When the women of Blackwater Holylight left their hometown of Portland OR threeyears ago, their mission was to escape the gloom of the Pacific Northwest and theplacating comfort of familiarity. Aiming for the sunnier climes of LA, the band foundthemselves not only in a warmer environment, but in a blank slate landscape—onewithout jobs, longtime friend groups, and the easy retreat of old habits. And it was here,unencumbered by the contentment of security, that Blackwater Holylight began diligentlyworking on their fourth full-length album, Not Here Not Gone. As with their previous work, Not Here Not Gone explores the duality of light and dark—menacing riffs provide the bedrock to beguiling melodies; dense walls of shoegazeguitars pair with lighter-than-air synths; and heavy subject matter is delivered by sirensong vocals. Across their work, the listener gets a sense of empowerment at one turn,vulnerability the next. As drummer Eliese Dorsay describes it, “some songs we’re thepredator, and some songs we’re the prey.” The juxtaposition of confidence anduncertainty is never in as such stark relief as when one makes a life changing decision,which may explain how the band’s relocation intensified their study in contrasts tointoxicating new heights on Not Here Not Gone. The title is the perfect description of the band’s adjustment. “It’s one foot in, one footout,” vocalist and guitarist/bassist Sunny Faris explains. “It’s about how you can losepeople in your life but still have their presence and energy around you.” And indeed,listening to Not Here Not Gone, you get the distinct sense that Blackwater Holylightdragged some of the Northwest gloom down into Southern California. The openingchords of “How Will You Feel” are drenched in the muddy weight of perpetually overcastskies. But a Jacob’s Ladder of light shines through the scuzzy guitars in the form ofFaris’ lilting vocals and Sarah McKenna’s blissed-out ambient synth work, guiding thelistener out of the mire and into the garden. Even in their heaviest moments, like the sludgy psychedelia of “Bodies” and “Spades,”Blackwater Holylight masterfully sculpt the thunder and grime into something that feelstranscendental. Lead single “Heavy, Why?” is perhaps the apex of the band’s masterfulduality and an appropriately titled examination of the ensemble’s methods. MikaylaMayhew’s low, dirge-like riff and Dorsay’s propulsive drums could easily find a home inthe catalog of an amp-worshipping Roadburn act, but Faris’ fragile vocals transform thecomposition into a question, a pointed and probing examination that uses beauty andgrace to offset the threatening instrumentation. In one of the biggest stylistic shifts of the album, the instrumental track “Giraffe” churnsout a hallucinatory blend of woozy keyboards and pulsating bass over a beat providedby David Andrew Sitek (TV on the Radio, Run the Jewels, Solange). The song servesas a dividing line of sorts, as Not Here Not Gone shifts gears into even more nuancedterritories. The band asserts that the primary change to their music has been theaddition of time. On previous albums, youthful urgency yielded material that feltimmediate and direct. But on Not Here Not Gone, Blackwater Holylight deliberatelyslowed their creative pace. “If there were to be a theme to the album, it would bepatience,” says Faris. “Some of these songs we’ve been working on for three years, justgiving the songs time to breath and develop while we were exploring a new place andnew lives.” It’s especially evident on the latter half of the album, where tracks like “Voidto Be,” “Fade,” and “Mourning After” deliberately eschew the big riff in favor of feverdream melodies and layered instrumentation. But forever savoring the paradox, thealbum’s final track was composed just days before the band entered the studio.“Poppyfields” is a harrowing account of a friend losing their home in an LA wildfire, setagainst a backdrop of blast beats, double kick drum, symphonic synths, and blackmetal-inspired guitars. In what feels like a counterweight to the album’s general tilttowards less tormented territories, “Poppyfields” serves as a stark reminder that noparadise is permanent, and everything will be reborn through ashes. Not Here Not Gone was recorded at Sonic Ranch outside of El Paso TX by SonnyDiperri (Narrow Head, DIIV, Emma Ruth Rundle), allowing the band to once again stepoutside of their comfort zone and isolate themselves in a place where they could focusexclusively on their art. The result is the crown jewel of Blackwater Holylight’s catalog—a rich and immersive study in tonal chiaroscuro, where light finds its way out of theshadows. Suicide Squeeze Records is proud to release Blackwater Holylight’s Not HereNot Gone to the world on Limited Edition Deluxe LP, standard LP, and CD on January30, 2026.

SOM released their third full-length album, Let The Light In, on March 14th 2025 via Berlin left-field label Pelagic Records. With a unique sound dubbed “Doom Pop” by Metal Injection, SOM’s dreamy shoegaze roots are on display across Let The Light In, but there is heft at its core that’s bracing and ferocious. If the band’s debut album The Fall explored hitting rock bottom, and sophomore release The Shape of Everything grappled with the ever-darkening world around us, Let The Light In sees SOM turn their sights inward, towards our most primal impulses; seeking solace and reconciliation from the vibrancy within ourselves and the people we hold close. Since 2019, SOM have toured extensively across North America, Europe and the UK alongside acts including Katatonia, Sólstafir, Slow Crush, Holy Fawn and many more. This relentless live commitment across 21 countries, and the subsequent restructuring of the band during that time, profoundly altered their creative approach. As they began working on this new material, the members of SOM found themselves in a fresh headspace, armed with a newfound, hard-earned maturity. Let The Light In is SOM's testament to resilience and evolution. Born from challenge and change, the album pulses with confidence and catharsis, imploring the listener and the band themselves to traverse the darkness and find the light.