You can create all the sickening riffs and guitar tones you want, but if you don’t have the songwriting skill, you’re just another one of the dozens of deathcore pretenders desperate to become the next big thing. Gatineau, Quebec band Blackdog are fully aware of that reality, and their new EP Change Your Dreams With Mine balances aggression and introspection with the confidence of a veteran act. By finding a middle ground between hardcore, extreme metal, and ambient music, Blackdog are eager to challenge convention in a genre susceptible to blind imitation. When you’re slamming in the pit, you need the odd moment for a breather, and these guys know exactly how to use dynamics to get the most out of a brutal breakdown.
We’re happy to premiere the title track for the new EP, which you can stream below, and we also caught up with keyboardist/songwriter Samuel Cousineau to learn more about Blackdog and the new record.
Since our readers probably don’t know who you are, please tell us about yourselves!
Samuel Cousineau: We are four guys out of the Gatineau/Ottawa metal scene. We’ve been in bands since high school, played shows across Quebec and Ontario, we are very passionate about what we do. The road is a bumpy one in the metal scene and we have encountered a lot of ups and downs together. We are super dedicated to our art and we put everything that we are into it. We bonded over our common desire to build something good, something different with Blackdog. We all love and listen to a lot of different music so despite our common goals, we all have different visions and different ideas to put into the final result. That diversity of ideas is something that we strongly put to use into our creative process and it is something that we think is one of our advantages. Long story short, we are four very motivated and passionate guys that have a story to tell and we want to do everything in our power for you to hear it.
What bands are Blackdog’s biggest influences?
Our writing is mainly influenced by Loathe and Knocked Loose. Their ability to fuse ambient textures with raw unrelenting heaviness inspires us deeply. We take that same balance, the contrast between atmosphere and intensity and channel it into our own writing, creating a sound that vibrates and resonates with us.
Having influences from different genres is nothing new in music but we feel like what we’re doing is more than that. We don’t define ourselves into something specific, we don’t put boundaries and we don’t stop ourselves with rules. We want to create something that will make you go “Wow”. Every time. We’re always looking for new ways to incorporate something special into every song. There are no blueprints for what we’re doing and what we want to accomplish, we’re just trying to push the bar higher and we want that to be demonstrated in everything that we do.
Please tell us about “Change Your Dreams With Mine.”
“Change Your Dreams With Mine” closes out the EP and represents a turning point for us. Sonically, we wanted it to feel like a release, heavy and powerful, but also layered with atmosphere to capture both struggle and acceptance. The lyrics are deeply personal, reflecting on loss and the idea of trading places with someone you care about, just to ease their pain. It’s about acceptance, but through the lens of heaviness and emotion colliding.
What do you think adding more atmospheric touches brings to your music?
The atmospheric elements allow us to push beyond just being heavy for the sake of it. They bring a sense of space and emotion that makes the aggression more meaningful. It’s about dynamics, tension and release, calm before the storm. By layering ambience with intensity, we can create something that feels immersive, almost like a journey, rather than just a barrage of sound. That balance is what makes the heaviness resonate on a deeper level.
What’s next for the band? Do you have any plans to tour in the near future?
Right now, our focus is on sharing Change Your Dreams With Mine with as many people as possible. We’ve been writing, and there’s already new material taking shape that pushes even further into the balance of heaviness and atmosphere. As for touring, it’s definitely on our radar — we want to take these songs to the stage and let people experience the energy firsthand. Nothing beats the connection of a live show, and that’s the next step for Blackdog.
Change Your Dreams With Mine will be released on November 5, 2025. Pre-save it here.
The post Track Premiere: Blackdog, “Change Your Dreams With Mine” appeared first on Decibel Magazine.