I found BlackKay, somewhere on the Internet and I’m so glad that I did. Rock and roll metal, like it used to sound. Kasia Bieńkowska, is a Polish vocalist, songwriter, and lyricist who has been a part of the alternative music scene for over a decade. She goes by the stage name of ‘BlackKay,’ and she and the band released their latest album, Vintage Soul, back in 2023. Her fierce ‘voice of modern rock, with the spirit of the 1980s’, is back delivering the kind of music I used to listen to during that era of metal rock.
You remember the ‘Spirit of the 80s?’ Quiet Riot, Scorpions, Def Leppard, Whitesnake and bands like AC-DC? That is what Kasia is bringing back to those who want to hear it. BlackKay is the founder and frontwoman of the acclaimed cover project “Still Of The Night – 80s Rock LIVE SHOW.” (“Still of the Night,” was the title of one of Whitesnake’s best albums, before they went too glam).
Kasia Bieńkowska and the band have been recording and making music since, 2020, under the name BlackKay. Kasia has been building her solo career, creating music at the crossroads of rock, glam metal, and hard rock. Her discography includes two studio albums: Aquarius, (2021) and Vintage Soul, (2023). The title track of Vintage Soul reached the TOP 5 of the TURBO TOP chart on Antyradio – Poland’s leading rock radio station.
Between 2017 and 2021, she performed as one of the leading vocalists in the “King of Rock’n’Roll” tours – tribute concerts, honoring Ronnie James Dio. For eight years, Bieńkowska was also the frontwoman and lyricist of the hard rock band White Highway, which released two EPs and one full-length album under the label Lynx Music.
Throughout her career, BlackKay has shared the stage with some of Poland’s most iconic rock artists, including Jary (Oddział Zamknięty), Wojtek Cugowski, Wanda Kwietniewska, Kuba Płucisz (IRA), and Marek Raduli.
Today, Kasia Bieńkowska performs live with her full band BlackKay, including members: Paweł Gromadzki, on lead guitar, and who is also a co-composer; Łukasz Łoboda, who plays bass; and Michał Tobjasz, who plays drums.
According to their press release: “A BlackKay live show is an unapologetic rock experience: the fire of the 80s infused with a modern edge and the raw charisma of a frontwoman who leaves no one indifferent. With a powerful voice, heavy riffs, and unforgettable hooks, BlackKay brings rock back to its purest form – exactly what today’s music scene has been missing.”
The album begins with “Smoke of Cigarettes.” A solid drum salute opens the song, before a well refined electric lead guitar solo fills the soundscape; with bass following closely. Kasia Bieńkowska sings, “I am singing, even though you are not here. I’m alive. All you gave me was smoke of cigarettes. You created these monsters inside. Go away!” Yeah, a tough break – up love song. The electric guitar soloing from Paweł Gromadzki is simply fantastic, and some of the best riffs I’ve heard in a while.
“Vintage Soul,” the title song, is over 4 minutes of perfect music! It opens with keyboards and bass, then soft drums. Kasia Bieńkowska sings, “Hey, you got a vintage soul. I see the fake in people. What kind of life do you wanna choose. And what to lose in your time? I heard you cryin’ when you killed your true love. That’s for money. Babe, you and I, free your mind, hear your voice. All these days, it’s the stage, stupid noise. Play your game, lie for free, that’s not me. That’s not what I wanna give. C’ause it’s all I wanna leave. Play the game. You are not my kind of soul. You are not my type of blood. You are not my pot of gold. You are not the vintage soul.” I think she said…NO! The music video supporting this song is magnificent.
“Wild Heart,” also has a great supporting music video. It opens with those powerful lead electric riffs that you remember from so many great rockers of the 1980s. Kasia Bieńkowska sings, “You got a wild heart. You gotta set it free.” A real, Heart- like rocker, like maybe the song, “Bad Animals.” Power lead guitar, bass, and drums. That’s all you needed back then. And a great singer. And Kasia Bieńkowska is that!
After all these break-up or ‘keep away,’ songs, Kasia Bieńkowska sings a nice love song, “Would.” It shows the softer side of her, with great piano and Kasia singing. “Summer breezes and city lights. I want to go back to these times. Would you mind me singing for you. I want to keep you deep inside. On a lonely summer night.” The lead electric guitar soloing and Kasia’s vocal incantations are wonderful.
“Żuj-Pluj,” translates to “Chew spit,” from Polish to English. (But maybe that is the dictionary clean translation. I think it could mean more). The song is sung in Polish, so I can’t tell you much more about it from there. But with that kind of title, Kasia’s tone, and those power drums and electric metal guitars; I doubt that this is a love song. Ha, ha.
If you have a vintage soul, like the band BlackKay; then their album, Vintage Soul, is well worth your time and money. It is a short look at a band that can deliver more powerful music. Their album will move fast, and like me, you will want more. Hopefully that is already in the works, with the band. So, for now, don’t miss what they have already offered and take yourself back to the glory of Whitesnake and others. Get BlackKay’ s Vintage Soul. Or, start diving into their back catalog; that I mentioned above. Either way, you can’t go wrong.
Album Track List:
Smoke of Cigarettes – 4:43
Vintage Soul – 4:21
Wild Heart – 3:06
Would – 3:17
Żuj-Pluj – 4:07
Band Website and Social Media Links:
https://www.facebook.com/BlackKayOfficial
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/blackkay/1553200296
https://app.chartmetric.com/artist/7057201
https://www.boomplay.com/songs/147938357
https://www.instagram.com/blackkay.music/?__d=1
YouTube and Music Video Links: