Black Oak County — Misprint (Mighty Music)
Think Black Stone Cherry at their most bullish.
Or Shinedown’s boundary-pushing best fused with visceral Volbeat.
And don’t take this the wrong way but…
…Black Oak County boast a commercial sheen that evokes peak Nickelback.
Misprint is a marvellous amalgam of everything that’s electrifying about modern hard rock’s relentless mission to remain relevant.
It’s a record that’s rooted in a Scandi scene still punching way above its weight.
And it sees Black Oak County attack on all fronts with producer Nicklas Sonne capturing another riff-crunching moment in time from the fast-rising Danes.
It’s only two years since award-winning III caused a stir far beyond the band’s Esbjerg heartland.
But since then Niels Beier (guitar, vocals), René Kristensen (bass, vocals), Jack Svendsen (guitars) and Mike Svendsen (drums) have raised their game.
And then some.
Misprint is a swaggering statement of intent that readies Black Oak County for bigger stages and their best shot yet at a major breakthrough.
The songwriting’s on point. The attitude’s killer. And the potential’s writ large across 12 meticulously crafted hard rock bangers.
Make no mistake — Misprint is the right move at the right time.
Black Oak County’s lines have been redrawn: this is unchartered territory for Beir and co.
Why Misprint is Black Oak County’s Rock N Roll manifesto
Strident opener Kill The Pain’s compelling mix of groove and grit gets to the heart of this switched-on quartet’s tunnel vision.
Misprint’s mission is to showcase a band that’s both bold enough to mix it with the big boys and focused enough to keep its feet on the ground.
And from first to last, the fourth chapter of Black Oak County’s evolving narrative reveals lessons learnt and fresh targets set.
Rock N Roll will find favour with the Bonafide family — its kick-ass, party starting vibe underscores an ear for singalong, festival-ready anthems.
But Black Oak County is a serious band.
And this a record that boasts its fair share of darker moments: Kill The Pain, Sick And Tired and Landmine originate from a place of deep introspection.
Starlight sounds like a bona fide Billboard Hot 100 hit single and the punchy ballad hits home hard.
Kiss & Tell adds subtle touches of nu metal and industrial music to the mix while fist pumper Energy does what it says on the tin — the sparky mid-set blaster shaking things up down the stretch.
Black Oak County have just dropped their best record yet.
The sweet spell of success? That’s Misprint.
