ALBUM REVIEW: Black Opal – ‘Divine Accusations’

Over these last few years, Belfast-based newcomers Black Opal have been busy building and cultivating their sound. Taking cues and influences from the alt-rock powerhouses of the 1970s and 80s, the band have rebranded their direction for a modern ear, but still prefer to wear their inspirations firmly on their sleeves. And with a few years worth of live shows now under their belts, they have unveiled themselves to the wider world with their infectious debut album ‘Divine Accusations’, a record brimming with power and finesse.

Across its sprawling twelve-track runtime, Black Opal are keen to make their initial full-length as varied and impactful as possible. With each rack adopting its own driven atmosphere and engaging hook as often as possible, ‘Divine Accusations’ makes a hell of an entrance for the Northern Irish outfit. Bustling with killer riffs and an explosive production throughout, they have arrived on the new music scene with a vibrant introduction to their dynamic direction so far.

While things are still very much in their infancy for them right now, ‘Divine Accusations’ sits as a firm message of intent for their future ambitions. Moving with this swaggering groove from start to finish, they are certainly a name to keep a firm eye on for the future as well