Black Rainbows Premiere “Fire in the Sky” From Live at Desertfest Belgium
Roman cosmic rock trio Black Rainbows will release their first official live album, Live at Desertfest Belgium, on Feb. 25 through Heavy Psych Sounds. That same day, the band will reissue their 2007 debut, Twilight in the Desert, to mark its 15th anniversary. As it happens, they didn’t dip back that far for their set at Desertfest Belgium 2021 last Fall, but the resultant recording makes several crucial points about the group they’ve become in the years since, transformed under the direction of founding frontman/guitarist Gabriele Fiori from desert-fuzz obsessives into tight-knit psychedelic/space shovers, able to enact vast reaches in the span of a solo for “The Prophet” from 2015’s Hawkdope (review here) while still maintaining the underlying structure of the song.
Some two years after their latest album, 2020’s screw-this-pandemic-let’s-put-it-out-anyway Cosmic Ritual Supertrip (review here) — from which only “Isolation” appears on the live record — Black Rainbows demonstrate the energy that has always been an asset in their work. The electricity in their presentation has proved consistent as Fiori — who, yes, also heads Heavy Psych Sounds in addition to playing in The Pilgrim and Killer Boogie — has cycled through different incarnations of the band over the years and steadily moved in a more interstellar direction, finding the outer space even as their cover of MC5‘s “Black to Comm” harnesses the classic biker rock riffing and the two new songs on Live at Desertfest Belgium, “Fire in the Sky” 
— built off the end of “Supernova & Asteroids” from 2018’s Pandaemonium (review here) — and “Desert Sun” toy with tempo changes, fuzzy overdrive, motorik thrust and momentum that’s all-go regardless of speed from the outset of “Evil Snake” at the start of the set.
I’ve never been fortunate enough to see Black Rainbows live, and that’s only more to my regret as I listen to Fiori, bassist Edoardo “Mancio” Mancini and drummer Filippo Ragazzoni tear into “The Prophet” and the Fu Manchu-style nod of “Isolation,” which it’s worth emphasizing was written before the word took on its plague-inspired meaning. Here, it swaggers into what Fiori dubs the ‘Black Rainbows ballad’ in the penultimate “Grindstone” from Pandaemonium, which is a highlight, not the least for being able to hear clearly the separation between forward and backing vocals, giving a human presence and a punkish twist to the effects-laced groove and the memorable hook that ensues before they wrap with “The Hunter” from 2012’s Supermothafuzzalicious!! (review here); a fitting end since that record found the band realizing their sound in new ways that have fueled their progression in the decade since and are well showcased here.
If you want it in plain language, Black Rainbows rip it up on Live at Desertfest Belgium. If I was there, I’d hunt it down. Having not been there, I’d still hunt it down, because among the great many lessons this band have learned throughout their career is how to bring the audience along for a good time while also utterly kicking its collective ass around the block. As an example of how to do it right, Black Rainbows chose their first live album release well. Here’s hoping it’s not the last.
Enjoy the premiere of “Supernova & Asteroid/Fire in the Sky” below, followed by more from the PR wire, preorder links and all that.
Dig:
Black Rainbows, “Supernova & Asteroid/Fire in the Sky” premiere
“FIRE IN THE SKY. It’s an epic space rock tune we wanted to add as continue to the song Supernova and Asteroid. It has been written to bring it live to rich Supernova tune and make it more powerful and extend the timing. We believe it’s a really good song to hear live and we wanted to bring it over the new set for the Desertfest Belgium.”
ALBUM PRESALE:
https://www.heavypsychsounds.com/shop.htm#HPS222
USA PRESALE:
https://www.heavypsychsounds.com/shop-usa.htm
‘Live at Desertfest Belgium’ features nine songs including two new ones (“Fire In The Sky” and “Desert Sun »). It will be released on February 25th, same day as the 15th anniversary reissue of their cornerstone debut “Twilight In The Desert ».
Black Rainbows comes back with the recording live of the first show after the pandemic strike!
The band recorded the album at Desertfest Belgium in Antwerp at Trix club delivering almost 45 minutes of high energy heavy psych n roll.
Trix was one of the last shows the band played before the covid strike back in early march 2020 and they start back at the very same location in the same room one and half year later …so the band thought this epic moment needed to be celebrated and put on a record as first live album ever!
Mixed and mastered by Shane Trimble.
Black Rainbows, “Desert Sun” Live at Desertfest Belgium
Black Rainbows, Cosmic Ritual Supertrip (2020)
Heavy Psych Sounds on Facebook
Heavy Psych Sounds on Bandcamp
Tags: Black Rainbows, Black Rainbows Live at Desertfest Belgium, Heavy Psych Sounds, Italy, Live at Desertfest Belgium, Rome
[…] Italian stoner rock heroes Black Rainbows are set to release their first live album »Live At Desertfest Belgium« this February 25th through Heavy Psych Sounds. This will also mark the 15th-anniversary reissue of their cornerstone debut »Twilight In The Desert«. Listen to a brand new live track »Supernova & Asteroid / Fire In The Sky« exclusively on The Obelisk! […]