When it comes to music, not many cities can rival New York. Artists as varied as Lou Reed, The Ramones, Cro-Mags, and Blondie cast a long shadow over all who follow. It sets the bar exceptionally high for any band who follows, but if any group can rise to the challenge, Black Satellite can. Having circumnavigated the global pandemic that threatened to constrain their debut album Endless, the band returned hungrier than ever, putting in some serious roadwork with the likes of Cradle Of Filth, Fozzy, and Drowning Pool, all the while prepping their sophomore album. Featuring fifteen killer tracks, it finally arrives in the shape of Aftermath, and it’s an album that’s sure to propel the band towards the biggest stages.
Evidencing a sense of urgency, Aftermath doesn’t throw feints or mess around, rather opening track ‘Broken’ comes blasting from the speakers like a surprise right hook and it’s all the more powerful for it. There’s no time for elongated intros or fancy preambles, just an explosive riff and a drum roll that hits the solar plexus and then the band band are off, delivering a groove-laden brand of rock that swings with wrecking ball force. However, Black Satellite soon prove themselves a versatile beast and insert lithe sections for contrast; there’s a lot of light and shade to their sound, quieter moments highlight loud, meaning that when the band kick in, they kick in hard. It’s a sound that flows like a river; sometimes that water is calm, at others it’s white and choppy, and it’s never knowing in what guise the band will appear next that makes it such an engaging listen, my only advice is to hold on tight and enjoy the ride.
Black Satellite have a sound that’s pleasantly hard to categorise; I’m picking up a ‘90s alternative rock influence, while the band’s previous choice of covers (Type O Negative’s ‘My Girlfriend’s Girlfriend’ and ‘I Don’t Want To Be Me’, plus Rammstein’s ‘Sonne’) point us in the general direction. But overall, Black Satellite sound like no one but themselves; it’s a futuristic, Blade Runner, dystopian sound and Aftermath is stitched together by a nocturnal aesthetic with songs such as ‘Kill For You’ exuding a real sense of menace and ‘Void’ sinking it’s fangs deep into the listener’s jugular. When coupled with equally dark lyricism, Aftermath is not always an easy listen, but it’s always rewarding…after all, things that hide in the recesses are always more interesting.
Today New York, tomorrow the world.
- Aftermath is self-released on 5th September 2025.
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Track List:
- Broken
- Disengaged
- Don’t Remind Me
- Downfall
- Here It Ends
- Bleed For Me
- Far Away
- Kill For You
- Decay
- Void
- Doom Or Die
- Imperfectly You
- Hurt
- Aftermath
- Dead Eye
