Black Foxxes – Reiði (Search & Destroy/Spinefarm Records) 2018
10
Reiði (Norse word for rage) is the second album by Black Foxxes and its greatness is absolutely astonishing. There’s a constant battle between light and darkness as lead singer/guitarist/primary songwriter Mark Holley- whose struggles with anxiety and crohn’s disease are well -documented– headed to Iceland to find the solitude he desperately needed and wrestle with his demons. The atmosphere is either heavily melancholic or slightly more upbeat, but the listening experience always makes us feel like we`re swimming in a sea of emotions. This is a journey both cathartic and poetic, not to mention diverse: there’s indie rock, emo, even post-rock-inspired crescendos featuring string and brass arrangements. Ambitious but cohesive, Reiði is an extraordinary masterpiece, a brilliant album that deserves to be heard, felt and loved.