Northern California Thrashers BLACK Confront Addiction and Loss on New Single “Practice of Suffering”

BLACK 'Practice of Suffering - Single' - Cover Photo

Sacramento, California thrash metal outfit BLACK are set to release their new single “Practice of Suffering” on May 29th, continuing the band’s long-running push through the underground metal scene with a track that takes aim at the brutal consequences of drug abuse, addiction, pain, and loss.

Established in 2006 by guitarist Rich Garcia Jr. and drummer Gregorio Jimenez Jr., BLACK formed in Sacramento, California and began carving out their identity with a sound rooted in aggressive thrash metal and West Coast heaviness. The band released their debut album ‘United States of War’ in 2013 and performed extensively in support of the record throughout the West Coast, sharing stages with acts including Death Angel, Lazarus A.D., Bonded By Blood, Archaic, and many more.

Sacramento, California thrash metal band **BLACK** continue their next chapter with the upcoming single **“Practice of Suffering.”**

Over the years, BLACK have gone through the kind of lineup shifts, setbacks, and rebuilds that test a band’s will to keep moving. After a brief hiatus in 2018, the band reset and pushed forward with a new lineup, later adding vocalist Don McMillan III of Habeas Corpus and Mind Furnace in 2019. The group entered Audio Edge Recordings in Sacramento with former Habeas Corpus guitarist Tom Jimenez, and in 2020 released the four-track EP ‘Untouched By Light’, which featured an appearance from Possessed lead guitarist Claudeous Creamer.

Like many bands, BLACK were hit hard by the COVID-19 shutdowns, canceling upcoming shows and dates with Pro-Pain and others across California. That same year also saw the departure of founding guitarist Rich Garcia Jr. due to ongoing hand and wrist issues. Still, the band kept building. Guitarist Erik Von Krauss of Dead in Seconds joined in 2021, and the band continued to evolve through additional lineup changes in the years that followed.

By 2023, BLACK returned to the stage in support of their single “CONCRETE,” later releasing a video recording of the track live at Goldfields in Roseville. The band continued performing throughout the West Coast with acts including Hatriot, Exmortus, The Iron Maidens, and Burning Witches, before pushing further into 2024 with appearances alongside D.R.I., various Bay Area artists, and The Accused. That same year, the band released the three-track EP ‘Torment Bleeds Inside’.

The current era of BLACK carries the weight of that history while pushing into something new. After founding drummer Gregorio Jimenez Jr. departed in November 2024, the band welcomed drummer Kenny Donovan of Cultural Warfare and Annihilation in December 2024. In 2025, the group returned to the stage, headlining various venues and taking part in a three-band bill that sold out Sacramento venue The Boardwalk in June. The band also released lyric videos for “Witness to Decay” and “I AM THE THORN” with Shaumbra ArtVisuals.

That same year, BLACK partnered with Imperative Music Agency and were featured on the agency’s 19th compilation CD, which included guest artist Kerry King. The compilation was sent to top magazines in Europe and the United States, with reviews highlighting BLACK as one of the promising bands featured on the volume. The band also appeared in a full interview with Germany’s Legacy Magazine through their partnership with Imperative Music Agency.

After the departure of bassist Kelley Brown in September 2025, BLACK welcomed bassist Mike Mendenhall of Ashbury Wrath in October 2025 and immediately returned to the stage as part of a celebration for Sacra-Metal Records. The label also featured the band’s track “Torment Bleeds Inside” on a double vinyl release spotlighting metal bands from the region.

Now, with a business partnership established with Imperative Music Agency in spring 2026, BLACK are continuing their next chapter with new music. Earlier this year, the band released “Embrace My Fall” on March 6, 2026, a single inspired by the Roman Emperor Caligula. With “Practice of Suffering,” the band shifts from historical darkness into something far more personal, modern, and painfully familiar.

The single artwork for “Practice of Suffering” immediately sets the tone, featuring syringes, blood-stained imagery, and the message: “Drug Abuse Has Consequences, Upon Our Family and Friends… The Addiction… Pain and Loss.” It is direct, uncomfortable, and impossible to ignore. That is exactly where this kind of thrash metal lives best — in the places people do not always want to look. Addiction does not just destroy the person caught in it. It tears through families, friendships, and everyone left trying to pull someone back from the edge.

BLACK take that pain and channel it into a message-driven thrash metal single that looks ready to hit with anger, grief, and warning all at once. “Practice of Suffering” feels like the kind of track built to confront the damage addiction leaves behind while still carrying the sharp, aggressive backbone fans expect from a band raised in the Northern California metal scene.

With nearly two decades behind them, BLACK are not some overnight act chasing a trend. This is a band that has survived lineup changes, injuries, cancelled tours, industry shifts, and the constant grind of the underground. They have shared the stage with respected names across the metal world, continued to release new material, and kept finding ways to push forward. “Practice of Suffering” is another step in that fight.

“Practice of Suffering” is scheduled for release on May 29th. The band looks ahead to more shows and festivals in 2026, with plans to enter the studio and record additional tracks for summer releases.