Premiere: Blind Tiger – “Atlanta”
If you were smart, you’d be screaming too.
It’s no secret that things are fucked. Which things? Take your pick. Last year was particularly rough for basically everyone, and we’ve seen a lot of the anger, fear, and anxiety built up over a year of sickness and violence channeled into music over the past few months. Blind Tiger is the latest to add their voice to the collective outcry; our premiere today is a mathy, proggy hardcore banger that while it will leave you feeling like you were spin-kicked in the face in a DEP pit circa 2004, feels like 2020 condensed into musical form. Says vocalist Nick Lundy:
Instrumentally we started writing this song on an off-day in Atlanta on our winter 2019 tour, while lyrically “Atlanta” was written last year shortly after the initial lockdown resulting from spiking cases of COVID-19 and in the height of social tensions across the United States following the brutal lynchings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and so many other innocent people of color. In the lyrics I reflect on mistakes I had made in the past and how I could overcome by simply forgiving myself and creating work that feels good to make. In the music video we decided to use the lyrical imagery of “red paint” and “blood” to drive home the idea that great art speaks volumes over violence and oppression. As Blind Tiger, we aim to use our band as a creative tool to put an end to the hate felt by those cowardly killers. At the time the song was written, I lived in Atlanta, so by shooting on location we were able to thematically tie it all together.
It’s easy to look at that view of music triumphing over evil as corny or even naïve (especially when your music is semi-adjacent to a genre plagued by literal Nazis), but at this point, I’m ready for some optimism for a change. If nothing else, the idea that one can overcome their personal demons through their art is something that greatly resonates with me on a personal level. It’s good to hear something positive for a change.
Oh, and the music bangs.
Blind Tiger’s self-titled, self-released album hits on November 5th via Bandcamp. Check them out on Facebook as well if you’re so inclined.
