Black Map

From day one, the members of San Francisco’s Black Map possessed one common goal. So what united singer and guitarist Ben Flanagan [Trophy Fire], guitar player Mark Engles [Dredg], and drummer Chris Robyn [Far] in 2013?

Well, the answer is simple. “The goal was to create a band that was really heavy and simultaneously beautiful, "Ben declares. “Mark and I were having beers one night, and we talked about creating a band that was heavier than anything else we had previously done before. The project set itself apart from that moment on. As a unit, we were collectively searching for that apex of heaviness and beauty at the same time.”

They find it on their full-length debut …And We Explode. Sharing a long history, Trophy Fire supported Dredg many times on the road with Ben even filling in as a touring guitarist, while both groups embarked on full tours with Northern California icons Far on more than on occasion. The three musicians clicked from the jump. Musically, a wall of distortion wraps around polyrhythmic percussion as Ben’s transfixing vocals instantly captivate. It ignites their career together and fuels this undeniably heavy journey.

The name Black Map suggests unexplored territory and uncharted waters. That’s precisely where these artists have gone, and they’ve found exactly what they were looking for at the start of the journey.

Highlights