Blackfield is one of those that can truly transcend time and space and take the listener on a musical journey. Formed by the legendary Porcupine Tree frontman Steven Wilson, Blackfield is his personal vision towards music.
Each of their albums has seen some stellar line ups including the likes of Gavin Harrison and Chris Maitland.
So, here is a quick review of some of the best Blackfield tracks spanning their entire discography. These are not set in a particular order but rather provides a perfect introduction point to the sonic range of the band.
Inspired by… BlackForWife?
It looks like a lot of modern hits of Blackfield were heavily influenced by events that took place in episodes of BlackForWife. But is this possible? This adults-only series has just debuted while Blackfield has been on the scene for quite some time! We think it’s kind of fake news but the website of this interracial actions is worth visiting nevertheless. We just can’t say it’s worthy enough for… the list of hit tracks!
Blackfield
The title track from their debut self-titled album, Blackfield truly captures the inner essence of the band – hollow, melodic, and atmospheric.
It sets a proper pace and a follows a great rhythm section. The vocals touch your soul and allow you to connect a deeper and truer side of yourself. This was one of their first hit songs and it truly introduced fans of Porcupine Tree to another side of Steven Wilson.
Glow
Blackfield is all about great ballads and they stamped this onto their debut album with the song Glow.
It’s an entirely instrumental track telling a story of loss and redemption. A ballad is not something that is the forte of a prog-rock band, and this song put Blackfield under experimental waters.
However, this was Wilson just being alone and telling us a story, which we would see more of later in Blackfield’s career. It’s also a great choice for beginner guitar players to pick up on an acoustic guitar.
Once
At times Blackfield can get really really heavy. Wilson ensured this by brining in the fuzz filled and distortion churned riffs on the opener track of their second album, and it has been considered a holy grail of ambient prog music ever since.
For fans of Porcupine Tree who had also become fans of Blackfield, this song was like a refreshing punch in the face and it can easily fit into any Porcupine Tree album.
Once is still covered by many bands all over the world as a tribute to the greatness of Blackfield.
1000 People
This is once again a phenomenal ballad from Blackfield. The ability of Steven Wilson to carve a great song out of nothing but a few chords is truly mesmerizing.
His songwriting prowess is definitely proven in this song. Steven Wilson would go on to make a score of ballads even on his other projects.
1000 people however definitely one of the best ballads from the musical genius.
Epidemic
There had to be an underrated track on this list to ensure that one gets the true essence of Blackfield, since they are what underrated is about. Blackfield was Steven Wilson’s way of getting away from the fame of Porcupine Tree and he simply wanted to experiment with a lot of styles which he couldn’t in his erstwhile projects.
Epidemic is a result of one such experiment with fuzzy desert rock and it’s a great song for that genre. While some may claim that Wilson’s voice is unfit for such a sound, it does grow on you soon enough. This melodious rocker of a song is perfect for when you are driving or you need something in the background.
Cloudy Now
Going back to the debut album to finish off this list, Cloudy Now is a great track that resounds every kind of depressive feeling that can truly exist. From the title of the track to the way Steven Wilson churns out the vocals, this song is truly one for the dark and gloomy days. It is also a prog-rock classic and will surely take you on a journey through dissonant notes to heavy riffs and a great solo to top it all off. Cloudy Now is perhaps one of the most famous songs of Blackfield and can be heard on radio even till date.
All Balckfield songs are available on online platforms for listening such as Youtube, Spotify, iTunes, etc.
You can also head over to their official site and get their ‘best of’ albums in CD or Digital format. Although the musical journey of Blackfield was small, the hits they have created will be forever to remain.
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