Single cover
Nyrobi and Chaya Beckett-Messam may be too young to enter a night club as patrons but they have been performing on stage to full rooms already. What started out as a hobby of making music in their kitchen is turning into a full-scale career at the speed of light. Within one year the Nottingham duo released five singles: “Slowly Die”, “Even If We`re Not”, “Mosh Girl Summer”, Obsession” and “Rockstar”, amassed cult following in their hometown and landed themselves a BBC Introducing session. Their mix of rap, rave beats and metal riffs is a prime example of a new genre of guitar music: trap metal (or death rap/ragecore), a younger sibling to nu metal that emerged in the last seven years.
You may not hear of trap metal that often yet but you have been headbanging to many artists that represent the genre itself: Backxwash (Zambian Canadian artists), Ho99o9, Ghostemane or Fever 333 are just few names that you surely know, like or even seen live. To be fair, Jade the Nightmare (whom we recently reviewed for Indieterria) and Cinammon Babe (who will be soon reviewed) can also nicely fit into the genre. Trap metal takes inspiration from trap and hip hop styles of delivering verses (hence why Denzel Curry, XXXTentacion, 6ix9ine or Lil Peep are all credited as forefathers, alongside with UK based Scarlxrd) and supernatural inspired appearance and lyrics. And it`s not a new phenomenon on the scene. Rock bands (such as Misfits) and hip hop crews (Insane Clown Posse) used supernatural and horror aesthetics as part of their image for decades. A dark marriage of heavy rock and rap proved to be both commercially successful and lastingly inspirational with the release of soundtrack to movie Judgment Night in 1993.
Trap metal is not only building on what have happened in heavy and hip hop music in the last three decades. It expands the music with vigour and enthusiasm that only young generations of artists can do. It is one of the most inclusive and versatile movements nowadays in arts. If that doesn’t make you grin with satisfaction and excitement then check your pulse, you may be dead. Or at least related to Wednesday Addams.
Alt Blk Era – best new act on British isles
When I listen to Alt Blk Era new single “Off With Their Heads”, I am more excited than Enid Sinclair at the prospect of a date with a certain Gorgon. I wanna kick down the doors and shout from the roof tops that once again UK independent music scene is delivering music that is not just quality but almost pioneering. I absolutely dare you to find a better word for the music that Nyrobi and Chaya Beckett-Messam are making. The palette they use is so wide, it`s jaw dropping. From heavy guitars, guttural screams and proper growling that would make Chris Barnes jealous, the sisters jump effortlessly into old fashioned rave a la The Shamen turning into Jhelisa Anderson and Steele Brown of the XXI century (any person under 25 who knows who Jhelisa and Steele were wins a walkman). All this seasoned with samples (Verna Felton as Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland), out of synth 808s, live drums and guitars.
In the video for the song Nyrobi and Chaya are first seen passing baseball bat looking like they just arrived from Gotham City. In later part they and their friends are seen running around playground, shopping in Tesco and goofing around at the arcades – happy and carefree.
Part of me wants to say that Alt Blk Era should be signed to a label and given all the resources so this band can bloom and develop further. But then another part of me remembers that signing artists when they are very young is not such a good idea. If you grew up in the 90s and followed career of Monica Arnold you`d know she had a record deal at 11 and incredible issues with career and her school education. Maybe we should leave the barbaric practices in the past where they belong… But any resources, assistance and connections should be offered to Alt Blk Era as they are genuinely one of the best acts we have on the rock scene (sorry Bob Vylan).
And if you don’t agree with me, well – off with your head. Just kidding.
This single receives 5 baseball bats instead of stars.
You can follow Alt Blk Era on socials:
https://www.altblkera.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ALTBLKERA
https://www.instagram.com/altblkera/
https://twitter.com/ALTBLKERA
https://altblkera.bandcamp.com/
https://www.tiktok.com/@altblkera
https://www.youtube.com/c/ALTBLKERA
https://soundcloud.com/altblkera
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4FNR2qdCVKGAep4alfg
And for bookings and other shenanigans the band can be contacted at: music@altblkera.com
If you want to know more, here are some amazing reads about the band and their live performance. As you can see they have been covered by major press and publications despite just starting out:
https://www.leftlion.co.uk/read/2023/january/leading-the-nottingham-nu-metal-music-scene-alt-blk-era-talk-their-journey-so-far/
https://www.loudersound.com/features/10-new-artists-whore-going-to-set-2023-on-fire
https://www.nottinghampost.com/whats-on/music-nightlife/nottinghams-hockley-hustle-line-up-7730214
https://www.nusic.org.uk/wordpress/alt-blk-era-slowly-die-lunar-obsession-solar/
Malicia Dabrowicz
Indieterria 
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