Critically acclaimed in their home country of Belgium and now garnering rave reviews here in the states, singer and guitarist Jan Paternoster alongside drummer Dries Van Dijck are The Black Box Revelation. They make a lot of noise for a duo as they churn out a unique brand of groove oriented garage rock and a wall of sound that would make Phil Spector envious.
They’ve spent more than half of 2011 in the states touring with the likes of Beady Eye, The Meat Puppets, along with stops at Bonnarroo and SXSW. They are priming US audiences for their first full length record, My Perception, which they spent six weeks recording in Hollywood with producer Alain Johannes (Queens of the Stone Age).
Not having a bass player would be a challenge for most bands but not for this adventurous duo. Drummer Dries Van Dijck explains, “We have it covered. Jan (Paternoster) uses more amps and I use big floor drums.”
Frontman Jan Paternoster agrees and prefers a duo. “It’s our way of freedom. We are always trying to get more dimensions and different sounds out of our music.” The band have only played with a bass player one time. “Cris Kirkwood (The Meat Puppets) joined us on stage for two nights to play bass on the last song of our set “Sealed With Thorns,” says Paternoster.
The one thing that The Black Box Revelation wants the U.S. to know is that they are a must see live band. “We try to be in the states as much as possible, we’ve spent half of the year in the U.S. already, says Paternoster. He adds, “We are really proud of the new record that is coming out, but I think the real deal is to see us live.”
So how does such a young duo, Paternoster is 22 and Van Dijck only 21, churn out such classic sounding jams? “We believe in reincarnation, that we always go to the next life, explains Paternoster. He continues, “we have old souls with young bodies.”
The recently released Shiver of Joy EP is the first taste that U.S. audiences and the perfect introduction to the band. The EP features two new b-sides from the upcoming album My Perception (due out in early 2012). It also includes two tracks from their critically acclaimed Belgium debut, Set Your Head on Fire, and two tracks from their equally acclaimed 2010 Belgium release Silver Threats.
The Shiver of Joy EP is currently available as on limited edition black and yellow bumblebee vinyl and as a limited edition transparent green 12″. These guys are going to be the next big buzz band in 2012 so I suggest you get ahead of the curve.
What are your thoughts on the first single “High on a Wire”? Have you seen the band live yet? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
