Certain periods of my short 23-year life can be defined by the bands that I was listening to and the impacts they were having on me. In high school, one particular group stands out above the rest: Sweden’s Blindside. Ask any of my friend’s from those days, and they’ll tell you that I had “somewhat” of an obsession. The music inspired me, gave me hope, and electrified me in ways I’d never experienced before.
Once I went off to college, their relevance began to slip as I was introduced to new friends with different musical tastes, and Blindside’s CD’s began to find their way into my car stereo less and less. Also, it didn’t help that the band practically disappeared after their last album in 2005. They made a slight resurgence in 2007 by releasing The Black Rose EP, but it garnered little interest from me as I was off exploring other corners of the music world.
Several weeks ago I found out that they were a few months away from actually releasing their 6th full-length album entitled With Shivering Hearts We Wait, and this wasn’t a rumor like the ones I had been hearing for the past couple of years. Four tracks have been released at www.wshww.com, and so far, I’m pleasantly surprised. The guys seem as unified as ever, having a clear sense of direction as to what they want to bring to this album. From their earlier hardcore days, Blindside has continually progressed, constantly evolving their sound while maintaining an undeniable identity. Lead singer Christian Lindskog’s voice sounds as striking as ever, sustaining his extraordinary ability of transition from harmonious singing to spine shivering shrieks.
“There Must Be Something in the Water” propels us right into the action and ends with a resounding orchestral breakdown. I’m still a little hesitant about “Monster on the Radio” but confident enough in the other three that Blindside will deliver a worthy album for dedicated fans who have been waiting a long time. Worldwide release set for June 7th.