The Mark of the Judas

Darkest Hour are considered a hardcore band.... of course the average metal fan in the know will find this claim dubious. Here's the 411: DH hail from D.C. and play shows with everybody from Municipal Waste and Majority Rule (punk and left field hardcore bands) to local emo and death metal. So, the hxc kids have adopted them. It's a shame, since Darkest Hour play streamlined "gothenburg" metal without gothenburg pretentions... there are no lame keyboards or silly promo shots... just in your face riff oriented melodic death.

"A Blessing in Tragedy" is an anthemic fist pumper, and surely better than anything Soilwork have recorded since, say 1998. There are a few hardcore tinged moments (the breakdown in For the Soul of the Saviour like, totally roxx), but nothing worth twisting your panties over. Eclipse will cling to your memory like a remora, and nothing here sounds without purpose.

The only thing that prevents this album from scoring higher is the dearth of guitar solos and lack of tempo shifts. Fans of melodic death metal who think the Swedes are gettin' a little too big for their britches and forgetting how to lay down, pick up Mark of the Judas