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Black Eye

    
       
       
       
     
             
Black Eye are a European based melodic metal band fronted by Pink Cream 69 vocalist David Readman. The band are completed by guitarists Aldo Lonobile (Secret Sphere, Archon Angel, Sweet Oblivion) and Luca Princiotta, along with drummer David Folchitto (ex Fleshgod Apocalypse, Stormlord), and bass player Andrea Arcangeli (DGM), with Mattia Gosetti (Agarthic) and Antoni Agate providing keyboards and orchestral arrangements. The bands self titled debut album was released in 2022.    
             
Centred around the incredible voice of English singer David Readman - (probably) best known as vocalist for Pink Cream 69 - Black Eye are a heavy hitting metal band, their debut album packed to the rafters with a blend of infectious European styled melodic power metal, and traditional heavy metal. For fifty highly energetic minutes, the band storm through the eleven songs on offer, cutting a savage path across the land, to deliver one of the most impressive debuts I've heard for a number of years!    
             
Blazing into life, the album immediately whips up a frenzy with the barnstorming 'The Hurricane' - fast paced, head bang-able, and an immediate like. Fans of the old school flavoured "foot on the monitor" style of heavy metal are gonna love this one. Black Eye launching their debut in fabulous fashion - 'The Hurricane' a fist pumping, head turning slab of incredible heavy metal. And the incredibleness is maintained for (the second song) 'Space Travel' - if anything, increasing the energy and oomph. 'Space Travel' is harder and faster, yet loses nothing of the infectious melodious intent the album began with. And the great start becomes a triple treat, as 'Break The Chains' forges forth at a glorious and fairly heavy anthemic pace with a very European power metal feel. As I mentioned earlier, 'Black Eye' is a most impressive debut, with all three songs so far hitting the sweet spot with amazing accuracy!    
             
And there seems to be no stopping the band either, Black Eye strolling on with the more mid tempo mid paced 'No Turning Back', nodding its head toward the hard rock style of music and opening the bands sound up to a much wider audience. Fans of hard rock and heavy metal will be attracted to this one - the attraction of the album so far having a much greater pull than gravity! Turning back the way of metal, the band bring a little menace to their sound with the heavy plod of 'Darkest Night', blending a darker feel with the albums overall majestic melodious intent. Incredible stuff from a new band very recently formed, but the wealth of experience among the musicians is extensive - and it shows! And keeping the variation at the fore - the band delve into power ballad territory with the fairly rocky ballad-esque 'Midnight Sunset'. Light enough to raise lighters in the air, yet still heavy enough to keep heads nodding, 'Midnight Sunset' provides a breather from the bombastic bombardment Black Eye have delivered so far - as we head into the albums second half with a barrage of barnstorming metal, courtesy of the fast paced and feisty 'Under Enemy's Fire'. The band are running the gamut of heavy metal, visiting every corner and knocking on the door of the hard rock genre - the variation on offer is incredible! Black Eye catering for a wide array of tastes.    
             
With an electronic pop style intro, 'The Landing' quickly becomes a heavy hitting power metal march - high tempo, high energy, and fizzing like a vigorously shaken bottle of beer! The infectious nature of 'The Landing' will have listeners smiling from ear to ear - I know I am! This is one helluva thrilling ride of instantly likeable heavy metal - with the ride far from over! There's still three songs left to go - 'Don't Trust Anyone' picking up the pace to become the fastest song heard so far. The fast and furious nature of 'Don't Trust Anyone' is gonna please the die hard head bangers of the world - with metal traditionalists everywhere drooling with pure excitement! By far and away my favourite song from the album, 'Don't Trust Anyone' is old school heavy metal sounding very much new school. And keeping the pulsating old school/new school flavour very much at the fore, Black Eye steam on with 'When You're Gone' - delivering a double delight of incredibly infectious heavy metal. The final flourish as the albums final hurrah approaches has been fiery and feisty, a cracking twosome of all out heavy metal at its best! The final song 'Time Stand Still', is the most elegant and majestic of all the songs on offer, hard hitting yet epic, muscular yet toned, and a glorious end to a glorious album. The debut release from Black Eye has been nothing short of stunning, and is definitely worth a place in the collections of every heavy metal fan.    
             
Overall, a cracking debut of barnstorming and highly infectious heavy metal that hits the sweet spot with incredible accuracy.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
Review is also featured at Metal-Roos    
             
             
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