Black Pope Reveals Debut Album ‘White Smoke’

A ‘twisted horror anthology’ from the Berlin-based showman.

18 · 10 · 2024

Irish-born artist Black Pope has today released his debut album, ‘White Smoke’.

Lead singles ‘Black Love‘ and ‘She’s Alive’ kicked off the era, archetypal ’50s-leaning rock tracks rewriting and retooling adolescent love stories as evocative horror movies.

Speaking about ‘She’s Alive’, Black Pope says: “The title came to me while I was sprawled on the couch, deeply in love, watching Frankenstein (1931). For me, it’s a love song about resilience and the beauty of imperfections. In all the material I’ve written for Black Pope, there’s a thread of embracing darkness -whether that’s through trauma, flaws, or just living outside the lines. I see ‘She’s Alive’ as a continuation of that, but more extreme, unhinged, and full of contradictions.”

‘White Smoke’, produced by Grammy-winning producer Cian Riordan – known for his work with St. Vincent and Lana Del Rey – feels and sounds like the perfect seasonal offering; a dark, raucous collection of songs alluding to all manner of after-hours desires and nighttime creatures. Black Pope has a predilection for the sacred and the profane, for cinematic voyeurism in surf/art rock songs that survey themes of survival, transformation, defiance and the diaphanous veil between life and death.

Black Pope has steadily risen through the ranks, making waves with a standout appearance at Ireland Music Week, as well as opening for band of the year Fontaines DC. The enigmatic musician also premiered his self-directed video ‘Werewolf, Man’ at Rollberg Kino. Based in Berlin, Black Pope is known for his exhibitionism; his “high-energy performances, hip-shaking charisma” and an insatiable appetite for all things occult, arcane and mysterious.

Tune into ‘White Smoke’ below.

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