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The Darkness - Permission To Land


*
=Staff's pick

Black Shuck*
Get Your Hands Off My Woman*
Growing On Me
I Believe In A Thing Called Love
Love Is Only A Feeling
Givin´ Up
Stuck In A Rut*
Friday Night
Love On The Rocks With No Ice*
Holding My Own


Genre Hard Rock
Justin Hawkins
Vocals
Tracks 10
Justin Hawkins
Guitar
Runningtime 38 Min.
Dan Hawkins
Guitar
Label Warner Music
Frankie Poullain
Bass
Release 12 Aug. 2003
Ed Graham
Drums
Country England
Justin Hawkins
Keyboards
Similar artists AC/DC, Queen

I just had to find out what the hype was all about surrounding this new band that had emerged from England called The Darkness, what is this that so many are talking about. So I simply went out to get my self a copy of the debut album from this new band whose video of I Believe In A Thing Called Love is constantly playing at the music channels.

As the first track starts I get a positive surprise, damn this sounds like serious AC/DC riffing was my first reaction and my thoughts floated towards Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. And the spirit of Angus and the boys rests luckily over several tracks on the album, the riffs are in perfect place and the party mood starts to rise.

Queen is also mentioned as a similar artist above and that is from the early times of Queen when their music where more of no boundaries than towards the end of their career with tracks like Seven Seas Of Rhye, Bohemian Rhapsody. I wouldn't compare The Darkness with those songs but the attitude of that era seems to fit. Basically you get a mix from the seventies with the music that sometimes sounds AC/DC and sometimes Queen, then simply add the element of Glam-rock and you get what The Darkness is all about.

I have to admit it took me some listenings before I could accept the voice from Justin Hawkins with his falsetto screams, not to talk about the videos where he is dressed up in these horrible bodysuit creations I haven't seen since Freddie Mercury strutted around on stage.
Sometimes my mind sinks in to Tenacious D (the comedy hardrocking band with actor Jack Black), well played hard rock music but with a cartoon feeling of that this isn't something to be taken to seriously, because were just having fun for as long as it lasts.

You have to give credit to The Darkness for living out what they believe and there is nothing wrong with the energy that comes out of their music, but even if they has managed to somewhat create their own style they still feel like copycats, we've heard all this before in one way or the other, perhaps not hidden behind a falsetto voice and stagecostumes that the world hasn't seen in a long time, but we've still heard it before.

What the future holds for this band one could only guess, but I wouldn't be surprised if by the time of their second album media has forgotten all about them and chosen to focus on something new, and honestly I believe so will I, it rocks for the moment but it won't last that long.

Production
Vocals
Compositions

6

4

6

 
Summary



5 chalices of 10 - Thomas

Related links:

www.thedarknessrock.com