Much like watching Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee and Curb Your Enthusiasm you can see how Jerry’s conversation comes together with Larry’s mathematical genius for awkwardness.

This is kind of a fun exercise-I love when I’m granted the opportunity to pick apart how things come together creatively. The hiatus resulted in two bands that are worth checking out, for myriad reasons: Hot Leg Justin Hawkins’ music outlet, post or during, alcohol and cocaine rehab, and Stone Gods the remaining members of The Darkness, with their second bassist on vocals. It was perhaps the catalyst for: a five-year hiatus and a subsequent comeback. This is an album counts on the classic adage: it’s the thought that counts. I really do enjoy the album though, but I can’t imagine for the reasons intended. I applaud the ambition, and unfortunately laugh at the result. There are Celtic experiments that move to near Michael Flatley prance-a-thon status and grandiose sounding church organs, lots of cowbell, a couple overzealous head-banger riffs and vocal harmonies nobody in their right mind would ever attempt publicly. Mostly, for all the reasons that one typically enjoys a Darkness album for, but the arrangements and instrumentation are just comically over the top it’s really hard to take it all seriously. It’s so ambitious and over-produced I can’t help but enjoy the hell out of it (pun NOT intended, but I’m leaving the phrasing). I would be remiss if I didn’t bring up my favorite ‘Sophomore Slump’ album of all-time, The Darkness’ 2005 One Way Ticket to Hell… And Back. Hawkins’ trademark vocal prowess is there, and so are the outlandishly eager vocal arrangements, but they’re more subtle, background laden and in sync with the music-raising the water level for the band, and overall musical product, while guitar solos and band interplay gather an all-around team knob turn to 11.īruce Dickenson would have gold plated diapers with furious beasts, pillaging Vikings and mystical creatures on them ready to go for consolation Last of Our Kind – Giant sonic leap forward without losing that classic sound! Nice one! This more mature and sober (I think) version of The Darkness doesn’t seem to be looking for campy laughs like Tenacious D or Electric Six, but is drilling into the vein of Iron Maiden-cover included. It’s an album that’s as comfortable with comparisons to ELO, The Cult, Pantera, Slayer and Muse as with its previous state of mind: embracing outrageous vocal arrangements like Queen with the massive thrash of AC/DC.

It bravely embodies the same 1970’s rock ‘n roll sentiment they relied upon since their origin, establishing a place where thoroughbred riffs, Queen comparisons and hair-band enthusiasm can still survive amphibiously among a music world with very little rock radio and an infestation of computer generated schlock.Īs a rock record, Last of Our Kind kicks everything else that is currently being released to the curb. That brings us to The Last of Our Kind, their 4 th studio album, encompassing a journey of 12 years, a sophomore slump and fall out in ’05 and a rebirth second-wave comeback in ’12. Then, when Ben Folds covers it, amply, you rinse and repeat-on the rocks. And, also, you play that song repeatedly fulfilling your heart’s desire. When those vocals proclaim in the cockiest possible grandeur, but still kind of silly, “get your hands off of my woman. Just try to NOT smile when you hear a voice that is seemingly from another stratosphere, let loose and shake the earth’s foundation with a falsetto high enough to be a dog whistle, but thick enough to marinate an army BBQ. They’re loaded with fun, tongue in cheek panache, and lots, and lots, of raw vocal talent. It was near impossible not to adore those songs. And, really, the only thing I’ve ever known about Black Shuck, derives from Justin Hawkins’ majestic falsetto, “that dog don’t give a fuck!” Throw THAT tale against a staggering AC/DC epic backbeat, and you have Permission to Land (2003) era Darkness-music tailor made to décor early 2000’s dorm rooms worldwide. It’s a real thing in the British Isles…īefore there was the honey badger, or the mushroom badger badger badger badger (I had to, sorry), there was a curious beast, in a town in the east named Black Shuck. This is apparently what “Black Shuck” is.

The darkness album cover