Skip to main content

The Sound of Drowning: Hunter Black - Self-Hatred (Track Review) Released: 5/27/22

 


Rising from Naperville, IL, Hunter Black (Hunter Borchardt) has carved out a powerful niche on TikTok with his 200k+ followers, and "Self-Hatred" showcases exactly why his voice resonates so deeply with so many people. Black isn't afraid to go to the darkest places emotionally, and that fearlessness makes for a genuinely compelling listening experience.

The production hits hard with metalcore energy that perfectly complements Black's dynamic vocal performance. He moves seamlessly between anguished spoken verses and those signature screams his TikTok fans know and love, creating a sonic landscape that's both intense and immersive. The repetitive chorus: "There is no safe place / There is no place for me to hide" works brilliantly to convey the cyclical nature of intrusive thoughts, showing a real artistic understanding of the subject matter. What makes this track stand out is its unflinching honesty. Black doesn't dress up his struggles or hide behind metaphors; he lays everything bare in a way that takes real courage. Lines like "My demons speak to me frequently / They remind me of my mistakes" capture the exhausting reality of living with mental health struggles with remarkable clarity. 

This kind of transparency is exactly what makes his work so valuable and relatable to his audience. For fans of Knocked Loose, Portrayal of Guilt, and early Bring Me The Horizon, the musical influence is undeniable. This isn't performative angst; it's genuine emotional expression that will deeply resonate with anyone who's experienced similar struggles. Black's total commitment to the material, both vocally and lyrically, creates moments of real catharsis. There's something powerful about hearing someone articulate feelings that are often kept silent, and Black does this with impressive conviction. The track serves as both personal expression and communal validation, reminding listeners they're not alone in their darkest moments.

"Self-Hatred"
represents important artistic work in the mental health conversation. Black is part of a growing movement of artists who refuse to sanitize or romanticize mental illness, instead presenting it in all its difficult reality. His willingness to be this vulnerable creates space for others to acknowledge their own struggles. While the intensity is relentless and the content is undeniably heavy, that's precisely what makes it effective. This is music as a survival mechanism, as documentation, as solidarity. For anyone familiar with Hunter Black's TikTok presence, this track is a natural and worthy evolution of his artistry. He's taking what works in short-form content and expanding it into a full musical statement. It's raw, it's real, and it's exactly what his audience connects with him for.


If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of self-harm, please reach out to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.

Here is Self-Hatred:



Go give him a follow on Instagram: Hunter Borchardt




Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Kentucky's Heavy Secret: Stormtoker - These Edibles Ain't Shit (EP Review) Released: 12/5/25

  Lexington, Kentucky, isn't exactly the first city that comes to mind when you think of the sludge and stoner metal underground, but Stormtoker seems intent on changing that. Their EP These Edibles Ain't Shit arrives like a slow, crushing wave of amplifier worship and chemically-assisted existential dread, and it makes a compelling case that the Bluegrass State has something mean and heavy brewing beneath its surface. Stormtoker is a fierce, impassioned force of nature, a band that feels like devout disciples of Ozzy Osbourne who came of age at the turn of the millennium but refused to let the roots of heavy metal die.  With sonic DNA tracing back to Cream, Hendrix, King Crimson, and even Arthur Brown, they summon an alluring sound that entrances as much as it pummels. This is a band equally at home in the sludge pit and the alt-rock headspace, a melodic restlessness running beneath the downtuned grime that keeps things unpredictable and owing as much to the 90s alternative u...

Brutal Descent into Darkness: Heliophilia - Fire, Borne Of The Sky (Track Review) Released 3/8/26

There's something genuinely impressive about a two-piece act that can conjure a wall of sound dense enough to feel like a full band assault, and that's exactly what Marinette, Wisconsin's Heliophilia accomplishes on "Fire, Borne of the Sky." Comprised of Michael Vandermuse and Kyle Bush, this underground metal duo has crafted a track that blends deathcore brutality, black metal atmosphere, and dark fantasy storytelling into something that feels far bigger than its two-person lineup would suggest.  From the outset, "Fire, Borne of the Sky" makes clear that this isn't going to be a conventional metal track. It opens with an eerie, synth-driven low-frequency atmosphere that immediately sets a tone of dread before the track explodes into cavernous, down-tuned guitar riffs and crushing drum work. That contrast between quiet menace and overwhelming heaviness becomes the song's defining structural choice, and it's one that Heliophilia leans into ...

The Peace Found on the Other Side of Fear: January - Good Day To Die (Track Review) Released: 7/10/26

  There's a particular kind of confidence that comes from a band that isn't trying to be anything other than what it is, and January's "Good Day to Die" has it in spades. Hailing from Quincy, Illinois, a river town that isn't exactly known as a hotbed for rock music, this trio plays Midwest rock in its purest, most unpretentious form. No gimmicks, no genre-hopping, no chasing whatever's trending this month. Just three musicians who know exactly what they're going for, and hit it dead center. That's not a small thing in 2026, when so much of guitar-driven rock feels like it's either nostalgia-baiting or trying too hard to sound "modern" by bolting on production tricks that don't belong. January doesn't seem interested in either impulse. "Good Day to Die" sounds like a band that grew up on classic rock radio and bar-band Saturday nights, filtered through whatever specific chemistry exists between these three people,...