The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
  • Reviews
    • Album Reviews
    • Features
    • Live Reviews
    • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • Headlines
    • News
    • Contests
    • Events
    • Entertainment Headlines
    • Concert Listings
    • Toronto Concert Venues
  • New Music
    • Premieres
    • Track Of The Day
  • Track Of The Week
  • Books + Movies
  • About
16
new
SPILL NEW MUSIC: ANTI-FLAG ANNOUNCES ‘THE GENERAL STRIKE (10th ANNIVERSARY EDITION)’ | SIDEONEDUMMY RECORDS LAUNCHES VINYL PREORDER
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: FIELD GUIDE – “LEAVE YOU LONELY”
SPILL ALBUM PREMIERE: SALIM NOURALLAH – SEE YOU IN MARFA
SPILL MUSIC PREMIERE: THE HARLEQUINS – “SOUND OF THE CREEPS”
SPILL NEWS: JUNO AWARD-WINNING ROCK BAND MONSTER TRUCK ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM ‘WARRIORS’ SET TO ARRIVE ON SEPTEMBER 30 VIA BMG | NEW TRACK “FUZZ MOUNTAIN” OUT NOW
SPILL NEWS: DENTIST ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM ‘MAKING A SCENE’ + REVEAL TOUR DATES INCLUDING SEA.HEAR.NOW FESTIVAL
SPILL NEW MUSIC: MONOWHALES REVEAL NEW TRACK AND VIDEO FOR “RICH$$$”
SPILL NEW MUSIC: HENRY HALL ANNOUNCES FORTHCOMING EP ‘ARE YOU KIDDING ME?????’ OUT SEPTEMBER 30 | SHARES NEW SINGLE “AM I IN THE PHOTO?”
SPILL LIVE REVIEW: THE WILD HEARTS TOUR FEATURING SHARON VAN ETTEN, ANGEL OLSEN & JULIEN BAKER @ MASSEY HALL, TORONTO
SPILL ALBUM PREMIERE: STARRY SKIES – “SMALL WONDERS”
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: QUEENS & KINGS – “TESTIFY”
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: PINK TURNS BLUE – “NOT GONNA TAKE IT”
SPILL MUSIC PREMIERE: DRECKIG – “LA BALLENA”
SPILL FEATURE: THE HEART IS STRANGE – A CONVERSATION WITH CLAUDIA BRÜCKEN & SUSANNE FREYTAG OF XPROPAGANDA
SPILL NEWS: OFFICIAL FULL TRAILER FOR ‘A-HA TRUE NORTH’ SHARED BY SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT AND TRAFALGAR RELEASING
SPILL NEW MUSIC: PEARLA SIGNS TO SPACEBOMB + DEBUT LP ‘OH GLISTENING ONION, THE NIGHTTIME IS COMING’ OUT OCTOBER 21 | WATCH THE VIDEO FOR “EFFORT” NOW
  • Reviews
    • Album Reviews
    • Features
    • Live Reviews
    • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • Headlines
    • News
    • Contests
    • Events
    • Entertainment Headlines
    • Concert Listings
    • Toronto Concert Venues
  • New Music
    • Premieres
    • Track Of The Day
  • Track Of The Week
  • Books + Movies
  • About
  • Spill Menu
    • Reviews
      • Album Reviews
      • Features
      • Live Reviews
      • Festivals
    • Portraits
    • Headlines
      • News
      • Contests
      • Events
      • Entertainment Headlines
      • Concert Listings
      • Toronto Concert Venues
    • New Music
      • Premieres
      • Track Of The Day
    • Track Of The Week
    • Books + Movies
    • About
Album Reviews
1
749
previous article
SPILL NEWS: TEENAGE FANCLUB SHARES NEW SONG "I'M MORE INCLINED" AND RESCHEDULE TOUR DATES
next article
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH - NEW FRAGILITY

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BLACK PISTOL FIRE – LOOK ALIVE

Black Pistol Fire

Black Pistol Fire
Look Alive
Black Hill Records

Black Pistol Fire, the Canadian-America hard-blues power duo from Austin, Texas, has returned with their long-awaited sixth album, Look Alive. The eleven-song studio record follows their successful 2017 release, Deadbeat Graffiti, and continues to build on the band’s impressive discography by kicking the doors down on 2021.

Opening with “Look Alive”, the haunting title track starts the album on a suspenseful and reflective tone that indicates a level of sophistication in the band’s songwriting.  By the time the chorus hits, the tones and effects wash across the soundscape in a flood of carefully curated and vintage sounds. The laid-back track carries a sense of intensity, juxtaposing the nonchalant vibe, and feels reminiscent of both Queens Of The Stone Age and Arctic Monkeys. While the modern alternative rock vibes would continue throughout the album, “Pick Your Poison” returns the duo to their classic blues rock sound with a gritty shuffle and a confident strut.

Just from the first pair of songs, Black Pistol Fire will have you hooked. Look Alive is a stand-out release with a number of highlights, despite a small handful of songs meandering in middle of the road, alt-rock/pop territory of the last decade. The funk jam, “Never Enough”, certainly comes to mind as a dynamic, uptempo track that is equal parts pop as it is alt-rock – think a bluesy Maroon 5 with actual musical integrity. The melancholic swagger of “Hope In Hell” further emphasises the blend of alternative and blues influences in a refreshing manner. While the opening two songs also stand among the best, Look Alive offers, the explosive “Black Halo” and the gritty “Temper Temper”, also shine especially bright; however, none come close to the fiery energy of their renowned live show as “Level” – an incredible track by any measure that I cannot wait to see come to life in a packed club when concerts return.

