Florence Black – “Bed Of Nails”
14th January 2024Happy New Year everybody! It’s 2024, and despite being so early into January, this year is already looking STACKED in terms of new music and notable releases…but because I’m the kind of guy who’d be late to his funeral, we’re going to stay in 2023 just for the briefest of moments. Let me explain.
Merthyr Tydfil-based rock trio FLORENCE BLACK (Who consist of vocalist/guitarist Tristan Thomas, bassist/vocalist Jordan Evans, and drummer/vocalist Perry Davies) were scheduled to release their latest album “Bed Of Nails” back in December, but according to the band, due to some “exciting developments” behind the scenes, the album has been pushed back to February 2024.
They promise that the delay will be worth it, as the album will now drop alongside the start of their unaffected UK tour, and it allows them to fully realize their vision for the album. What does that mean exactly? We don’t know…maybe they just have a tetanus infection they are trying to work around because they went to a boot sale for the nails instead of B&Q? I digress…let’s get comfortable, as we do a big stretch and settle into a “Bed Of Nails”…
We begin with “Start Again” and frankly I hadn’t realized we’d started the first time. Alas, it’s got a very classic sounding, pounding, bluesy hard rock aesthetic that brings all the riffs and some very assertive percussion. It’s something that fans of ALTER BRIDGE would lap up instrumentally, while Tristan balances this blend of clean yet gruff vocality, giving off elements of grunge, and it’s a short, sharp opener. “Don’t Hold Me Down” follows up with a great piece of groove-rock with some wonderfully rhythmic guitar, but the track erupts to showcase more of the trio’s metal capabilities, and it turns into this, intense, almost ASKING ALEXANDRIA-inspired track. There’s plenty to enjoy here across these twelve tracks truthfully, as they cover most bases within their genre pigeonhole. Single “Look Up” has a far lighter sense of melody and a sense of semi-country blues rock; it’s got strong BLACK STONE CHERRY vibes and a lovely little solo to boot, this is easily an album highlight. Speaking of solos, “The Way Home” is a far, far more energetic slab of rock ‘n’ roll plucked straight out of the ’80s, and that solo just reeks of tight leather, denim, mullets, and cocaine. On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have “Beautiful Lover” which delivers us more of a morose rock ballad that oozes sadness and separation, and it’s genuinely touching, with its own highly emotive solo.
Now as we’ve stated it’s a bed of nails not a bed of roses, and there are tracks here that cause slight discomfort to the ears shall we say, the title track ironically being one of them. It’s a very slow, chugging, bass-heavy offering that’s been dipped in nu-metal and is honestly lazy sounding. The vocal melodies on the chorus are decent but it’s honestly a very generic, very basic song. There’s also this juxtaposition here where, culturally a bed of nails has therapeutic qualities akin to acupuncture, but it also describes situations of extreme hardship or suffering. I guess it can be interpreted as, needing to accept at times, things have to get worse before they can get better, be it in any aspect of life.
By far the weakest track here though, is “Taxman”. It’s energetic, bold, and boisterous with galloping instrumentation, but lyrically it’s repetitive and truthfully irritating. I’d genuinely rather vote Conservative and shaft myself by paying more taxes for the luxury of breathing than choose to listen to this one more than I need to.
Despite these niggling complaints, the album, as a whole, is a solid offering of traditional, hard, blues-based rock and metal and it ticks all of the boxes for fans of this particular genre. It brings the groove, the riffs, the solos, the melodies; and the band delivers all of the above more than competently. Is it original? No, it’s honestly so hard to stand out in such a saturated genre I’m sure we can all agree there, but the Welsh trio hold their own with a decent collection of tracks. “Bed Of Nails” is like, that fine margin line, like utilising a hostel or an Ibis Budget…does the job for the night in terms of practicality but there are better places to stay. Reminds me of the time I slept at Cardiff Central Station after Matt Tuck drew a massive dick on my forehead in Fuel…but that’s another story.
Album Score: 7/10
Record Label: Self-Released
Release Date: February 2nd
Track Listing:
- “Start Again”
- “Don’t Hold Me Down”
- “Bed Of Nails”
- “Taxman”
- “Look Up”
- “Warning Sign”
- “Beautiful Lover”
- “The Way Home”
- “Solid 9”
- “Rockin’ Ring”
- “The Forest”
- “Back To The End”
Record Label: Self Released
Release Date: February 2nd
For all things Florence Black, click HERE, and to purchase the album, click HERE
