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Darkest Hour > The Eternal Return > Reviews
Darkest Hour - The Eternal Return

A bit of a devolution, indeed... - 78%

praey, August 17th, 2010

There was a time when I would have raved about how this album was a triumphant return to form after 2007’s Deliver Us. When I first heard The Eternal Return all I could think about was how good it was to hear John screaming again and not trying to sing like on some of the failed numbers off the previous album. Gone were the slower more atmospheric parts, replaced with the blistering fret-tapping riffs and thrashing speed that made 2005’s Undoing Ruin one of the greatest melodic death metal albums to come out of the US in recent years. Yes, on my first listens I thought this was exactly the album I wanted to hear from Darkest Hour in 2009.

And really, at face value, this is not a bad album at all. Even with the departure of guitarist Kris Norris, their new guitarist manages to fill some pretty big shoes. While his style isn’t the most distinctive, his riffs are perfect for what Darkest Hour do, and he’s no slouch in the soloing department either. I like some of the heavier riffs he employs as well, especially on songs like the chorus “No God.” Even the other members of the band are on top of their game. John is back to his sharp, punkish rasp that fits the music as well as it always has. Ryan Parrish has always been an enjoyable drummer, and he surely has his act together here.

What really gets me about The Eternal Return, though, isn’t the performance of the band or even the songwriting. Take any individual song here, from the simple yet frantic feel of opener “Devolution of the Flesh” to the more epic “A Distorted Utopia,” and, if you like melodic death metal in the slightest, you’ll probably be at least a little bit pleased with what you hear. The problem is that The Eternal Return feels less like an album and more like a collection of songs.

Let me expand on this idea a bit. John was quoted as saying this is an album with “no hidden agenda” (probably in response to the obvious commercial pandering in Deliver Us) and no stylistic departure. Really, this is not a bad thing. What better way to follow up a work that alienated fans a bit than with a simple hard hitting return to form?

My issue with this is that in an effort to make a stripped down album, it feels as though something is missing. The songs coalesce and flow together, but they still feel like the album never quite comes together as a whole as well as on previous albums. Ever since Undoing Ruin in 2005, Darkest Hour has been reaching for the stars by creating albums where the songs complemented each other, flowed together masterfully, and, even when they were trying new things, still balancing the progressive with their tried-and-true formula. I feel like here, Darkest Hour just tried too hard to strip things down. The slower rhythms and attempts at clean singing are gone, but so are the proggier elements that made you sit back and take notice that this was a band trying to do something different. Sure, this isn’t an album that was meant to give them a wider fan base. But for some reason, whenever I listen I can’t shake the feeling that they just threw together 10 solid songs they had written and called it an album without really trying to make it something special. On previous works, hell even on Deliver Us, with its few awkward moments that made an attempt for mass appeal, you could tell Darkest Hour was truly pushing themselves to make something different, to make something special, to make something that people would sit back and say, “Fuck, now that is the melodic death album I wanted to hear.”

Don’t get me wrong, The Eternal Return is a very solid album. You can tell it’s made by professionals who have a good body of work under their belts. But upon repeated listens, it just begins to feel less and less remarkable. While there’s some variation, such as the quick and dirty “Bitter,” most of the songs either follow a similar structure or have a similar enough feel that it doesn’t matter. And really, there aren’t any truly incredible songs on here that are highlights of the record. The first two songs are hardly any better, and indeed may even be slightly worse, than anything else on the album. “The Tides” is distinctive for its especially well done solo, and “No God” has a fairly memorable chorus, but most of the stuff on here just doesn’t resonate as well as their previous stuff has. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still solid, even well above-average material compared to other bands doing similar stuff these days. But the lack of standout tracks is highly noticeable.

John has said that Darkest Hour’s next album will be “the most emotional and melodic Darkest Hour album to date,” which honestly, makes me look forward to their upcoming work a lot more. The fact that Darkest Hour can make an album this solid this late in their career is impressive, but that doesn’t change the fact that this really is a bit of a step down for these guys. I know this band is capable of more, because they’ve done better before. Overall, The Eternal Return is definitely worth checking out, whether you’re a fan of the band or just a fan of melodeath in general. It’s a good album, I can see why people enjoy it, and you’ll probably find it a nice listen if this kind of music is your thing. But for myself, I just can’t shake the feeling that Darkest Hour is capable of something truly incredible. Unfortunately, it seems we may have to wait and see what the future holds before this really comes to light.

One of US metal's best acts - 90%

Lustmord56, July 21st, 2009

Review originally published at http://www.teethofthedivine.com by Erik Thomas

Tasked with following up the excellent Undoing Ruin and Deliver Us, Washington DC’s Darkest Hour- arguably one of the culprits of the state of the modern American metal scene, at least know how to be consistent. Starting their more refined take of hack and slash At the Gates worship on Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation and So Sedated, So Secure before it, Undoing Ruin showed the band spreading their wings and creativity with results that belied their American heritage. Deliver Us further cemented the band as the US’s unheralded melodic death metal act.

So now with album number six, The Eternal Return sees Darkest Hour strike a balance between the more open and experimental Undoing Ruin and the hack and slash of their early work and Deliver Us. Still, present is the At the Gates and Dark Tranquillity back bone and a hardcore sheen, but I’m still stunned as to how these guys are still not mentioned when folks start talking about Killswitch Engage, All That Remains and God Forbid, when they are so much more talented and, more importantly, more metal.

The sumptuous solos that littered Deliver Us return in force as killer tracks like “Death Worship”, my personal favorite “The Tides” (with one of the best sweeps I’ve heard this year), “No God”, “Bitter”, “Blessed Infection”, “A Distorted Utopia” and “Black Sun”, and those generally are sprinkled around tight, feral and slicing yet melodic death metal that sounds American without being a mere Black Dahlia Murder wanna be. The album is pretty high octane from start to finish but not Inferi or Mirror of Dead Faces relentless, but rather a smart use of energy and dynamics with a few moments of restraint such as “Transcendence” and closer “Into the Grey”. But gone are the interludes (i.e. “Pathos” and “Ethos” from Undoing Ruin) as the band simply focuses on stellar riff after stellar riff backed by John Henry’s continual rasps and new/old producer Brian McTernan (From Autumn to Ashes, Senses Fail, Destroy the Runner, Darkest Hour’s Mark of the Judas and So Sedated , So Secure).

Basically the whole album is top notch from start to finish, with each track delivering bristling energy and deftly melodic moments blended together perfectly in unison showing that Darkest Hour are one of the most consistent yet underrated metal acts in the US scene. Fans that think that watershed album Hidden Hands of A Sadist Nation (which came out at the height of metalcore/US Melodeath popularity) was their pinnacle need to come back to this band and see how good they truly have become while the genre has eaten itself alive.

Good release - but nothing new to offer - 65%

BaptizedBurning, July 5th, 2009

Darkest Hour is a band I’ve been following for a while, ever since Mark of the Judas was released. Since then each of their releases have been enjoyable but slightly disappointing. Their last album Deliver Us was perhaps their most disappointing release of all. They experimented with clean vocals and other changes, making this album lost and forgotten. Undoing Ruin was good, but forgettable. Now the band has a chance to pump some fresh fuel into this thrash machine. Kris Norris recently left the band and is pursuing solo projects while I look forward to hearing. His departure may have been a blessing as now the band has brought some new ideas to the table with Mike Carrigan on guitar.

Darkest Hour grew out of the hardcore/metalcore scene but have managed to find a foothold in the metal community in the last few years. They have consistently held the same formula throughout all of their albums. That being thrashy Gothenburg style melodic death metal. To lump them into any form of metalcore would be greatly misclassified.

The Eternal Return is an enjoyable album. Pure thrash melodic death metal all the way through, no departure there from their previous collection. On this album it sounds as though they focuses more attention to song structuring, creating coherent ideas throughout the song. Luckily they ditched the clean vocals on this one. In regards to the vocals, John Henry’s voice has always been fitting to the music but he is also one of their biggest set backs. His voice itself sounds great, but I feel he’s always lacked melody, emotion, and in creating vocal patterns. My same complaint goes to Howard Jones of Killswitch Engage, good voice but uncreative vocal patterns.

The guitars on this album haven’t necessarily improved, but they’ve had some fresh ideas since their last album. The opening track, Devolution of the Flesh, is furious and impressive. The solo on No God has a slower tempo, more rock-driven guitar flow, but is fitting and enjoyable. The drums and bass are decent, but nothing spectacular to notice. They get the job done and nothing more is needed. Production on The Eternal Return is crisp, sharp, and atmospheric. Each instrument is clear and stands out yet blends into the whole of the song.

