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Darkest Hour - The Eternal Return
| Sputnikmusic |
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Given their release date proximity, allow me, for a moment, to compare Darkest Hour's The Eternal Return with Killswitch Engage's second self-titled album. Killswitch Engage have shown so little progression over the past few years that, with their latest album, they've started to instead regress. They sound basically the same, but somehow they've still gotten worse. At first glance, you might feel inclined to make the same judgment about Darkest Hour; The Eternal Return isn't too much different from 2007's apocalyptic-themed Deliver Us, but there are enough subtle changes to keep them from slipping into a cycle of repetition and recycling like Killswitch Engage have done. The Eternal Return is a much more aggressive album, and although Deliver Us had themes of the apocalypse and mankind's destruction, this album manages to be even darker because it has none of the underlying hope that Deliver Us had. This is most apparent on the first song that was released, "No God." As the title suggests, the song is a bleak affair, with oppressive riffs and layered vocals from John Henry, who screams "No god to consume you...no god, it's all an illusion." Once again John Henry is the band's strongest asset, his emphatic, unapologetic vocals dominating The Eternal Return. And while there were clean vocals in a number of songs on Deliver Us, they are nowhere to be found on The Eternal Return. However, that doesn't mean this album isn't catchy; in fact, far from it. Opener "Devolution Of Flesh"'s screamed hook of "You're a plague!" on top of double bass drums and palm muting is immediately gripping....full text |
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| Ultimate-guitar |
| Sound: With a band such as death metal icons Darkest Hour, it’s sure a great feeling to know right away that within first listen the band is back and still keeping it metal. With much anticipation, Darkest Hour has once again stunned the metal genre, and once again they leave their mark as one of the greats in the scene. Not only has their melodies gotten stronger, but their riffs are sharper, vocals more furious, guitar solos faster and crisper, and the band has found ways to give that music an epic and moving feel. But what remains the same is the fact that they still know how to master a strong song structure, and make the most out of it. They still keep those brilliant guitar tones that have continuously evolved into what the band is now. The Eternal Return opens up with Devolution Of Flesh, and right away Darkest Hour proves that they are back with a point to prove. Massive Swedish death metal riffs are counter attacked with some dark melodies, and that hard driven stomp that they create sure unleashes a ton of power. Darkest Hour comes right back with the memorable and fist pumping anthem of No God. From its opening strums to the band breaking into some razor sharp riffs, they sure bring all sorts of hell. The verses for example give that fast tempo melodic death metal that Darkest Hour has consistently shown a mastered force at, and when the guitars harmonize, the sound really shines bright. Not to mention that their new guitarist Mike Carrigan can shred, whether it’s a guitar solo or unleashing a mighty riff. As the song progresses, blistering riffs and great guitar teamwork help drive this one full force. Darkest Hour closes The Eternal Return with “Into The Grey”. The intro gives strong victorious notes of melody that set up the beast to be let loose and ready to destroy. Suddenly fast paced Swedish death metal riffs giving both the catch and the respectable metal feel puts the listener into instant headbanging. “Into The Grey” takes many turns and they really let those melodies shine, but when the razor sharp death metal riffs are let loose, the band sure shakes the ground with their presence. All in all as the band has progressed up to this date, Darkest Hour’s all around approach is more than a monster. It’s an influential force to be remembered. // 8...full text |
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| Heavymetal |
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Darkest Hour splits skulls wide open with punishing metalcore and solos blessed from the steel gods on The Eternal Return. Pros Darkest Hour knows this game inside and out and easily prove it here. Fierce, relentless and resplendently melodic. Mike Schleibaum and Michael Carrigan weave exquisite guitar solos. Cons If there are any, perhaps the album betrays occasional repetition. Description Released June 23, 2009 on Victory Records. 6th album from Darkest Hour. Produced and mixed by Brian McTernan. Guide Review - Darkest Hour - 'The Eternal Return' Darkest Hour’s The Eternal Return was laid down in a month’s time and a subsequent month later it has reached the marketplace. Unfathomable for the old days of record generation, yet there’s something to be said about Darkest Hour’s expedience, production-wise and velocity-wise on their largely punishing sixth album. One of the very few bands who can match their extolled intensity both in the studio and onstage, The Eternal Return takes Darkest Hour another step forward from their previous crowd-inducing albums Deliver Us and Undoing Ruin. If there’s any surprises to The Eternal Return, it’s comparable to what Unearth accomplished on their latest album The March. In similar fashion, Darkest Hour takes a few chances on The Eternal Return while keeping the pace largely at blitzkrieg. The progressive second half of “Into the Grey” allots for a slower, pounding rhythm and massive details including dramatic synths. This demonstrates an enviable maturity Darkest Hour has achieved almost a decade after watching their label instantly fold after releasing their debut The Mark of Judas....full text |
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