You have to hand it to The Darkness, in the UK when rock music was about as popular as a fart in space suit, along they came from out of nowhere to blast it back into the mainstream. Now, there seems to be a young rock band around every corner in the UK and I think The Darkness should get a bit if credit for that.
Here they are with album number six and they are as a popular as ever and it’s a cracking rock record to boot. We are off to an epic start with their (I hope) very tongue in cheek Rock N’ Roll Deserves To Die and this is everything I expect from a Darkness record. Vocal histrionics, superb melody, a chorus to shout a long to, and fat crunchy guitars. This lays the path for the rest of the album.
There are quieter moments with Live ‘Til I Die where Justin is looking back on his past and the amazing Heart Explodes which touches on his loves lost and is a pure joy. The title track is a good old fashioned rock n’ roll romp with interspersed minstrel-esque moments that is pure anything goes Darkenss.
Favourite track? Well, that’s a tough one as there are a few for that honour but on this occasion it has to be the title track. A track that sees the band stretching themselves out of their comfort zone but being uniquely The Darkness. Justin is just the ultimate showman, those vocals and notes he reaches make them totally unique in the world of rock.
Thoroughly enjoyable record.
9/10 from The Grooveman.
