It is less than 18 months since I became aware of ALT BLK ERA and what a time that has been. From my perspective I featured them on the Mayhem Virgins series in August 2023. That same month I was lucky enough to see them on the BBC Introducing Stage at the Leeds Festival. I was even luckier to get to interview them that weekend. They have made regular appearances in the Mayhem Charts. From Nyrobi and Chaya’s perspective they have had some amazing festival appearances and support slots (Tom Morello for one). They have collaborated with some great artists including Delilah Bon and Wheatus. This year they are on the BBC’s ones to watch list and will be heading to SXSW. On top of that they have released some incredible singles and the spectacular ‘Freak Show’ EP. Well now the debut album, ‘Rave Immortal’ is here on Earache Records!
The album opens with “Straight To The Heart” a song which has a great 80s pop club night vibe about it with some urgent drum ‘n’ bass beats underpinning it. Next up it is one of a clutch of great singles included in the collection, “Come On Outside”. It has a riotous, riff-laden grunge feel to carry its positive message. The chorus is alive and takes up residence in your brain almost immediately after the first listen. Chaya wrote the song for her sister Nyrobi and had this to say about it “For two years my sister was bed-ridden with a chronic illness that shot waves of pain throughout her body. The doctors couldn’t figure out what it was. I thought I was going to lose her. Thankfully, with lots of support, she is slowly getting better and she now has strong medication that helps her to manage the pain. This song is my message for Nyrobi, for you, and for anyone else who has faced physical or emotional challenges.” There is more great drum ‘n’ bass on “Crashing Parties” coupled with some perfect and incessant synth riffs. It opens with a warped heavenly angelic chorus. Throughout the track the vocals are the star though.
“My Drummer’s Girlfriend” is full of pop-driven punk licks and a gorgeous vocal delivery which reminds me of the Tuts and Kate Nash. Those riffs are mesmeric and stitch their way into your brain easily. I am not sure I am a fan of the potentially insane, drug-fuelled titular girlfriend in this story, but I am a huge fan of this infectious, electric firecracker of a tune. It is not on the album but check out the slacker punk reworking of this track that the band did with Wheatus. “Hunt You Down” has a wonderful dark Madonna feel to it with some stalker lyrics that border on the right side of creepy. this starts off with a deliciously dark vibe. It builds into something that would make Depeche Mode jealous. ALT BLK ERA seem able to tackle any genre. “Upstairs Neighbour” is a classy rave anthem which would sit perfectly along the best of the Prodigy. “Come Fight Me For It” is like an electro powered X Ray Spex which retains the punk attitude. I reckon Poly Styrene would have loved this.
“The track “Run Rabbit” is driven by a persistent and incessant electro riff overlaid with Nyrobi and Chaya’s urgent vocals. Lyrically it feels deliciously dark. This has the makings of a huge club banger, we need an extended remix! The video is rather spiffing too and features ALT BLK ERA running around in the dark to great effect. The opening of “Catch Me If You Can” has a horror film overture sound which I love. The vocals are melodic metal sung over a creepy orchestral synth background. The title track is saved until the end and what a way to finish it is. This is the best of the Prodigy, the Chemical Brothers and Enter Shikari. With some tasteful old school game sounds in the tune. This is rap for the 21st century and an anthemic call to arms for Generation Z and Generation Alpha. Chaya and Nyrobi Beckett-Messam are still young, but as a first album this is a masterpiece. I am excited to hear what they do next. But in the meantime I am sure that ‘Rave Immortal’ will be included in many albums of the year list later this year. It will definitely be on the Mayhem list! If I have any criticism it would be that at around 32 minutes it is quite short. But it doesn’t feel short when you listen to it and some of the greatest punk albums were around that length!
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