INTO THE DEEP - Blackfin (Review)

Written by: The Administrator

​Whomst among us is ambivalent about the ocean? I may be way off the mark, but it seems as though opinions towards the deep blue sea trend towards the extremes. Representing a certain landlubbery perspective, several of my fellow inksplattered scribes experience an abject terror when it comes to the ocean's vastness. As for me, I'm smitten by the serene chaos of breakers, the lushness and oddity of aquatic life, and the eventual call of the sodden void.

Representing perhaps the pinnacle of oceanic fandom, Into The Deep demonstrates a deep fascination and reverence for the ocean. This is a fact that is immediately apparent--everything from their moniker to their artwork to their track titles and band bio and beyond reeks of brine. I absolutely love a band with a singular focus, and when they play music this good, I can't help but sing their praises. Blackfin came out Jan. 3rd, and I haven't stopped listening yet. It is my favorite EP of 2024 thusfar.

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Genre-wise, I'm still not sure what to tag Into The Deep, and it is perhaps this inability to pigeonhole that has allowed their music to stand out from the pack so poignantly. They consider themselves "dive metal," a category that feels extremely accurate yet moderately unhelpful in explaining what exactly they sound like. There's certainly a subaquatic feel à la other overtly ocean-themed bands--Loggerhead's excellent Depths comes to mind. But again, not a useful descriptor. Indeed, if you are familiar with Loggerhead,  I salute you. Generally, though: Into The Deep makes excellent use of thick 90's alternative groove and heavy driving riffs, yet lean significantly into melodic territory. At times, there's a roiling aggression that feels closer to hardcore than anything. There's a yearning grungy angst, particularly in the husky vocals, and a distinct heft that I might classify as sludgy. There's some overt surf-rock flair--see the intro to the fantastic "Spaceshark." The songwriting itself is far from stagnant, bring a little progressive metal, well, progression. Perhaps it's because I revisited it recently, but I'm getting some Fortitude-era Gojira vibes from this EP, particularly in the vocal melodies. I know a lot of people didn't entirely enjoy said album, but I enjoyed it quite a bit, so consider the comparison a compliment.
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​Amidst the tracklist, there's a resounding consistency when it comes to theme. Whether illustrating crashing surf, warm equatorial currents, or abyssopelagic terrors, the oceanic vibes remain well-defined across the board. The continuity keeps everything moored, but none of the tracks herein feel confined or contained. There's space for movement and variety. And above all, Into The Deep demonstrate a very strong ability to inject their songs with viciously hooky moments. The choruses for "Blackfin," "Sandblasted," and the mighty "Hammerhead" have been permanently lodged in my head for, what, three months now? The stellar opening riff for "Seaweed" has been hanging out up there as well.
 
I feel like the lack of discussion I've seen around Blackfin is pretty much a result of timing--for whatever reason, no one seems engaged in new music during the first few weeks of the year. This EP deserves a lot more love, that's for sure. Personally, I'm glad it came out when it did, as it very quickly rose to the surface and snagged a spot in heavy rotation. I strongly suspect I'll continue listening all year long.

Into the Deep - Blackfin was released January 3rd, 2024. Find it here!

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Into The Deep can be found:
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