In the Randomised Record series, I take us both on an adventure to (re)discover my record collection. Fate decides: whether it be that obscure grunge album I bought recently or that emo rap record from 2017. Nothing is safe from the hands of the randomiser! I will listen to the entire album and highlight my favourite song off of it here on the blog. Do I still enjoy my records as much as when I bought ‘em? Let’s find out. Today, episode 13: ‘Black Coast’ (2023) by Black Coast.

Those that have been closely following this blog over the last few months might be familiar with the story surrounding this record already. In short: I went to see Love Is Noise in February this year, got impressed by their support act and found myself listening to that specific band ever since. That support act was Black Coast, a grungy nu-metal band from England’s Stoke-on-Trent. Though I had never heard of ‘em before attending this gig, I would swiftly fall in love with this group and only a mere few hours after seeing them live, I had ordered myself this piece of vinyl.

Black Coast’s self-titled 2023-release is one of only a few Extended Plays in my collection. Only holding 5 songs, I’m pleased I was able to secure myself of a 12” copy of this piece. I’m not the biggest fan of 10” records (I just don’t have a proper place for ‘em in my collection), therefore I only tend to buy EPs if they come in 12” format. Coming home from that specific gig in February, I opened my Spotify to have a closer listen to this group and lo and behold: one single song convinced me to buy this EP. I was simply blown away by ‘CHAINS’, one of Black Coast’s most popular songs, and its blend of full-blown modern nu-metal combined with lead singer Charlie Hewitt’s stellar vocals. Truth be told, the fact that Black Coast sold this EP for only 8 pounds on their website made my choice even easier but a few months later, it’s safe to say: this purchase didn’t disappoint. After the record finally arrived, I played the thing a few times and immediately realised I made a great decision. Each of the 5 songs on this EP are straight-up bangers, with the aforementioned single as the cream of this album’s crop. I’ve already highlighted some of Black Coast’s songs on the blog this year but are wholeheartedly looking forward to a potential second album. If it sounds just as impressive as this EP, we sure are up for a treat.