Having recently released their fourth album, Not Here Not Gone, LA based Blackwater Holylight combine dreamy psych-tinged soundscapes with a fierce power to create a sound that is entirely their own. As the glistening, woozy allure of Allison Faris’ delicate vocals ripples throughout, dirge-like hooks and propulsive beats reveal the band’s eclectic influences, showcasing their ability to interweave immense, doom-laden soundscapes with an immersive transcendental majesty.
We think one of the best ways to get to know a band is by asking what music inspired them to write in the first place. We caught up with drummer Eliese Dorsay to ask about her “Five Favourites” and she’s picked five albums that have influenced her distinctive drumming style over the years. Check out her choices below, scroll down to listen to Blackwater Holylight’s latest single ‘Bodies‘, and make sure you check out the entire exquisite album too…
Uffomamut – Idolum
Uffomammut is a stoner doom band from Italy. I was fifteen, making art in my basement bedroom when this album popped on as a YouTube suggestion. As soon as I heard the first couple notes, I immediately perked up. I was listening to heavy metal at the time, but nothing quite like this. I noticed the drumming and thought “Oh man, I want to do THAT!”. This is the album that lead to me finding Sleep and Electric Wizard. Doom metal quickly invaded my life in the best way. When I finally started playing drums at seventeen, the first song on this album was the first beat I learned. From there I played along to the rest of the Uffomammut discography. Without them I would not play the way I do.
Russian Circles – Geneva
This album is important to me because I learned a lot about dynamics by listening to it. Russian Circles’ songs are really cinematic and have a lot of movement. It’s what taught me how to build; starting with a minimal beat and slowly adding parts, moving around the kit to build intensity. This band in general definitely opened up my creativity on the drums – they know how to complement each other instrumentally, and take turns being the star.
Def Leppard – High ‘n’ Dry
Some of my favourite drumming ever is just simple straight forward Big Heavy Hitting. I found this album when I was twenty one and realised that’s the same age that drummer Rick Allen was when he lost his arm. By this point drums were becoming more than just a hobby for me; I was realising that I want to do this for the rest of my life. The thought of not being to play anymore for any reason is terrifying. Rick Allen’s story of determination and love for the drums is beyond inspiring.
Inter Arma – Paradise Gallows
Although I can’t currently play in this style, it’s massively inspiring. The blast beat speeds are legendary, and they’re one of my favourite bands to watch live. They have a unique way of combining all the sub-genres of metal into one project. Not just the drummer, but the band as whole is incredibly talented and versatile. They’ve taught me that you don’t need to limit yourself to one style or genre.
Bison B.C. – Quiet Earth
This is another album that I love for their unique style of combining different metal genres. They’re thrashier than just standard doom metal. I used to listen to this album on repeat getting ready for school in the morning. When I started playing drums I thought I could play along to it because I knew it all by heart, but it was much more difficult than I thought!! This album continues to push me – I’m still trying to learn little parts of it all the time. The only song I can mostly nail is ‘These Are my Dress Clothes’. Maybe someday I’ll be able to play the album all the way through.
Huge thanks to Eliese for sharing her choices with us! Listen to Blackwater Holylight’s latest single ‘Bodies’ below, and make sure you check out their exquisite album, Not Here Not Gone, in its entirety too!
Get In Her Ears 