Black Breath’s Sentenced to Life was one of my favorite records of 2012. Brutal, catchy, totally evil, and full of sick riffs, the album is a crown jewel in the whole Entombedcore wave (which, full disclosure: I fully support tbh) – as well as a firm statement of personality and grit. Black Breath are in a class of their own, producing music that is at once familiar and but also like, totally exciting and fresh. The band has been sidelined for a while, however, when drummer Jamie Byrum was hospitalized following leg industries he sustained after being hit by a car. Like many, I feared for the dude’s health and for the future of the band: Jamie is a special drummer, and we want him to be making music forever!
Well, the sun shines (black rays) on the ‘Breath. Jamie has been gradually recovering, and the band is back to playing shows, writing tunes, and even found time to record the follow-up to Sentenced to Life with producer-engineer Kurt Ballou in November. This past weekend, the band played their first show since Jamie’s accident, at Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn with Mutilation Rites, White Widows Pact, and Blackest (read the New York Times‘s writeup of the gig here). Frank Huang at Pit Full of Shit, aKa the dude who films literally every single show in NYC, was there to capture the dirty madness, and has posted some footage from Black Breath’s set. Check it out below, and get stoked for the return of one of the most metal bands walking the earth today.
