Black Taj is composed of one-half of 90's guitar mind-benders Polvo who have reformed after a decade to play All Tomorrow's Parties in May 2008.

“Imagine Ted Nugent getting hired to write a soundtrack to Mahfouz’ ‘Adrift on the Nile’. It’s that good and that meaty” - STOP SMILING

“Incandescent acid rockers Black Taj unleash a furious barrage of swirling psychedelia on their impressive sophomore album…Their riff-heavy twin guitars are nothing short of breathtaking… Lesser bands could build entire careers out of some of the motifs these boys throw away”
- SKYSCRAPER

Seven sessions. Five years. As many studios. These were the makings of Black Taj's eponymous debut released by Amish Records. A true labor of love, 2005 saw this first minaret rise in the face of distance, hardship, even the band's often cripplingly restless muse. While still below the establishment's radar their self-titled debut continues to convert and reward those intrepid enough to explore it. Edified but un-sated by their accomplishment, a far more alacritous Taj commenced work on their follow-up in February 2007 at Carrboro's Track & Field studio and, barring a July session at Quanic studios in July and some autumn mix tweaking (old habits die hard), Beyonder (AMI 029) was tracked in just five days.

While not strictly a reaction to the sprawling, patchwork origins of its predecessor, Beyonder nonetheless places a premium on sonic immediacy. To be sure, fans of the first album's more epic numbers will find much to enjoy in the twists and turns of "Fresh Air Traverse," and the building, layered grooves of "Cold Comfort," to say nothing of the latter's monstrous chorus. However, a stated aim of the session was to bring a looser structuring to the usual meticulous Taj songcraft, which meant letting guitar tone dictate the form of such learn-it-and-burn-it numbers as "L.A Shift" and the "no overdubs allowed!" incendiary instrumental jam "Spacewash" (although a lead line did sneak on during re-entry, again, old habits die hard).

In a final departure from the monolithic form of their earlier work, Beyonder showcases a more quiet and introspective Black Taj. Midway through the album the boys bring things down with the melancholy "Damascus," while the album's closing medley features the band's quietest effort to date, in the wistful, lilting lines of "Little Child.” To describe the tracks that bookend Beyonder perhaps reveals too much, but suffice to say that when Black Taj starts strong, they mean to finish even stronger.

Different states of mind, different states of residence (NY, NC, D.C.), these and other obstacles are integral to Black Taj, but thankfully so is their inimitable chemistry, their original, engaging, and memorable songcraft, and their ability to lay down the real rock. In making this record, they set out to tackle what seemed to be a contradiction—to make an album more focused, yet more diverse, than their first, and Beyonder accomplishes on both ends. Eight years and countless miles later, the second minaret of Black Taj is standing tall. When the third or fourth will rise is anyone's guess, but one thing is certain—your dome deserves to be lifted by it.

A true force of nature onstage, Black Taj, Dave Brylawski- guitar, Grant Tennille- guitar, Thomas Atherton- drums, Steve Popson- bass, has toured with Trans Am, the Fucking Champs, Birds of Avalon, The Cherry Valence, among others. The members of Black Taj have previously played in Polvo (Brylawski and Popson), Idyll Swords (Brylawski and Tennille) and recorded for an array of labels, including Merge, Touch and Go, Communion and Three-Lobed.