Sheffield’s Black Spiders are back and will be releasing their self-titled album at the end of March – we managed to get the inside scoop and get an advance copy for review, and things are certainly looking good for the band!

By Jane Howkins

Black Spiders were actually formed in 2008 and built up quite a following in the UK, before disbanding several years later. Black Spiders is their first release in years, so there has been quite a lot of anticipation riding on this release. We’re pleased to say that it’s a cracking album, and fans of the band in their previous incarnation will find lots to love here.

If you’re not aware of the band’s music, then we would say it’s probably best described as being a mixture of classic rock and hard rock. They are obviously incredibly talented musicians, with huge riffs and anthemic choruses being the name of the game here. It’s great to hear a band that can mix catchy melodies with hard riffs like this, with their music appealing to a wide audience. Black Spiders also bring a certain swagger to their sound that is often missing in a lot of rock music nowadays, so it’s nice to hear that attitude once again. Most of the tracks on display here are fast-paced rock songs, showing a ferocity and passion that really sounds genuine.

Our only issue was that the production seemed a little raw at times and the vocals occasionally sounded a bit quiet under the music but this wasn’t such a big issue, so don’t let that put you off too much. All in all, Black Spiders is a triumphant return for the band, and an album that should hopefully send them through the stratosphere for good! They’ve obviously not lost their passion for writing music and it sounds as though the hiatus has actually been rather good for them (considering the high standard of the songs here), so we highly recommend both old and new fans check the album out!