Black Map - Melodria (2022) Hi-Res

On Black Map’s third full-length record, Melodoria, the California based group lock in on loud, catchy and technically intriguing radio-friendly songs. The three-piece, consisting of former members of Far, dredg and The Trophy Fire, walk the line between anthemic alt-rock and abrasive post-hardcore, landing somewhere in the vein of a more interesting Chevelle.

While their previous bands may have flirted with mainstream success—Far split up after their 1998 full-length Water & Solutions, just as their contemporaries in bands like Deftones and Tool began to take off; dredg’s El Cielo was a pinch too artsy for the early 2000’s alt-rock explosion; and The Trophy Fire’s poppy indie-rock may have been just a click late—Melodoria finds the trio rife for alternative-rock radio.

Across 43 minutes, drummer Chris Robyn, guitarist Mark Engles and bassist/vocalist Ben Flanagan play through deceptively creative songs. While on the surface, they may appear to be formulaic verse-chorus-bridge compositions, a deeper listen reveals more clever structures. Robyn’s snappy performance and tasteful fills fuel the spacey, delay-soaked guitars that soar along Flanagan’s groovy bass lines, leaving just enough room for a hook.

On opener “Chasms,” the three-piece cruise from a noisy verse to a catchy chorus and back with ease before breaking down into a palm muted chugga riff. And while “In The Wires,” conjures moments of ’90s rock staples Deftones and Filter, the acoustic intro to “Burnout (Do You Mind)” brings a Pink Floydian atmosphere to the album. It’s modern rock for the thinking man.

Flanagan’s voice is commanding and he offers up some truly memorable melodies, even when the lyrics might make you cringe (“Capture The Flag” features a refrain of “olly olly oxen free”). On “Super Deluxe,” the vocalist belts out the chorus, but plays it mellower on the transcendent, titular closing track. “Left For Dead,” a song built around his fuzzed-out bass line, even features some slick vocal harmonies.

Throughout the album, though, the band stays true to their sound, which is mostly rooted in Engles’ dredg. Melodria’s highlight, “Witching Hour” sounds as if it could have been a b-side to that band’s 2005 album Catch Without Arms. It’s mostly in the guitar player’s signature sound that the comparison exists, but it is that same spacey, ethereal crunch that is the foundation Black Map’s identity is based upon. And on their third outing, the band may have fully realized it.