“One for the money, two for the show, three to get ready…” So, this is the third installment from the Lowestoft, Suffolk, UK based Glam Rock band, The Darkness. Not a piece of cake considering the troubled history of the group, but a hot cake – hopefully!
The Darkness rose to fame even before singing their first record deal, sold 1.5 million copies only in the UK of their 2003’s debut album ” Permission to Land”, disbanded due serious alcohol and cocaine issues in 2006 soon after releasing their second album “One Way Ticket to Hell… and Back”, but reunite with all of the original members in 2011 and their third album is set for release on August 20, 2012 in the United Kingdom and on August 21, 2012 in North America.
They won three BRIT Awards in 2004 in response to their debut album, Best Group, Best Rock Group and Best Album. They also won two Kerrang! awards in 2004 for Best Live Act and Best British Band, while the third single from the album, “I Believe in a Thing Called Love”, was a substantial hit in the UK. Also they won in 2004 the MTV Europe Music Award for Best UK & Ireland Act and Best Rock. They received IFPI Platinum Europe Award for sales in Europe in excess of 1,000,000 (triple platinum) and RIAA Digital Sales Certifications Gold Award for 100,000 downloads for “I Believe in a Thing Called Love”.
Although their second album had not sold as well as its predecessor, it has reached platinum status, which still contrasts with their debut’s five times platinum status. Justin Hawkins left the band to form his own project, Hot Leg, while the remaining members formed Stone Gods. They reunited in 2011 and the new album, as Justin Hawkins has pointed out, it’s “done or finished” and “all sounding shiny and good”.
Now the band is one of the opening acts for the European leg of Lady Gaga’s “The Born This Way Ball” tour – which is at least odd for a Rock band, and it’s probably an unfortunate attempt to reach out for a larger audience.
Except their Radiohead cover, “Street Spirit (Fade Out)” which became a pretty heavy Heavy Metal take on the original, “Hot Cakes” is a loud, pumping Rock album with strong roots back to the 70’s Hard Rock and the early, mostly American leg of late 1960s and early 1970s Heavy Metal, mainly thinking of bands such Blue Cheer, Steppenwolf and eventually of Ted Nugent, and, of course that typical The Darkness blending of Led Zeppelin/Thin Lizzy/AC-DC feel with Glam Rock sound. This kind of Hard Glam Rock, quite out-fashioned, definitively not in the trends, but still reaching out for a serious audience and fan-base. And most of all, Justin Hawkins (lead vocals, guitar), his brother Dan Hawkins (guitar, backing vocals), Frankie Poullain (bass, backing vocals) and Ed Graham (drums) really know to write catchy, groovy songs. Know to rock. And once again, they have several anthems in their pockets, delivering incendiary live shows and most probably they will make it to the top again.
It’s nothing revolutionary in this, it’s only Rock’N’Roll, but it feels really good!
Tracklist:
01 – Every Inch of You
02 – Nothin’s Gonna Stop Us
03 – With a Woman
04 – Keep Me Hangin’ On
05 – Living Each Day Blind
06 – Everybody Have a Good Time
07 – She Just a Girl, Eddie
08 – Forbidden Love
09 – Concrete
10 – Street Spirit (Fade Out)
11 – Love Is Not the Answer
The Darkness – Official Site
The Darkness – Official YouTube Channel
The Darkness @ Facebook
The Darkness @ Twitter
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hkmno7nNWTg&w=545&h=307]
Man I really need to catch these guys live. That picture at the top is ridiculous. I love this video for ‘Everybody Have A Good Time’! Absolutely genius. Can’t wait to hear the rest of the album, already pre-ordered it off of their website! theactualdarknessDOTcom
The picture at the top is their new album cover. Fun video in deed and another correct Rock album in the manner of their debut, definitively worth to catch them live, but not as openers for Lady Gaga.