These days Heavy Metal is seemingly being overtaken by bands that play ‘heavy’ music, yet have the vocals of a well groomed, well mannered, slightly feminine male who’s about as pissed off as a sunbathing millionaire on holiday in Barbados. But, for every 5 bands that play this form of shoddy, piss-poor pop metal, there’s a band that are undeniably pissed off, and not afraid of showing it. Enter Darkest Hour, a band who certainly fall into the latter category, and, with massive balls and huge amounts of talent, are set to release their seventh album, The Human Romance.
Whilst, on the surface, this is everything you would expect from a Darkest Hour record, the riffs are ferocious, the solos are typically excellent and the pace is surging enough to make walls look exceptionally punchable. But, this time around however, John Henry has managed to encapsulate a lot more bounce and hook into his vocals; songs like Savor the Kill and Love as a Weapon are clear indications of a band heading down a much more accessible path, providing enough gruff and melody without ever giving away an ounce of the heaviness. If you liked the way DevilDriver andLamb of God brought hooks to their latest albums, then The Human Romance may float your boat in a very similar fashion.
Another plus point found throughout the course of the album is the structures, the band balances every aspect perfectly, there’s plenty of light to complement the shade and never does it overstay its welcome or become dull and boring. The musicianship is typically outstanding, the aggression is as present as ever – which is slightly ironic given the nature of the album art and title – and the band even manage to pull off a half decent 8 minute instrumental. Overall, this is simply another solid Darkest Hour record, occasionally a few of the songs do little to stand out from the next and if you’ve heard a Darkest Hour album before then you already have a rough idea of what to expect. It won’t be the best album you’ll hear this year, but it’s certainly another step forwards to an album that shall eventually lead them to the heights they rightfully deserve; it’s only a matter of time, surely?
Ross Hunt
For Fans of: DevilDriver, Fear Factory, Lamb of God and Parkway Drive
Album Highlights: Savor the Kill, The World Engulfed In Flames and Your Everyday Disaster
