The Darkness are at their best when they're eclectic, their albums such as Hot Cakes and Pinewood Smile for me are the ones that really stand out. In a catalogue and a pigeonhole of blasting out big rock anthems, one of which had Tay Tay belting out the lyrics at the US Open and sending I Believe In A Thing Called Love to #1 in the iTunes chart.
If you're looking for these massive glam rock anthems here then you'll be left wanting. However if you want some clever, at time hilarious lyrics, punctuated with heartbreak, celebration and some introspection about ageing and life as a former Rock N Roll Party Cowboy or about farting on Hot On My Trail.
The Darkness delve deeper into their influences with this record than any previous, The Battle For Gadget Land a track with fuzzy late 70's garage punk, the kind that were rallying against the loadsamoney types of the Thatcher era.
These images playfully explored on the album photos, seeing the band in the pastel suits and slicked hairdos of the Yuppies. However they also have one or two forays with country on Cold Hearted Woman, and Southern rock on Rock N Roll Party Cowboy, when this began I didn't actually think it was Justin singing as he gives the broadest performance to date.
The band come right along with him whether is the Wings-like pop rock of The Longest Kiss or the big strutting rock of Walking Through Fire, this one's as close to "classic" The Darkness as you'll get. Rufus-Tiger and Frankie laying down the big rock beat, while Dan blasts out THAT Quo riff on I Hate Myself. The production of Dan Hawkins used to the fullest in the Weekend In Rome which features one or two similarities to Freddie Mercury's Barcelona.
Described by Justin as an "aromatic aural ragu" Dreams On Toast needs to be devoured by a refined pallette, it ain't just any old slop, this is Michelin Star rock n roll. 9/10
Envy Of None - Stygian Wavz (Kscope) [Matt Bladen]
Envy Of None is a vehicle for the vocalist Maiah Wynne, make no mistake about that. It packs some serious star powered but the focal point of these songs are the breathy, evocative vocals of Wynne, part alt rock, part folk, part dream pop, she is the link between Portishead, PJ Harvey and Chappell Roan, bewitching and beguiling with her haunting voice.
If you've read the reviews or articles on their previous two releases through you'll know behind her Maiah has a hell of band who can deal with the experimental and not always linear style of music this band makes. On bass and programming is Andy Curran, on keys and production is Alfio Annibalini and guitars is Alex Lifeson.
Now if you don't recognise the others, go look them up, you should know Alex as one third of Canadian prog legends Rush. But with Envy Of None, he's more than happy to just be the guitarist, playing music that is quite far removed from the style he's associated with.
A showcase of collective writing talents and with this album a collective sense of growth between the players. On their debut they were all bringing massive talent to the album but only with the EP did they start to find their voice as a band. On this second album they've cemented what Envy Of None is as a band.
Stygian Wavz, named from the works of the Roman poet Ovid begins with the woozy Not Dead Yet, a track with a big heap of Alice In Chains all over it. It's a defiant beginning that quickly shifts into Pixies-like fuzz on The Story, the broadest use of instruments comes on Under The Stars which features some mandola and lots of orchestrations, synths to create a Middle Eastern flavoured groove, these diverse instruments also appear again on The End.
These songs are more cinematic and densely structured than any previous offerings the theatrical scores of sci-fi blockbusters inspiring the title track while Handle With Care brings oscillating synths and trip hop, That Was Then comes with a bit of Floyd atmosphere and Thrill Of The Chase welcomes a bigger influence of 80's music in some funky pop.
With whisperings of live dates and an album that solidifies what this virtuoso combination can really do, Envy Of None navigate theses Stygian Wavz with ease. 9/10
Sammale - Ikiharmaja (Naturmacht Productions) [Mark Young]
Ambient Black Metal, upon first contact I wasn’t even sure if this was a thing. Even now, I’m still confused, but enough about me, what about this which according to the web is their 3rd release and comes courtesy of Naturmacht Productions.
These images playfully explored on the album photos, seeing the band in the pastel suits and slicked hairdos of the Yuppies. However they also have one or two forays with country on Cold Hearted Woman, and Southern rock on Rock N Roll Party Cowboy, when this began I didn't actually think it was Justin singing as he gives the broadest performance to date.
The band come right along with him whether is the Wings-like pop rock of The Longest Kiss or the big strutting rock of Walking Through Fire, this one's as close to "classic" The Darkness as you'll get. Rufus-Tiger and Frankie laying down the big rock beat, while Dan blasts out THAT Quo riff on I Hate Myself. The production of Dan Hawkins used to the fullest in the Weekend In Rome which features one or two similarities to Freddie Mercury's Barcelona.
