Black Map

San Francisco’s Black Map emerged in 2014 as a hard-hitting American trio blending progressive metal and hard rock, assembled by Dredg guitarist Mark Engles, Far drummer Chris Robyn, and Trophy Fire vocalist/guitarist Ben Flanagan. Their initial EP, Driver, arrived that same year and emphasized gritty vocals alongside heavily distorted guitars, yet the full-length debut ...And We Explode, issued eight months afterward on Minus Head Records, already displayed tighter hooks and more intricate prog-inflected riffs. By the 2017 release In Droves the group had shifted toward pristine melodic singing, layered detuned guitar parts shaped by multiple pedals, and sharply syncopated drumming rooted in progressive traditions; their 2022 album Melodoria pushed further into aggressive prog and alternative-metal territory.

The three musicians first convened while their main projects were paused and quickly realized they shared a strong affinity for collaborative songwriting. Critics responded positively to ...And We Explode, likening the material to A Perfect Circle, Deftones, and Chevelle. For the follow-up they signed with eOne and worked with producer Aaron Hellam on In Droves, which earned still wider acclaim and sent the band onto the festival circuit for roughly a year, accumulating more than 150 performances. During breaks they tracked three songs with Mike Watts on Long Island, New York, then added a fourth with Hellam back home; those pieces formed the Trace the Path EP, which leaned deeper into prog-metal textures. After touring through 2019 the pandemic halted activity in 2020.

The group reconvened in 2021, spending extended periods composing at their homes in San Francisco and later utilizing several Bay Area studios. Choosing to helm production themselves, they brought in Zach Ohren—known for his work with Machine Head, the Ghost Inside, and Set Your Goals—as co-producer and creative advisor. The single “Chasms,” issued that September on Minus Head, opened their ten-track album Melodoria the following year.