Hex
Artist: Black Map
Genre: Alternative, Hardcore
Record Label: Spinefarm Records
Release Date: 9 May 2025
You might have arrived here following that sweet Dredg scent trail, in which case: congratulations. You clearly have excellent taste, a fondness for bands that are both emotional and slightly confusing for genre formalists, and I might even trust you to hold my pint. While Black Map do share guitarist Mark Engles with Dredg, this is more like spotting a familiar face in a dimly lit bar. You will recognise the very distinctive guitar work, but we’re dealing with a different beast entirely.
Black Map is what happens when members of Far, The Tropy Fire, and Dredg join forces and crank up the volume. Since forming in 2014, they’ve built a reputation for their high-energy rock, and their third album, Hex, keeps that momentum alive. Compared to their previous, more introspective Melodoria, Hex is punchier, immediate, driven by a sharper edge that channels the band’s intensity into a leaner, harder-hitting sound. Grunge-laced vocals cut through the mix, adding raw emotion and weight to an album that flexes its alt-rock muscle and lifts in a touch of prog ambition.
Hex barrels forward with relentless drive from the get-go. The opener “Disintegrate” really sets the anthemic tone, with vocals pushed right to the front and a chorus that feels custom built for arenas or at least, for blasting in your car while pretending your life has a soundtrack. The tracks that follow stay true to this impactful formula, and each one packs a punch and lands with intent. The album is hook-heavy, powered by sharp riffs, and a confidence that doesn’t let up. There’s a clear tightness and cohesion to the songwriting, with each song delivering just enough variation to keep things fresh while sticking to a structure. The pacing is lean, intensity is constant, production is clean but not sterile, and every chorus feels built to be shouted back at full volume.
That said, Hex doesn’t give you much room to breathe. It charges at you from song to song, relentlessly leaning into massive, melody-rich refrains that demand your attention. There is little time for subtlety, as each one lands hard and sticks, leaving hardly any reflection space before the next one comes crashing in. It’s a full-throttle, riff-guided ride from start to finish. Even “Tethered”, which hints at being the album’s slower moment, still hits pretty hard. It sure makes for a high-octane listen, but might be best consumed in smaller bursts rather than as a straight-through listen. Hex feels like it was written with each track standing on its own, raising questions about how we experience albums today. Still, it’s striking, polished, and full of force. Just don’t forget to come up for air.