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You might think you know doom band Blackwater Holylight, but you don’t—or you don’t anymore at least. Blackwater Holylight is back for the first time in four years with three new songs and a cover that are a pretty significant step away from their previous material.

For a little context, Blackwater Holylight released three full-length albums between 2018 and 2021, all of which could safely be put in the hard rock and doom categories, with maybe a sprinkle of shoegaze and deathgaze here and there. And all of those records are very good. Blackwater Holylight was on an upward trajectory with their 2021 record Silence/Motion, which I’d argue was their best one to date. Then came four years of no new material—right up until this new EP, If You Only Knew.

Let’s be clear right up front: If You Only Knew is nothing like anything Blackwater Holylight has ever done, and I think the band is better off for it—not because the previous material is bad or anything like that (it’s certainly not), but because this EP just presents a more interesting direction for the band.

Before I get into the songs, I think it’s worth pointing out that If You Only Knew splits its production credits on both sides. So Blackwater Holylight is credited as the producer for all four songs across the EP, but then Side A’s tracks include additional production by Sonny DiPerri, and Side B’s tracks include additional production by Dave Schiffman.

Alright, so with all that in mind, let’s get into the EP. If You Only Knew starts off with some pretty calm electric piano and synth pads and some pretty lonely but very powerful vocals on the opener, “Wandering Lost.” That track slowly weaves in some quiet doom influences that really lend this vibe of clouds kind of rolling in. That vibe builds right up until the three-and-a-half-minute mark, where all of a sudden Blackwater Holylight‘s skies open to unveil these energetic claps of distorted thunder. At this point, “Wandering Lost” is now this rolling instrumental doom song before it all kind of quiets down a little bit and gets tied back together with the vocals.

“Wandering Lost” is especially cool in that the calmer parts are in kind of this swaying 4/4 time signature, whereas the heavier and more driving parts are in 9/4, grouped together in these off-kilter groupings of three. So it has this vibe of a light breeze that really evolves into a much heavier storm. And then when it all comes back to 4/4 toward the end and marries these two feels together, it’s just so satisfying and grand to hear. It’s such a great closing to the song.

Then you’ve got “Torn Reckless,” which is a little more straightforward. “Torn Reckless” goes heavy on the synthesizers, which actually handle the main hook of the song. And this whole track just feels like this more straightforward, Cranberries-styled rock song but viewed through the lens of a kind of hazy My Bloody Valentine shoegaze thing. If I had to pick a favorite song on If You Only Knew, I would without a doubt go for “Torn Reckless.” This song has such a dreamy, ethereal quality to it that’s held together by that sinewy synth sound, and I just—I really love it. I think they do such a good job on this track.

“Fate Is Forward” kicks off the second side of the EP, and it’s… it’s alright. I mean, considering how adventurous Side A was on this effort, I thought “Fate Is Forward” was a little bit of a flat spot. Not that it’s a bad song—it’s all this smoldering, spacious doom that any fan of Blackwater Holylight could want—but I didn’t find myself drawn to this song just as much as I did the rest. It just didn’t really stick in my head. But again, it’s not bad—just compared to everything else, definitely the weakest song on this effort.

And then the EP closes with a pretty faithful cover of “All I Need” by Radiohead, which feels like it mirrors the instrumentation and feel of “Torn Reckless.” Between “All I Need” and “Torn Reckless,” I think Blackwater Holylight would do well to include a lot more of that kind of spacey, shoegazey synth sound into future efforts, because they’re extremely good at it.

Lyrically, If You Only Knew is a bit of a bright spot in otherwise darker times. In an interview with New Noise Magazine, bassist and vocalist Sonny Faris said the EP’s concepts largely revolve around the idea of connection. In that interview, Faris said: “Lyrical themes are just that—community, mourning, bravery, connection, support, fear. We live in a broken country with broken systems and corrupt leaders, as much of the world does.

“These songs are about feeling connected to each other and the human experience as a whole. It’s to feel a part of something that’s inclusive and safe for everyone. Art and community are what’s going to keep us together, and it feels very important to be sharing that space right now.”

Overall, If You Only Knew consists of four very solid songs—well, two great ones, a decent one, and a cool cover. I think any open-minded fan of Blackwater Holylight who was into the band prior to this EP will definitely find a lot to love here, and I think any fan looking to hear a group of very talented songwriters branch out into new directions will also be plenty excited.

I’m also reasonably positive this will give Blackwater Holylight some new opportunities as well—in terms of who they might play with live, or just kind of branching out their fan base—because, again, this EP is not really like anything that they’ve done prior, but it is very good.

As far as an EP goes, I’d give If You Only Knew a solid 7 out of 10. This is the start of something cool for a band that I think, given more time and a longer format like a full album, could result in something excellent. I know Blackwater Holylight is currently working on a full-length, and I’m definitely excited to hear that. But in the meantime, this is a great opening of a new chapter. And again, I’m pretty excited for this band.