Described by Justin as an "aromatic aural ragu" Dreams On Toast needs to be devoured by a refined pallette, it ain't just any old slop, this is Michelin Star rock n roll. 9/10
Envy Of None - Stygian Wavz (Kscope) [Matt Bladen]
Envy Of None is a vehicle for the vocalist Maiah Wynne, make no mistake about that. It packs some serious star powered but the focal point of these songs are the breathy, evocative vocals of Wynne, part alt rock, part folk, part dream pop, she is the link between Portishead, PJ Harvey and Chappell Roan, bewitching and beguiling with her haunting voice.
If you've read the reviews or articles on their previous two releases through you'll know behind her Maiah has a hell of band who can deal with the experimental and not always linear style of music this band makes. On bass and programming is Andy Curran, on keys and production is Alfio Annibalini and guitars is Alex Lifeson.
Now if you don't recognise the others, go look them up, you should know Alex as one third of Canadian prog legends Rush. But with Envy Of None, he's more than happy to just be the guitarist, playing music that is quite far removed from the style he's associated with.
A showcase of collective writing talents and with this album a collective sense of growth between the players. On their debut they were all bringing massive talent to the album but only with the EP did they start to find their voice as a band. On this second album they've cemented what Envy Of None is as a band.
Stygian Wavz, named from the works of the Roman poet Ovid begins with the woozy Not Dead Yet, a track with a big heap of Alice In Chains all over it. It's a defiant beginning that quickly shifts into Pixies-like fuzz on The Story, the broadest use of instruments comes on Under The Stars which features some mandola and lots of orchestrations, synths to create a Middle Eastern flavoured groove, these diverse instruments also appear again on The End.
These songs are more cinematic and densely structured than any previous offerings the theatrical scores of sci-fi blockbusters inspiring the title track while Handle With Care brings oscillating synths and trip hop, That Was Then comes with a bit of Floyd atmosphere and Thrill Of The Chase welcomes a bigger influence of 80's music in some funky pop.
With whisperings of live dates and an album that solidifies what this virtuoso combination can really do, Envy Of None navigate theses Stygian Wavz with ease. 9/10
Sammale - Ikiharmaja (Naturmacht Productions) [Mark Young]
Ambient Black Metal, upon first contact I wasn’t even sure if this was a thing. Even now, I’m still confused, but enough about me, what about this which according to the web is their 3rd release and comes courtesy of Naturmacht Productions.
Digging a little deeper they also note that there is a touch of the atmospheric about their releases which given where they have taken influence from on this, suits the mood perfectly. And it should also be noted that this, with the exception of guest vocals by Jesse Laatikanien on Karjalan Kunnailla has come from one person alone and with that in mind it’s an extraordinary effort.
I’m not going to drill down onto each track because for a release of this scale it would be a redundant exercise. What I would say is that this release has a massive scope to it, where it utilises soft, subtle guitar and thoughtful backing as a way of lulling you into a real false sense of security such as on the opening of Vapauden Virsi (The Hymn Of Freedom) it then detonates into a full black metal assault.
I’m not going to drill down onto each track because for a release of this scale it would be a redundant exercise. What I would say is that this release has a massive scope to it, where it utilises soft, subtle guitar and thoughtful backing as a way of lulling you into a real false sense of security such as on the opening of Vapauden Virsi (The Hymn Of Freedom) it then detonates into a full black metal assault.
Even within the initial blitzkrieg, it knows that it cannot simply sustain one form of attack. It progresses whilst keeping the melody high on its agenda. It has everything that you could possibly want from black metal in 2025. It has intensity to it that begats speed but also it has this natural ebb and flow to it not unlike a river finding its own path from mountain to the lake.
There are breathtaking moments and suddenly its 10 minute plus runtime has elapsed and the piano led intro to Soitto Soi Suruisasti (Sorrowfully the Music Plays) starts with Zannibal’s guttural vocals taking centre stage. Of course, the sound and the fury is soon deployed and again it’s a great central melody from which the song springs from. Its this where the song shines, the use of that descending line as a base, an anchor to tether the rest of the song. This is prime black metal, never mind it being ambient or atmospheric.
The problem with having these as the openers means that the following tracks have to work harder to keep up to their level. By comparison, Karjalan Kunnailla (At the Hills Of Karekia, ft. Jesse Laatikainen) doesn’t have the same reach, which is probably due to it being a more personal track and has that feel of an oft handed down folk tale.