Only a month deep in the new year, Look Alive stakes a strong claim to make 2021 the year Black Pistol Fire truly break into the mainstream as a top tier rock band, equipped with enough blues riffs and a modern alt-rock songwriting approach to set the bench mark for both genres for the coming decade. While I’d prefer a less compressed and bigger sound from a band like this, their sound is sleek and in keeping with the times. If Look Alive is any indicator, Black Pistol Fire have perfected their seamless blend of blues and alternative rock, making a unique sound that is distinctively theirs. As a result, the album is at its strongest when both sides of their sound are equally emphasised or when they dig deep into the blues. Regardless, Black Pistol Fire has delivered a fantastic and modern take on the blues with Look Alive.



Artist Links

website_flat_2016 facebook_flat_2016 twitter_flat_2016 instagram_flat_2016

Item Reviewed

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BLACK PISTOL FIRE – LOOK ALIVE

Author

Gerrod Harris

Here's what we think...
Spill Rating
Fan Rating
Rate Here
New Criteria
10
10
8.0
Total Spill Rating
10
Total Fan Rating
6 ratings
You have rated this
Album Reviews
album reviewalbum reviewsblack hill recordsblack pistol firehope in helllook alive
album review, album reviews, black hill records, black pistol fire, hope in hell, look alive
About the Author
Gerrod Harris
A passion for music has always been a part of Gerrod’s life. As a young boy, he was raised on a steady diet of the music from The Chili Peppers, Aerosmith, The Stones, Prince, and others from his mum. Raised in the GTA, Gerrod continued to foster his love for music by attending a wide range of concerts and learning the drums. His unapologetic passion for music has no bounds and has spread to a wide variety of styles, whether it be the 90’s rock that sound tracked his teenage years, the jazz he studied in university, or his newfound love for hip-hop. He recently received his bachelors in music and education from York University and is passionate about writing and reviewing good (and less than good) music. Gerrod is also the drummer and songwriter for a Toronto based rock & roll band, One In The Chamber.
RELATED ARTICLES
album reviewalbum reviewsblack hill records
 
9.0
c
6.4

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE – BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE (DELUXE EDITION)

by Melinda Welsh on August 5, 2022
Bullet For My Valentine Bullet For My Valentine (Deluxe Edition) Spinefarm Records Bullet for My Valentine have just released a deluxe edition of [...]
 
8.0
Roy Shakked

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: ROY SHAKKED – THROWBACK

by Ljubinko Zivkovic on August 2, 2022
Roy Shakked Throwback Groove Gravy Records Since Steely Dan appeared in full force me 50 years ago, many other artists have tried to reach their almost inaccessible heights. They have sat [...]
 
9.0
Frances Chang

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: FRANCES CHANG – SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL NIHILIST

by Ljubinko Zivkovic on July 22, 2022
Frances Chang Support Your Local Nihilist Independent It might be quite a task to locate New York artist Frances Chang on social media. One of the reasons might be that [...]
 
9.0
Paul Weller

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: PAUL WELLER – 22 DREAMS (VINYL REISSUE)

by Aaron Badgley on July 22, 2022
Paul Weller 22 Dreams (Vinyl Reissue) Island/Universal Records In June, 2008, Paul Weller released his ninth solo album, 22 Dreams. It was a massive album in the U.K. and Europe. In fact it [...]
 
9.0
Spore
—

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: SPORE – HERETIC

by Aaron Badgley on July 22, 2022
Spore Heretic Hamfuggi Records Spore is a duo composed of Deborah Fialkiewicz and John Koser. Both are established artists in the world of electronic music and both have created some incredible art [...]

Latest Album Reviews
View All
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE – BULLET FOR MY V...
9.0
6.4
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: ROY SHAKKED – THROWBACK
8.0
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: FRANCES CHANG – SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL NIHILIST
9.0
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: PAUL WELLER – 22 DREAMS (VINYL REISSUE)
9.0
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: SPORE – HERETIC
9.0
—

Tweets by @spillmagazine

SPILL MAGAZINE MENU
  • Checkout
  • Home | The Spill Magazine
  • Order Confirmation
  • Order Failed
  • Premieres
  • Track Of The Week
  • Album Reviews
  • Books + Movies
  • Features
  • Live Reviews
  • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • News
  • Events
  • Entertainment Headlines
  • Concert Listings
  • Toronto Concert Venues
  • About Us
  • Contests
  • New Music
  • Spill Magazine Contributors
  • TOTD
  • Privacy Policy
  • The Scene Unseen
  • Newsletter

Copyright © 2022 | The Spill Magazine
All Rights Reserved.

TRENDING RIGHT NOW
   
 
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: RICH JACQUES – “EVERYTHING MUST CHANGE”
944
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE FIXX – EVERY FIVE SECONDS
685
 
SPILL FEATURE: A PERFECT DISH TO SERVE – A CONVERSATION WITH PETER HOOK
449
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: FANTASTIC NEGRITO – WHITE JESUS BLACK PROBLEMS
379
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: AVI KAPLAN – FLOATING ON A DREAM
366
 
SPILL LIVE REVIEW: KRAFTWERK @ MASSEY HALL, TORONTO
359
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE SHEEPDOGS – OUTTA SIGHT
269
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: ALAN PARSONS – FROM THE NEW WORLD
266
 
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: PINK TURNS BLUE – “NOT GONNA TAKE IT”
245
 
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: THE CAUGHTERY – “FRAGILE”
241
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: SHINEDOWN – PLANET ZERO
217
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: STARS – FROM CAPELTON HILL
206
 
SPILL FEATURE: WE WOULDN’T BE INTERESTED IN MAKING ANOTHER CRISIS – A CONVERSATION WITH GEORGE PETTIT OF ALEXISONFIRE
204
ENTERTAINMENT HEADLINES