The Eternal Return

Performer: Darkest Hour
Engineer: Kory Gabel; Paul Leavitt...
Producer: Brian McTernan; Brian McTernan...
Distributor: RED Distribution

Notes: Darkest Hour: John Henry (vocals); Michael Carrigan, Mike Schleibaum (guitar); Paul Burnette (bass guitar); Ryan Parrish (drums). Personnel: John Henry (vocals); Mike Carrigan (guitar). Audio Mixer: Brian McTernan. Recording information: Salad Days, Fells Point, MD (03/09/2009-04/09/2009). Photographer: Peter Duval Lee. Darkest Hour keep the pedal to the metal on their sixth album, THE ETERNAL RETURN. There are no stylistic leaps here, just refinements of the band's impressive technique. The time they spent opening the previous year's At the Gates reunion/farewell tour has clearly affected their songwriting and delivery, as vocalist John Henry's raw-throated roar owes more to Tomas Lindberg than ever. Meanwhile, guitarists Mike Schleibaum and Mike Carrigan carve riffs out of stone and split the sky with lightning-fast solos that blur the line between thrash and prog. The rhythm section keeps it all moving, drummer Ryan Parrish beating the kit right through the floor. Otherwise, just about every other song here features a hooky riff and a memorable--if not "catchy" in the traditional pop chart sense--chorus. These are songs destined to be shouted along with as fists pump in the pit. Combine that with totally air-guitar-worthy solos, and THE ETERNAL RETURN winds up a solid metalcore/melodic death metal album.

Alternative Press (p.110) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[They] imbue every track with powerful hooks, ensuring the record is both unremittingly violent and insidiously palatable." CMJ - "One of the most refreshing things about THE ETERNAL RETURN is its serious subject matter....Cohesive, precise and effective..."

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