝘖𝘙𝘋 𝘑Ø𝘙𝘎𝘌𝘕 𝘖𝘛𝘛𝘖 𝘗𝘏𝘖𝘛𝘖𝘎𝘙𝘈𝘗𝘏𝘠
BLACKBRIAR is:
Zora Cock – VOCALS
René Boxem – DRUMS
Bart Winters – GUITARS
Robin Koezen – GUITARS
Siebe Sol Sijpkens – BASS
Ruben Wijga – KEYS
BLACKBRIAR
A THOUSAND LITTLE DEATHS HEADLINE TOUR 2025
Special guests Forever Still
Oct. 23 – Tilburg, NL
Oct. 24 – Utrecht, NL
Oct. 25 – Osnabruck, DE
Oct. 26 – Kortrijk, BE
Oct. 28 – London, UK
Oct. 29 – Paris, FR
Oct. 30 – Lyon, FR
Oct. 31 – Portugalete, ES
Nov. 1 – Barcelona, ES
Nov. 2 – Toulouse, FR
Nov. 4 – Aarau, CH
Nov. 5 – Milan, IT
Nov. 7 – Wien, AT
Nov. 8 – Leipzig, DE
Nov. 9 – Warsaw, PL
Nov. 11 – Berlin, DE
Nov. 12 – Copenhagen, DK
Nov. 13 – Hamburg, DE
Nov. 14 – Cologne, DE
Nov. 15 – Enschede, NL
Nov. 29 – Istanbul, TR **
** Blackbriar only
Ticket information: HERE
