I cannot be more proud writing these words: ALT BLK ERA, one of the most original and exciting UK acts at this moment, are simply on fire. After performing on the biggest summer festivals including Glastonbury and Download, Chaya and Nyrobi Beckett-Messam have just announced that they are releasing their debut album, something I have been waiting for, for the last three years! Entitled “Rave Immortal”, the LP will be released on the 24th of January 2025 on their hometown label, Earache Records. This is not the only happy piece of news today. Alongside the album announcement, the duo dropped their newest single “My Drummer’s Girlfriend” as well and it’s one of their best songs yet. You don’t have to believe me, but Kerrang!, Metal Hammer and even NME already printed rave reviews calling the track “inspirational”, “hard hitting” and “infectious”.
Single cover
I’m dead convinced that the absolutely sensational sisters can do no wrong. Every single they released so far was outstanding, genre-breaking, thought inspiring and very, very unique. On the truly mundane and tired British music scene that is plagued by rich kids playing manufactured pop rock and lads bands, ALT BLK ERA shines like a beacon of hope for the future. Really, Great Britain’s artistic world has very few things to be happy about recently and the two girls from Nottingham may be their brightest ray of sunshine.
“My Drummer’s Girlfriend” will be featured on “Rave Immortal”, apparently a track number 4 out of 10. The LP is promised to stand at around 40 minutes, quite respectable length for a debut. You can pre-order the vinyl at: https://earache.com/collections/alt-blk-era
So let’s take a closer look at the new single. The song is very short, at 2 minutes and 46 seconds it’s probably one of the band’s shortest tracks. It starts with a toned guitar solo and quickly erupts into a high energy, nu-metal x indie rock extravaganza. I love the synthesizers in extended bridges and slower passages – I have mentioned this before in my previous reviews, but the girls are amazing at composing their songs. This slow beginning-fast middle- very fast ending formula serves them very well. And another thing is, it doesn’t get boring at all as they can change or move bits around or experiment with different types of slow or fast genres to get different results each time. ALT BLK ERA are known for their diversity and using many different genres in one track, from Gothic rock to soul and R’n’B.
Chaya and Nyrobi’s perfectly harmonized vocal delivery will someday be studied at universities, mark my words. Nyrobi’s soft, delicate soprano and Chaya’s strong, throaty mezzo-soprano range are very different, but when they sing in unison, it’s an absolute delight. In “My Drummer’s Girlfriend” they take turns: one verse for Chaya, one for Nyrobi – it’s like they are telling a story that happened to both of them and the listeners are learning about the adventure from two similar yet unique perspectives.
In a recent interview with Louder Sound, the girls admitted that the song was inspired by their new relationships within a group setting, with a new person joining an established group of friends that may not fit in or see eye to eye with the rest of the gang. This can lead to many unpleasant situations and enhance internal pressure among old friends, especially if the newcomer is a boyfriend or a girlfriend of a common friend. The titular drummer’s girlfriend seems like a real trouble maker: doing drugs, being jealous, sabotaging friendships, clingy and even dangerous. A bit of a satire and an exaggeration, but I’m sure we all met somebody like that at some points in our lives. Just in case you ever come across that kind of person, take the good advice from the girls: avoid and run in the opposite direction.
“My Drummer’s Girlfriend” will undoubtedly be a great live number – with its EDM riffs, fast pace and buzzing rhythm, it is guaranteed to get the audience wild.
The duo has a very busy summer/autumn performing schedule, so grab tickets to see them before they are gone. Once the album is released, I have a feeling that the girls will be filling big venues instead of your local grass root venues.
“My Drummer’s Girlfriend” is out now through Earache Records.
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/ALTBLKERAhttps://soundcloud.com/altblkera
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4FNR2qdCVKGAep4alfg
Rita Dabrowicz
Indieterria 