The Savage Winds to Wisdom comes out July 12, 2024 on Season of Mist.
Pre-order & Stream: https://orcd.co/blacklavathesavagewindstowisdom
Not even the most stifling period in recent history could contain Black Lava. Despite being kept under strict lockdown during the pandemic, these Aussies were just stewing together, waiting to erupt. Now, only two years removed from their smoldering debut, the band is roaring back with even more mythical firepower on The Savage Winds to Wisdom. “Our second album is a step up from the first in all aspects,” drummer Dan Presland says. “We took more time on the songwriting. The Savage Winds to Wisdom shows exactly where we want to take our music.“
INFLUENCES
Pantera: “Shedding Skin”
I remember playing around with some vocal ideas with screaming and laying different tones. I had an idea of doing some talking or whispers in certain parts of songs. Chino from Deftones does it a lot, but this track by Pantera came to mind, “Shedding Skin.“ I love the way Phil has a whispering vocal line leading up to the big riff drops. – ROB WATKINS (vocals)
Decapitated: “A Poem About an Old Prison Man”
This song (and the Organic Hallucinosis album in general) really drove home how critical bass guitar can be to heavy music, adding aggression and rhythm in the top end as opposed to being limited to the featureless low drone that was barely noticeable in most metal at the time. I remember being blown away by how the forward tone approach interacted with both drums and guitar to give an extra dimension to each as well as defining song structure and ruthlessly holding its own territory in the mix. It was like seeing the first zombie rise out of a pile of corpses in an 80s horror. –NICK RACKHAM (bass)
Kriegsmaschine: “Residual Blight”
Kriegsmaschine’s album Apocalypticists was a big catalyst for inspiration when Black Lava formed. Its focus on intricate drum work and groove, coupled with dark tones and a balance between dissonance and melody was something we ourselves had been wanting to explore, while also aiming to pair it with inspiration from a lot of legendary metal bands from our youth, to get more traditional heavy metal and thrash undertones in the energy and structures within the songs themselves. Kriegsmaschine, along with the other tracks listed, is a good example of the kind of atmosphere, energy, and catchiness we hoped to capture, and The Savage Winds to Wisdom explores these things and takes it even further, on our journey to create something wholly our own. –BEN BOYLE (guitar)
Satyricon: “Black Lava”
We couldn’t put together an influences list without this track. It’s the inspiration for our band name and is a song we all love. Satyricon is also a major influence in the song writing for Black Lava. –BLACK LAVA (full band)
ESSENTIALS
All responses by drummer Dan Presland
“Ironclad Sarcophagus”
“Ironclad Sarcophagus” is one of the tracks off the new album, The Savage Winds to Wisdom (which comes out July 12). It has a dark rocky groove to it and is fun to play live.
“Soul Furnace”
“Soul Furnace” is one of the first songs we ever wrote together as a band, so it holds a special place with us. The two days that we spent recording the music video were epic.
“Northern Dawn”
I love the start of this song, the way it kicks off with the toms. It’s a real head banger and another one of our favorites.
“Eye of the Moon”
“Eye of the Moon” is one of the slower songs off our first album. We spent three days in the snow filming the music video. Whenever we play it live, I think back to that time and how much hard work we put in.
“Unsheathing Nightmares”
“Unsheathing Nightmares” is another new track off The Savage Winds to Wisdom.It’s the perfect balance of groove and darkness and easily a favorite for all of us now.
