Album Review: Alt Blk Era - Rave Immortal
Reviewed by Matthew Williams
I’ve always been the sort of person that likes to listen to different types of music, even stuff that probably isn’t aimed at my age range, so having heard the buzz surrounding the sisters from Nottingham, who have supported Tom Morello and played a blinding set at Download Festival, I took a deep breath and pressed play.
Nyrobi and Chaya, aka ALT BLK ERA, have created an album that blends different genres together, including punk, electronic, nu metal and rap. My first comparison, which came after I first heard their single “My Drummer’s Girlfriend” is that they immediately remind me of Bob Vylan. I liked the simple straight forward lyrics, spoken and sung over a hypnotic beat, that I can imagine the mid 20’s alternative crowd going a bit crazy for. So, I was expecting similar music from their debut album.
“Rave Immortal” is an album based around “diversity and inclusion” but also focuses around the “disabling illness” that Nyrobi had to come to terms with, and the support she received from her sister. As she says, “I take the listener through the shadows and share the pain of abandonment I felt”. It certainly isn’t easy to pick up on with opener “Straight to Heart” sounding more like a soulful, calmer pop song, before the beat kicks in, but “Come on Outside” gives a bit more of an insight into the emotional support given to Nyrobi as it’s a “beautiful reflection” of her sister Chaya.
We then start to get a bit more of the energy that the duo is building their reputation upon. “Crashing Parties” reminds me of my own student days and running a bit wild having as much fun as possible, with a dub style beat which is a winner for me. The aforementioned “My Drummer’s Girlfriend” continues the theme before you get hit with a beat that will get you off your feet with “Hunt you Down”. It has a feel of Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” and it’s short, sharp piece of electronica.
“Upstairs Neighbours” has that drum n’ bass rhythm that will energise a crowd instantly, and lyrics that got me thinking back to a time when my upstairs neighbour was a pain in the arse, and I wanted to smack him constantly. It’s a good song, that lots with resonate with and the anger continues with “Come Fight me For It”. You can feel the rebellious streak from the sisters in these songs, as they crash through barriers and “claim spaces they were once excluded from”.
It's interesting that they revert to their more introverted selves on “Run Rabbit” and reflect on times where Nyrobi was slowly able to communicate, and they spent lots of time together writing songs. There’s a haunting vocal throughout “Catch Me If You Can” a song that has a different edge and energy to it. With a pulsating riff over a ghostly beat, it shows some diversity to the music before it ends with the title track, “Rave Immortal” which takes me back to my clubbing days in the early to mid-90s. It definitely has that anthemic quality to it and will have dance floors across the country going a bit mental.
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