In all, The Eternal Return, is an improvement from their last effort. Die hard Darkest Hour fans should not be disappointing. A change in guitarists added some change, but overall it’s still the exact same formula we’ve heard on the last four albums. Generally you can put on one of their albums and 20 minutes later you don’t know if you’re still on the same song or if you just finished listening to 6 different songs. I will say that this album is their best release since Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation.

Definitive Darkest Hour - 90%

Zodijackyl, July 3rd, 2009

Darkest Hour's first release since the departure of lead guitarist Kris Norris also sees the departure of the showy and Swedish stylings which he brought to the band, and the addition of guitarist Michael "Lonestar" Carrigan intensifies and emphasizes the thrashy, groovy style that defined the band's sound since their formation in 1995. The album draws from the band's previous works, described by guitarist Mike Schleibaum as "all the aggression and speed of 'Hidden Hands', the melody and songwriting of 'Undoing Ruin', and the technicality and musicianship of 'Deliver Us'." The stylistic unification is rounded out by the band's return to producer Brian McTernan, whom they worked with on earlier records.

John Henry's vocals are captured very well by the production, his tone and phrasing shines, and his intensity is audible. Quite simply, his voice sounds monstrous, a great improvement on past production, where they sounded monotonous and did not fit with the music as a whole nearly as well. The vocals are every bit as powerful as the guitar work which has been the focus of the band's sound, but they complement it very well, between subtle harmony and richer textures than ever.

Ryan Parrish refined his drumming even further on this record, providing a solid rhythmic groove and giving emphasis to the heavy riffing. The drumming is extremely dynamic and well arranged, functioning in tandem with the vocals to progress the song through a guitar riff. Other functions and nuances of the drums are difficult to state simply - they aren't simple, but they are not prominent nor high-profile, they serve the music as a whole very well.

Paul Burnette's bass playing takes a very subtle role in the music, providing thundering grooves at times, such as the opener "Deevolution of the Flesh", as well as a subtle context for guitar melody, which extends to the point of shaping an atmosphere of songs such as "Transcendence". The bass is never the center of attention, but it adds a well calculated mix of rhythm and melody to the magnificence of the music as a whole.

Mike Schleibaum and Lonestar Carrigan are an extraordinary guitar duo, providing both quality and quantity in their non-stop riffing. The riffs are groovy, melodic, and memorable, and their aggressive playing is relentless. There is not a moment on the record devoid of a memorable guitar groove, and the same is true of melody. The guitar work on this record is more focused than any past Darkest Hour release, and it is flawlessly executed. The guitar solos are exceptionally groovy and melodic, yet they do not wander, a style perfectly fitted to the songs as a whole. The guitar solos fit the music exceptionally - rather than relying on speed, sweep picking, and arpeggios as many previously did, they are characterized by excellent melodic phrasing and composition that fits the song as a whole very well. While they are not nearly as showy or prominent a past solos, the songs don't stop for them, they fit in extremely well.

All of these musical contributions are finally combined for an extremely tight album - focused on the heavy riffing with the melody largely coming from the downtuned riffing of both guitars, rather than the melodic counterpoint to a heavy rhythm. The guitar style shows much more of the riffing style of Mike Schleibaum, which characterized Darkest Hour's earlier works with a melodic blend of hardcore heaviness and thrash aggression. The departure from the lead guitar style of the last three albums strips the album of the bright and upbeat feeling which Norris' guitar work was largely responsible for, and there isn't nearly as much purely melodic lead guitar playing. Both guitarists capture the feeling of the music alone, they are both very melodic and thrashy, rather than the former tendency of the rhythm to be thrashy and the lead to be melodic. There is much less of a distinction between lead and rhythm guitars - there are still clearly two guitars, and they work in unison towards the full sound of the music, rather than in contrast.

Each member's performance works towards perfecting the style of the band as a whole, never departing from what made them shine, but further defining the band's sound. The songwriting is fantastic, easily the best that they have done, and the production supports every aspect of the music. The rough areas of past releases have been smoothed out - the extremely aggressive drumming of 'Hidden Hands' no longer overpowers the guitars, no instrument or aspect is overpowering, and the guitar tone finally has a full sound which it has previously lacked. John Henry's vocals complement the music better than ever in both performance and production, with all the raw growl of the early EPs, better tone than 'Undoing Ruin' and 'Deliver Us', and none of the monotonous sound of the awful Swedish production of 'Hidden Hands'. The most impressive aspect of the songwriting is that no instrument strays from the others in any way, for example, the drums aren't thrashy while the vocals are hardcore, one guitar isn't grooving while the other is playing melodic death metal along with Gothenburg style bass (inaudible). The whole band are united in the style they play, not a genre but the sound that fans know as Darkest Hour.

