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RELEASED: July 9, 2007
PRODUCER: Devin Townsend
LABEL: Victory Records
BAND: John Henry
Kris Norris
Mike Schleibaum
Paul Burnette
Ryan Parrish |
+
Guitar acrobatics, tight musicianship, good variety
-
Vocals are a bit monotone, old fans might not appreciate change, ultra-scooped production |
TRACKS:
1.Doomsayer (The Beginning of the End) (4:33)
2. Sanctuary (2:13) 3. Demon(s) (3:49)
4. An Ethereal Drain (3:57) 5. A Paradox With Flies (4:26) 6. The Light at the Edge of the World (1:43 7. Stand and Receive Your Judgement (2:38) 8. Tunguska (5:32) 9. Fire in the Sky (3:19)
10. Full Imperial Collapse (2:40) 11. Deliver Us (4.47) |
OVERVIEW
Over the past 5 years, Washington, D.C.’s Darkest Hour have undergone an almost 180-degree metamorphosis, evolving from a pissed-off above-average metalcore-punk band into a highly technical melodic metal outfit, mostly due to guitarists’ Kris Norris and Mike Schleibaum’s seriously developed shred skills – and these two were hardly slouches to begin with. Although Darkest Hour still has plenty of hardcore punk and death metal influence at play here, they’ve shifted to a much more technical style that recalls players like John Petrucci and Marty Friedman. Sweep picking galore, arpeggios everywhere, and more alternate-picking riffs than you can shake a stick at – make no mistake, this is definitely not the same Darkest Hour that made albums like “The Sadist Nation”. Well, I mean, obviously, it is, but they’ve almost completely overhauled their style since those days, and arguably for the better.
My favorite aspect of this album is that not only has Darkest Hour succeeded in playing much more technical music, but this time around they’ve succeeded in writing a commendably diverse bunch of tunes that run the gamut from melancholy instrumentals to furious modern thrash, and they easily pull off one style just as well as the next. DH’s newfound technical prowess is seamlessly integrated into their sound and only used to enhance the songs, which beats the heck out of the shameless chop-job wankery a lot of bands are putting out these days.
SONGS
After an almost misleading, ominous intro, “Doomsayer” blasts off as a study in using tempo for maximum heaviness, and already Kris and Mike are hard at work running a Maiden-style riff clinic, with stellar results. “Sanctuary” is another favorite of mine, with its almost-melodic chorus, and “Demon(s)” winds up being one of the softer cuts on here, but that’s not saying much, and this one’s definitely a good choice for a single. “An Ethereal Drain” puts the drummer Ryan Parrish’s lightning-quick feet on display, and not to be outdone, both guitars send the song out with a sweep-fest that might even put a grin on Michael Romeo’s face. “A Paradox With Flies” is another highly technical Extol-style thrash melded with an almost sing-along chorus, and “The Light At The Edge Of The World” is probably the album’s biggest curveball yet, as the melancholy, minor-key melodies wouldn’t be too out of place as a ballad on the latest Demon Hunter or 36 Crazyfists album. “Stand And Receive Your Judgement”, however, is nothing less than a pulverizing, rage-driven modern thrasher that completely obliterates anything in it’s path, and it’s almost easy to overlook the commendable technicality in the face of this song’s everything-to-11 aggression – this is as close to the style DH played on “The Sadist Nation” as they’re ever going to get again. “Tunguska” fits right in with songs like “Paradox”, and “Fire In the Skies” is another favorite of mine, with what’s easily one of their best choruses ever and a ripping solo to boot. “Full Imperial Collapse” almost sounds like a more straightforward Converge, and at 2:40, it’s short enough to serve as a quick adrenaline shot before the lightning-speed title track sends things home in style.
CONCLUSION
Honestly, this album wasn’t one that really jumped out at me on the first couple listens, especially since the last I heard from Darkest Hour was their more hardcoreish stuff, but after a few spins, this disc really starts to impress. After giving this one a while to sink in, I have to say it’s no wonder that Darkest Hour has come as far as they have.
Review
by Matt Rewinski
