EP Review: Black Spiders – Deaf Proof

Sheffield’s Black Spiders are primarily a rock ‘n fuckin’ roll band, with that sentence you may wonder why this is being written about on here, but there has always been a history of bands from that side of that fence that have an appeal for punk audiences, whether it’s the sleazy charms of Zodiac Mindwarp & The Love Reaction, the thrash titans of the eighties and nineties such as Metallica, Anthrax and Megadeth, the Grunge era that embraced both influences, and not forgetting the grandaddies of them all, Black Sabbath and Motörhead, this is the company that Black Spiders latest EP “Deaf Proof” is keeping, and from first exposure it’s right at home.

A cover of The Easybeats 1968 hit single ‘Good Times‘ might not be the expected introduction to the EP, but that’s where we start, and as you’d expect it’s been updated and turned into a full tilt slab of rock ‘n roll that would fit better into The Lost Boys soundtrack than the well known version by INXS & Jimmy Barnes ever did. A good cover version is one thing but it’s the band’s own material that is the meat and taters, the first sample of their self penned tracks is ‘The Weight‘, a sludgy Sabbathesque hit of old school dark rock that is followed by ‘Ancient Astronaut‘, a track that ups the pace slightly and maintains the intensity. Finally we get ‘Power In The Darkness‘ that shifts things noticeably up a gear and recalls the likes of 90’s rockers The Almighty and blends it with the grungy side of Pearl Jam.

The “Deaf Proof” EP acts a precursor to the Black Spiders brand new self titled album that is set to be released via Dark Riders Records on the 26th March, with only ‘Good Times‘ set to appear on their imminent full length this is a welcome return to the days of singles and EP’s featuring songs that didn’t end up populating a band’s albums. But this isn’t just a throwback to the halcyon days of singles and EP’s, “Deaf Proof” is being streamed exclusively via the band’s Patreon, showing that whilst Black Spiders might have one foot in the past they also have their finger on the pulse.

If your tastes spread beyond the punk boundaries then Black Spiders are certainly worth checking out as over the course of a four track EP they’ve embraced around three decades of rock ‘n fuckin’ roll, you can make your own mind up when it’s released on February 12th via digital platforms. The Black Spiders upcoming self titled album can be pre-ordered via Dark Riders Records here and you can stream ‘Good Times‘ via SoundCloud here