The production combines all of this perfectly. The most notable change from any Darkest Hour album is the atmosphere and feel of the album. The album sounds dark and dreary, the most fitting of any Darkest Hour album, and it couldn't present the songs, the album, or the band any better. The mix is perfect, the performances are very well balanced and composed as a whole, and everything comes together as well as I could imagine. The arrangement contribution of producer Brian McTernan is also superb, earning the band's praise, and very deservingly. There isn't a moment in the album that breaks it, every solo fits in smoothly, every riff fits with the next, and the onslaught of music doesn't stop for anything, it keeps on thrashing.

Finally, founding members Mike Schleibaum and John Henry deserve a lot of credit for building the band's sound for 14 years and defining their career with this album. The performances, production, and songs are extremely refined, but they are in no way dull, bland, "manufactured", or relenting. Schleibaum described the album as having "no hidden agenda, no pop hit, or stylistic departure to broaden the fan base", and it is absolutely true. The album encompasses and defines the style which has been consistent through two EPs and six full lengths - a blend of thrash, hardcore, groove, and melodic death metal that can't be pigeonholed as a single genre, only described as Darkest Hour, and defined by this album. The first time I listened to the album, it reminded me more of the early EPs than their more recent albums. Close to 100 spins later, I can hear a lot in common with every Darkest Hour album. The riffs are reminiscent of those that Schleibaum played as the band's only guitarist in the 1990s, refined through over a decade of becoming more melodic, aggressive, thrashy, groovy, and heavier. John Henry's vocals sound beastly, more powerful on record than even the rougher early recordings, with all the qualities of his more melodic and dynamic performances.

The Eternal Return is the definitive Darkest Hour album, their best performance defining everything that has made Darkest Hour one of the biggest names in more than one type of music simultaneously.

Career defining - 90%

symbolic1188, June 24th, 2009

Last July, Darkest Hour’s guitarist Kris Norris decided to leave the band to spend more time with family and pursue other things. Many thought this would be the end of Darkest Hour, or at least change their sound radically. This album is proof that these people are dead wrong. This band in particular is not a one man show, but rather a cohesive band focused on writing memorable heavy songs. This is not to say that the band hasn’t changed at all, because it is quite obvious that they have.

Without Norris present, Mike Schleibaum really shines on this one. This is best displayed on the scorching opener, “Devolution of the Flesh”, or the short and brutal “Bitter.” The song are more thrashy this time around. If “Hidden Hands” or anything preceding that album pleased you, there is something for you here. If you liked the melody of their last two albums, this album will also please you. The main riff in the song “Blessed Infection” makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. “Into the Grey” sounds positively gargantuan, as it’s filled to the brim with beautiful harmonies. How about the addition of Mike “Lonestar” Carrigan?

Carrigan does an excellent job on this record. He is an incredibly talented guitarist. He is capable of playing Norris’ solos just fine, as he nailed every one of them when I witnessed them live recently. Carrigan, however, does not try to sound like Kris Norris… and there is no reason for him to. His solos on the songs “No God” and “Transcendence” are some of the best I’ve heard in years. He is not as reliant on speed as Norris, rather opting for some nice melodic phrasing. All the elements of Darkest Hour are present, and they have added a top notch guitarist to replace the very good one they had. All that considered, this album still stands on its own merits.

It would have been painfully easy to create a rehash of the sound on Deliver Us and Undoing Ruin. They stated that this album would be darker and faster than any of their previous work. Though the album is melodic, it is not uplifting like songs off of the last two. At times it sounds downright dreary. Another thing that adds to this is the best vocal performance of John Henry’s career. Before, he was either impossible to understand or worse; completely monotonous. This is not to say he is the most dynamic vocalist, but the production on the vocals is a high point because it is crystal clear. When he screams, “You’re a plague” on the opener, it gets me pumped up. No longer are the vocals in the back, but right up front and in your face.

All in all, I would probably consider this my favorite Darkest Hour album. They have finally achieved what they have been hinting at for so long: combining melodic death metal with the spirit of hardcore. Before this album, it was one or the other. It is their most complete album to date, and is sure to satisfy fans and win over many new ones. Highly recommended!