Ruska ja Ahdistus (Autumn And Anxiety) swings the dial back to full speed, leaving the folk behind in its dust. This is more direct and will cause involuntary head banging such is its forward movement. This has that classic vibe to it with some quality riffing in there as well harmony parts that warms the soul. It is not content to stay in that lane for long, the slow down allowing for the speed to be reintroduced gradually and for me there is just a little of Iron Maiden in there too.
Ruska ja Ahdistus (Autumn And Anxiety) swings the dial back to full speed, leaving the folk behind in its dust. This is more direct and will cause involuntary head banging such is its forward movement. This has that classic vibe to it with some quality riffing in there as well harmony parts that warms the soul. It is not content to stay in that lane for long, the slow down allowing for the speed to be reintroduced gradually and for me there is just a little of Iron Maiden in there too.
Kaipuu (Longing) is the closing statement, which in some ways is a collection of the best parts of this album. This is not meant as a snarky comment, but more like if someone was to ask me to pick a song that best reflects the album, I would go with this. It has the melody lines, the double bass attack and a classic vibe to it that takes in symphonic, atmospheric approaches and just puts them into a complete package.
This is an album which should wow fans of black metal, no matter what their persuasion. Over the five songs, it displays more range that it has any right to have and to think that this has come from one person, well that is something else. There is a lot on here that works incredibly well and goes a long way to raising the bar for what black metal in 2025 should aspire to be like. It’s a unique endeavour that can only come from someone who has an unshakeable faith in what they believe is the right way to do this form of music.
This is an album which should wow fans of black metal, no matter what their persuasion. Over the five songs, it displays more range that it has any right to have and to think that this has come from one person, well that is something else. There is a lot on here that works incredibly well and goes a long way to raising the bar for what black metal in 2025 should aspire to be like. It’s a unique endeavour that can only come from someone who has an unshakeable faith in what they believe is the right way to do this form of music.
I’ll be honest, I didn’t like Karjalan Kunnailla, and for that reason top marks eludes it. However, it does have 4 of the strongest songs that deserve to be heard, and for that it gets a 9/10
Buy it.
Torn From Oblivion - Transcend (Prime Collective) [Mark Young]
And now a slice of Eindhoven extreme music to finish the week off!!
Torn From Oblivion - Transcend (Prime Collective) [Mark Young]
And now a slice of Eindhoven extreme music to finish the week off!!
TFO bring their latest EP, Transcend to your friendly streaming service and if your leanings are into Deathcore / Hardcore then you will find lots to love here. Its five quick blasts that clock in at a shade over 20 minutes and manages to mix in enough from each genre to make it a generally worthwhile exercise. Guitars are heavy, vocals do what you’d hope they would do and that hardcore edge shines through. There are some fiendish breaks which resemble being hit in the face by a brick.
Ill Fate has that balance of brutality and danceability set just right and there is absolutely no doubt that this will cause carnage. Banshee has that same vibe to it but its on here that the similarities to Ill Fate come through, which is probably due to the genre they find themselves in.
There is nothing wrong in its application, its heavy enough but (and this is something that I personally find with this music) is that it feels like they have punched themselves into a corner. On the surface it sounds great, and as an EP this works well but only as an EP. Its one of the reasons I never got into hardcore was that the songs were generally variations on the same arrangement.
There is nothing wrong in its application, its heavy enough but (and this is something that I personally find with this music) is that it feels like they have punched themselves into a corner. On the surface it sounds great, and as an EP this works well but only as an EP. Its one of the reasons I never got into hardcore was that the songs were generally variations on the same arrangement.
TFO don’t quite fall into that trap, but the overall approach is similar from one track to the next. Putting that to one side, you can hear why they are being lauded as one of the promising new bands coming through, especially on Portrait Of Empty Faces (ft. Sugar Spine) where they hit that sweet spot in terms of balancing the rhythmic assault with a deft melodic touch and for me is the high point here.
Of the final two tracks, they both occupy that same space – violent riffing, vocals that are spat with all the venom you could possibly want to hear. There are definite plus points because it sounds great and it’s a non-stop attack from start to finish and rather than concentrate on the negatives, I’ll just say that fans of this music may have just found their new favourite band.
Of the final two tracks, they both occupy that same space – violent riffing, vocals that are spat with all the venom you could possibly want to hear. There are definite plus points because it sounds great and it’s a non-stop attack from start to finish and rather than concentrate on the negatives, I’ll just say that fans of this music may have just found their new favourite band.
What they do next is massive for them, and from what they have done on here there is a lot to back up the praise they have been getting. How they make those next steps will be interesting because you can hear they have the tools to write heavy music. 7/10
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