What can I write to paint an accurate picture of the band Black Ridge? Can I tell you what they sound like? What style of music they play? What their performance can be compared to? No. I really can’t. They sound like Black Ridge. They play their own style of music. Their performance is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. What I can tell you, is that no matter who you are or what you’re into, these guys have something for you. You’re going to go nuts over them.
I first encountered these guys at Rock for Life in 2019. Their lead singer, Paul G, was adorned in a fabulous wedding gown. Gown aside, he put on the show of a lifetime. My unicorn counterpart, Joshua Hartz, and I had the pleasure of talking to Paul about the band and their live performances. (You can view the interview here if you feel so inclined.) Paul goes full force for every performance. He told us that he knows when people saw the show based on the outfit he was wearing (I’ve seen many photos, but the Princess Leia garb takes the cake). They put on a heck of a show for adults, and they get the kids involved too. They’re truly a loveable bunch.
Their newest EP, Raw Power, hit the streaming services 9/12. As expected, it’s a thrill ride through the genres of rock.
The EP starts off strong with their title track, “Raw Power”. It’s a total power ballad to fling your hair in the air to! The song kind of makes me think of ACDC, but with a lot more saxophone. It’s super fun and super catchy. You won’t make it through one pass of it without joining in on the chorus! The chant, “IT’S RAW POWER!”, is going to be blasting in my subconscious for the next full month, but I’m not mad about it.
I love the last track, “Hard Work, Hard Luck”. We can all relate to the struggles of making it through the day to day. I will shamelessly sing about breaking my back to get by while sitting in my cubicle. This one will get you moving and grooving! These guys will be sure to live to rock MANY more days.
If you told me a different band did each song on the EP, I’d believe you. But I’d tell you without hesitation that all 5 bands are completely ruling. If you like good music, check out Raw Power today.
*Cover image by the talented Bill Domiano / Build the Scene. If you don’t know about BTS, make sure you remedy that ASAP.