Black Mass is the new mesmerising single of the Australian band Collegians, dropped not long after their successful debut release Vaccine, both recorded at Refinery Recording Studio, Melbourne.



Collegians formed in 2014 and signed a deal with Cultivator Records the year after. Their music aims at getting onto the emotional level with their listeners and this is particularly true if one sees them live because of the empathic bond with the audience this skilled band can trigger.



The song is about a gloomy futuristic cityscape and an apocalyptic anti-establishment attitude pervades the beats of this new blistering dark indie rock track. From the very start, it’s clear that the band wanted to convey a deep and powerful thought into the message sewn into the track.



Anxiety piles up through their enraged, pulsating bass that underlines the whole song along with reverberating drums that set the pace of a provocative unreligious ceremony.

Dreary and dark synths intertwine with Glen Patrick’s raw-throated voice that echoes Marilyn Manson for both his inflection and the harsh lyrics, creating a shadowy and yet thrilling sermon-like atmosphere.



The sinister society they are hinting at softens its tension towards the middle of the song thanks to an awesome melodic break, a sort of escape from the overwhelmingly oppressive smog, which is aimed at depicting the sight of a patch of sky through the dark. Yet, this sight doesn’t last long and we go back sinking deep into even darker atmosphere at the end of the song. This epiphany is rendered well by the basic but melodic blend of vocals and bassline.



Collegians are charmingly provocative and their artistic precision enhances both the cohesive and melodic impact of this new killer single in the shape of a dystopian and catchy “Black Mass”, and also infuses new life to the whole dark industrial music.

Review by Valentina Guidi. 

George Millington

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