If there’s one thing in this crazy world and time constant, it’s that Blankfile is always working at maximum horsepower. So it was during Covid 19 quarantine. Yes, you didn't see them live at the gigs, but that's why the life of that band behind the "eyes of the stage" was in full swing. The band has prepared a new release called "Truth Be Sold" (EP), which is more or less signed by an eminent production duo from America.
While a large number of musicians from more popular music genres complain about the lack of "stalls", it can be said that bands of alternative music niche, especially hardcore / metal, accustomed to constant struggle and coping, go through this crisis period much more "prepared". It is clear that people who choose to play this type of music do so out of love and no "stalls" and the lack of a stable income will not disturb them. Because, to be honest, there never were. Who knows why it's so good.
Blankfile, a band from Belgrade that has been working tirelessly on the domestic undreground scene for 12 years, has gone to a kind of extreme. In the age of general stagnation, he was not only another resourceful alternative band, but he planned to bounce one level above this year and he is well on his way to success. Namely, the boys recorded a new 6-track, in the middle of the process they were left without a drummer (nice occasions are in question, prim.aut. Newcomers in the family), and greatly changing the approach to the process of creating music and music in general, changed style in every sense and in the end - signed the production of these songs with an eminent duo from America, who is under the auspices of their The Brick Hit House, is considered the top shelf of the world production of hardcore metal-punk music. The guys from the band think that it is a big deal and that this segment was the last part that is missing in order to make "Truth Be Sold" the most monumental project of their work so far. And, as they say, according to the first announcements, it couldn't have turned out better.
And why is it such a big deal?
Shane Frisbey runs the aforementioned studio and personally listened to the Blankfile demo and agreed to be the producer on that release. Well, now, take into account that the same character did the last album Lionheart (Valley of Death) before that, so compare the size and reputation of both bands and it will be clear to you that Blankfile is not joking this time. And Shane recognized that.
Let's turn the other side of the coin now. Can you name one hardcore band that dared to make such a step forward, let alone realize it? Very justified and realistic, you can't count them on the fingers of one hand, if you can at all. The life of such a band in Serbia is coping and a bunch of sacrifices out of pure love, so that a large number of bands wear out one or the other before they manage to reach this level. Again, very reasonable and justified. Fortunately, there are a lot of talented people in Serbia, so with all the effort, an edition is pulled out here and there that can stand side by side with world bands of that genre, but somehow something is always missing ... Blankfile wanted to throw that consolation " something ”from the comparison, and he is on his way to becoming completely equal and measuring himself with all the bands relevant to them ... we will see if he succeeded. And not only is it good because it will be a step forward for them as a band, but for our entire underground shadow, which will now be able to dare and go that way more easily, because, if nothing else, at least one door is open - to some there, big faces from around the world were given knowledge about unpopular bands from even more unpopular Serbia. Because, let's not lie, hardcore and punk did not appear in this area, so the relevance of the release correlates with that. In the new time of oversaturation of the inflow of information of different qualities, relevance is a resource worth gold. Blankfile signed his relevance when Shane and Peter submitted their first mix.
And the final run follows. They say from the band, sometime in the fall of 2020. They also add that they see working with TBHH as a significant upgrade, but not a decisive factor. The songs themselves are the alpha and omega of everything that will follow in this project of theirs. They only hint that for the first time in their work, the songs are equally the ambition and realization of each member of the band. The previous releases were a little less concise, so everyone in the band had "their" song, and at this EP it was as if everyone, finally, found themselves at the same point to which they had converged all this time. And musically, and especially lyrically, as they say. The second most important factor of this whole story is that Blankfile recorded and prepared the new songs in cooperation with the local team from the Piranha studio in Kruševac. Pirki from Piranha Studio knows Blankfile in every drum beat, every guitar jerk and spoken word, and at the same time, the equipment of his studio is world-class, so with all the above, it is not surprising that Blankfile decided for such an important project without hesitation. to leave the recording job to the "piranhas". The production and the recording can often "quarrel", but that was not the case in this combination. When he got the raw footage, Shane only briefly commented, "This shit rocks!"
Which brings us to a crucial issue. Will the new Blankfile tear? Top-notch footage and world production are guaranteed. If we take all the above collections into account, not that it will tear, but that it should blow ... but let's wait. Let's not indulge in euphoria. Not because we are the classic "you don't care about anything" Srbenda and because we don't believe that Blankfile managed to do only the biggest thing for the band, and maybe even the stage ... but, let the guys surprise us. So far they have not failed.