Since Blacklist's dissolution nearly a decade ago, the band's members have stayed active with individual projects including Vaura, Cult of Youth, Azar Swan and more. That said, it's been a long eight years since we last heard from the boys together (who played their then-final gig in 2011), but now, just like Al Pacino says in his famous quote from Godfather 3, Blacklist is back. The occasion is a rare appearance at A Murder of Crows fest in their home base of NYC on August 31st, which will double as a re-release party for their 2009 LP offering Midnight of the Century. The reissue comes with a new mix, by the illustrious Sanford Parker, along with previously unreleased songs. Revolver is proud to host one of those cuts, "Crucible," which makes it's premiere here today.
Blacklist formed around a mutual interest in Wire, the Comsat Angels and others, but "Crucible" has all the markings of middle arena-rock-era Killing Joke (a.k.a. Night Time, etc). Heavy on melody and dark ambiance, the song never goes full-on gloom and doom; instead, its strong melodies, when mixed with goth-influenced riffs, make "Crucible" a true stomper.
Our only question is why was this bad boy was left on the cutting-room floor in the first place? Guitarist and frontman Josh Strawn explains that "It was mostly a decision about the overall tone the record was going to strike. This one was just a bit darker than the rest and we opted to lay the focus more on songs like 'The Believer' and 'Worlds Collide.'" Stream "Crucible" below for the first time.
Blacklist - Midnight of the Century + Unreleased Tracks
Side A
Still Changes
Flight of the Demoiselles
Shock in the Hotel Falcon
Language of the Living Dead
Side B
Odessa
Julie Speaks
Poison for Tomorrow
Side C
Frontiers
The Cunning of History
When Worlds Collide
The Believer
Side D
Nashira Rising
Daybreak
Crucible
Interiors