Darkest Hour's New Songs Sound Rejuvinated
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In 2011, Darkest Hour were arguably the overall-best of the so-called New Wave of American Metal. By sticking to their vicious mix of metallic hardcore and melodic death metal, and focusing on strong riff-based verse-chorus-verse songwriting, the band avoided the more embarrassing faceplants that their peers engaged in.
Then, in 2014 their self titled album undid most of that goodwill.
The two released tracks from their upcoming album Godless Prophets & The Migrant Flora, though, sound like a return to form. Even less hooky than the singles from 2011’s The Human Romance, “Knife in the Safe Room” and “Timeless Numbers”, double down on the group’s metallic hardcore roots.
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At this point the record’s greatest strength is also its greatest weakness. Produced by Kurt Ballou, Godless Prophets & The Migrant Flora so far sounds like it’s chasing another trend that’s already seen its peak traction (maybe). That said, the tested and proven formula of “God City Studios + HM2 clone pedals = mosh” hasn’t lost any potency with me, and if someone could solidify then powder whatever it is that makes Ballou’s drum tracks sound like pure hatred I would probably take several million key bumps of it. there’s a little cheese, still, but when the breakdown hits at the end of “Knife in the Safe room”, my most primitive neurons light up.
A whole album of Darkest Hour playing this way sounds like a welcome step in the right direction.
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Darkest Hour will be on tour. Here’s the dates.
February 17 Washington, D.C. Black Cat
February 18 Pittsburgh, PA Diesel
February 19 Cleveland, OH The Agora Theater
February 21 New York, NY Saint Vitus
February 23 Chicago, IL Reggie’s
February 24 Milwaukee, WI The Metal Grill
February 26 Kansas City, MO The Riot Room
February 28 Denver, CO Marquis Theater
March 1 Salt Lake City, UT Metro Bar
March 5 Portland, OR Analog Cafe
March 6 Seattle, WA Studio Seven
March 8 San Francisco, CA DNA Lounge
March 10 Los Angeles, CA The Regent
March 11 San Diego, CA Brick By Brick
March 12 Phoenix, AZ Club Red
March 13 Tucson, AZ Club XS
March 14 Albuquerque, NM The Compound 2
March 15 Lubbock, TX Backstage
March 16 Austin, TX Grizzly Hall
March 17 Houston, TX White Oak
March 18 San Antonio, TX Korova
March 19 Dallas, TX Gas Monkey Bar & Grill
March 21 Cincinnati, OH Northside Yacht Club
April 16 Linz, Austria Posthof
April 17 Graz, Austria Orpheum
April 18 Budapest, Hungary
April 20 Bucharest, Romania
April 21 Sofia, Bulgaria Maimunarnika
April 22 Thessaloniki, Greece Principal Club Theatre
April 23 Athina, Greece Piraeus Academy
April 25 Barcelona, Spain Razzmatazz
April 27 Madrid, Spain La Rivier
Ringworm and Rivers of Nihil open on all US dates (except D.C.), Rotten Sound open Feb. 17 to March 4, Tombs open March 5 to March 21. Parkway Drive open on all European dates except Budapest.
Godless Prophets & The Migrant Flora is out March 10 via Southern Lord. Follow Darkest Hour on Facebook.
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