Thursday, February 26, 2026 - 8:00pm
BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT
When the women of Blackwater Holylight left their hometown of Portland OR threeyears ago, their mission was to escape the gloom of the Pacific Northwest and theplacating comfort of familiarity. Aiming for the sunnier climes of LA, the band foundthemselves not only in a warmer environment, but in a blank slate landscape—onewithout jobs, longtime friend groups, and the easy retreat of old habits. And it was here,unencumbered by the contentment of security, that Blackwater Holylight began diligentlyworking on their fourth full-length album, Not Here Not Gone.
As with their previous work, Not Here Not Gone explores the duality of light and dark—menacing riffs provide the bedrock to beguiling melodies; dense walls of shoegazeguitars pair with lighter-than-air synths; and heavy subject matter is delivered by sirensong vocals. Across their work, the listener gets a sense of empowerment at one turn,vulnerability the next. As drummer Eliese Dorsay describes it, “some songs we’re thepredator, and some songs we’re the prey.” The juxtaposition of confidence anduncertainty is never in as such stark relief as when one makes a life changing decision,which may explain how the band’s relocation intensified their study in contrasts tointoxicating new heights on Not Here Not Gone.
GLASSING
No one does heavy music quite like Glassing. While owing as much to theemotion of The Cure as they do to Neurosis or Pg. 99, it’s nearly impossibleto pigeonhole their melding of jagged, crunching riffs and crystallinemelodies. The Austin, TX trio, named after a Planes Mistaken for Stars song,established themselves with 2017’s self-released “Light in Death”, followedby their inimitable “Spotted Horse” in 2019 on Brutal Panda Records
(Kowloon Walled City, Whores) but broke through with the 2021 follow-up,“Twin Dream” which showcased their duality of grace and malevolence alike.
Made whole by Cory Brim’s undeniably unique guitar voicing and melodies,Dustin Coffman’s vocal abilities and colossal bass, Scott Osment’s (Deaf Club) precise fury behind the kit, the group excels at seamlessly blendingdevastating riffs and heart-wrenching melody. 2024 saw the band join Berlin’s Pelagic Records for their 4th full-length album, “From the Other Sideof the Mirror” that further cemented them as a unique pillar of undergroundheavy music.
