FLAT BLACK – Dark Side Of The Brain (Album Review)

American groove metal gets a technical upgrade.

It’s nearly impossible to have a discussion about American metal over the past couple of decades without the name Five Finger Death Punch coming up. The name has become all but synonymous with the stylistic blend of groove-obsessed heaviness, melodic hardcore sensibilities, occasional industrial and progressive rock quirks, and a general attitude that walks a fine line between rugged aggression and a confession-based approach to storytelling that betrays a fair level of vulnerability.

Concordantly, they were more often associated with Canadian guitarist Jason Hook, given he was the longest-serving axe-man under their employment and has appeared on the lion’s share of their iconic anthems. For the band’s massive fan base, Hook‘s exodus was undoubtedly impactful enough to register on the Richter scale, but shifting lineups have often been the precursor to a scene’s expansion, and one was almost immediately in the works in the form of Flat Black, Hook’s newly minted project.

One might dub it inevitable that this band’s debut studio outing “Dark Side Of The Brain” would share many stylistic similarities with Hook’s extended tenure with 5FDP, and at a fundamental level, it could be chalked up to a reworked summary of his career with said band. However, almost immediately it becomes apparent that Hook has crafted a series of songs that showcase his chops as a soloist and riff creator more so than previous works, and also features a more ambitious songwriting approach that is still safely within the accepted parameters of radio-oriented rock.

Likewise, Dallas-born lead vocalist Wrex Horton proves a more varied quantity, seamlessly moving through an expansive array of modern metal vocalizations with his nimble range that channels such divergent influences as Ronnie Radke, Phil Anselmo, and Ben Burnley. Along for the proverbial ride and no less consequential in their contributions are Los Angeles-based bassist Nick Diltz and Nashville son and drummer Rob Pierce, both of whom construct a massive foundation beneath Hook’s riffs that rivals the one featured on “F8,” 5FDP‘s last album with Hook.

An air of theatricality and social angst kicks off this 14-chapter collection of sonic stories with the opener “It’s Ok To Be Angry”, beginning with an ambitious yet light guitar and ambient keyboard intro with a cinematic voiceover and exploding into a thrashing ball of metal. It’s among the more overt callbacks to Hook’s 5FDP days, but it leans into the aggression factor with a bit more intrigue between Horton’s nimbler vocal attack and a brilliant post-hardcore chorus hook, to speak nothing for the shred-happy solo that tears across the latter part of things.

The metallic fury doesn’t let up, as the aforementioned introductory kill shot is chased with an even more metallic beast in “Justice Will Be Done”, which flirts pretty heavily with territory hit by Machine Head during their more thrash-oriented early 2010s era. Other entries that go heavy with maybe a bit more of a mainline grooving character such as “Sideways”, “It’s Your Lack Of Respect” and title entry “Dark Side Of The Brain” prove even more engaging between Horton’s dramatic and varied vocal assault and Hook’s highly expressive and generally concise yet showy guitar display.

Naturally, it isn’t all about throwing hands and piercing shouts with this fold, as James is just as ready to recall the lighter and more nuanced side of where he’s been since the late 2000s. On the more infectious side of the coin is the mercilessly catchy and melancholy post-grunge power ballad “A Bit Of Lightning”, which has hit single all over it despite not being among the five songs to hit streaming media before this album’s premier.

The darker, groove punch with an industrial edge of “Halo”, which did enjoy an advanced release about 6 months ago, is no less catchy but proves a bit shorter and more dynamic in its delivery. The somber yet thudding power ballad “Villain” also checks all the boxes in terms of modern stylistic tropes and catchy hooks, sounding something along the lines of how a Breaking Benjamin and Nickelback collaboration would come out. Pile in a rather intriguing guitar instrumental bit in “Youth N Eyes” that showcases Hook thinking a bit outside the box and then segueing into another melancholy, downtempo rocker in “Tidal Wave”, and just about every NWOAHM base has been covered before this album roars to a triumphant conclusion on the up-tempo power anthem “Let It Go”.

In some respects, Flat Black is a band that expands upon the existing framework of American metal, particularly insofar as the guitar work is concerned. Yet at the end of the day, “Dark Side Of The Brain” is an album that most will find more familiar than anything else, as it mostly sticks close to home. There are some extreme flashes of brilliance in Hook’s soloing that make it seem as though he wants to play in the same league as such noted heroes as John 5 and thrash shredders like Alex Skolnick and Phil Demmel, but from a songwriting perspective he is continually married to shorter form and predictable structures.

It’s the sort of formula that is sure to spawn many charting hits, but it rings a tad predictable despite Hook taking a more amped-up approach to his instrument and tapping a vocalist who brings a more versatile presentation than Ivan Moody. This is sure to be a band to watch in the coming years for those who like their metal catchy and groovy, and hopefully, future efforts will see this band falling back less on existing practices and taking more risks.

Released By: Fearless Records
Release Date: July 19th, 2024
Genre: Groove Metal

Musicians:

• Wrex Horton / Vocals
• Jason Hook / Guitars
• Nick Diltz / Bass
• Rob Pierce / Drums

“Dark Side Of The Brain” Track List:

1. It’s Ok To Be Angry
2. Justice Will Be Done
3. Sideways
4. A Bit Of Lightning
5. Unwanted
6. Home
7. Halo
8. It’s Your Lack Of Respect
9. Nothing To Some (Featuring Corey Taylor)
10. Dark Side Of The Brain
11. Villain
12. Youth ‘N Eyes
13. Tidal Wave
14. Let It Go

Order “Dark Side Of The Brain” HERE or HERE.