Black Oak County – Misprint

Black Oak County
Misprint
Label: Mighty Music
Out: 10^th April 2026
Playing time: 41:15

With “Misprint”, Danish hard rock outfit BLACK OAK COUNTY delivers their most focused, aggressive and emotionally charged album to date.

At least that’s what the press release claims. The award-winning band from Esbjerg (Denmark) was founded in 2012. They have released numerous singles and three albums to date, with their latest album, ‘III’, coming out in 2024. In the past, they have toured with bands such as D-A-D and The Dead Daisies. And in April and May, they will be headlining in Germany and Denmark to present their latest work, ‘Misprint’.

The album kicks off with the first single release, ‘Kill The Pain’. It’s a very heavy start. Hard riffs dominate. The chorus literally explodes. ‘Lyrically, the song confronts the growing division, violence and dehumanisation dominating modern society’. That’s what it says in the short press release. ‘Rock’n Roll’ is also characterised by heavy riffs. However, it is very rhythmic. The chorus also invites you to sing along. There is a strong guitar solo. “Vertigo” starts off a bit more unwieldy. The vocals are technically distorted in places. The tempo picks up in “Around The Sun”. Drummer Mike Svendsen really drives his bandmates forward. In contrast, the Metal anthem ‘Starlight’ is melodic and catchy. Shrill guitars introduce ‘Kiss & Tell’. Later, hard riffs are accompanied by powerful drums. In ‘Fade’, the riffs are even harder and the vocals are rougher than before. This contrasts somewhat with the catchy chorus. Where it says ‘Energy’, there is also energy. Hard drums, a powerful bass line and ever-present riffs are livened up by ‘ohohoh’ vocalises. The riffs and rough vocals in ‘Sick And Tired’ are fast paced. There are also some weird-sounding guitar licks. But here, too, the chorus sounds melodic. ‘Before I Break’ picks up the pace even more at the beginning. Calmer moments are also incorporated again and again. ‘Landmine’ maintains the fast pace, driven by drums and guitar riffs. The closing track, ‘The Shadow’, once again offers a mix of relentless heaviness, melodic vocals and guitar melodies, and a thrilling rhythm.

After listening to ‘Misprint’ several times, I can certainly understand the assessment in the press release. I can’t really say whether it’s actually the band’s most aggressive and emotional album. But the Danes do indeed give free rein to their aggressive side. Despite all the brutal riffs, Black Oak County always manages to incorporate beautiful melodies. The songs are perfect for getting fans fired up at concerts.

Black Oak County – Kill The Pain: https://youtu.be/aZQppn1B9Dc?si=IjG1yKlzUjd3LypU

Lineup:

Niels Beier – Guitar, Vocals
René Kristensen – Bass, Vocals
Jack Svendsen – Guitars
Mike Svendsen – Drums

Track list:

• Kill The Pain
• Rock’n Roll
• Vertigo
• Around The Sun
• Starlight
• Kiss & Tell
• Fade
• Energy
• Sick And Tired
• Before I Break
• Landmine
• The Shadow