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Band Name: Darkest Hour
Album Name: Deliver Us
Rating: 4 / 5 User Rating: 4.3 / 5
Label: Victory Records
Buy Album: Amazon.com
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Tracklist
1. Doomsayer (The Beginning of the End)
2. Sanctuary
3. Demon(s)
4. Ethereal Drain
5. Paradox With Flies
6. Light at the Edge of the World
7. Stand and Receive Your Judgement
8. Tunguska
9. Fire in the Sky
10. Full Imperial Collapse
11. Deliver Us
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Having built a reputation as one of the most explosive acts in American extreme music, Darkest Hour returns with yet another good showing in “Deliver Us.” Each of the elements of the band's sound is emphasized over the course of eleven massive tracks – whether you enjoy the band for the band's strong sense of dynamics, its focus on melody or the penchant of the group to create insurmountable walls of metallic might, you'll find this record to be exactly what you expect from Darkest Hour.
Devin Townsend is back behind the boards for “Deliver Us,” his years of studio experience bringing an overpowering feel to the album. Featuring production qualities that put the rhythmic aspects of Darkest Hour front and center, tracks such as “Demon(s)” and “An Ethereal Drain” kick you in the chest with a dose of overwhelming power. Townsend is fast becoming one of the go-to producers in metal – when you hear “Deliver Us,” you'll know exactly why. Townsend has an acute sense of sonic light and shade that makes the vibrant, driving tones of “An Ethereal Drain” stand out so prominently. As a result of Townsend's sharp production, Darkest Hour shift gears seamlessly between, colorful melodic breaks to fully-fueled double-kick thumping without a hitch.
Vocally, John Henry is much more confident than he's been in the past. The singer branches out beyond his instantly recognizable rasp. These days, the melodic voices utilized by Henry are much more pronounced. Having a major positive effect on the outcomes of “Doomsayer (The Beginning Of The End)” and “Sanctuary,” his versatility and range are each key factors in the overall success of “Deliver Us.” Henry's voice relays the personality of Darkest Hour with intense conviction. Coming across in an extremely upfront, honest manner, the singer gives each track the edge required to make things exciting without compromising the integrity of the band's mission. His screams during “An Ethereal Drain” give that track in particular, a very hardcore edge without lapsing into any of the trend-following tactics used by so many other frontmen in this scene.
There's no denying that the band's guitarists Mike Schleibaum and Kris Norris can hold their own with any other guitar tandem that undertakes this style. From acoustic interludes to staccato, stop-action work to relentless riffing onslaughts, these two cover a lot of ground on “Deliver Us. As the ripping leads interspersed between warm, ringing tones during “Tunguska” so clearly indicate, this is an axe duo that has stepped up their playing over the years. It's this adeptness at guitar that sets Darkest Hour apart from their peers, many of whom seem incapable of writing different-sounding tracks or for that matter, even attempting a guitar lead.
But for all of the brilliance exuded by Henry, Schleibaum and Norris on “Deliver Us,” it is the performance of the unsung heroes of the group, bassist Paul Burnette and Ryan Parrish that forms the foundation of the group's over-the-top forcefulness. Parrish explores intense polyrhythms during “A Paradox With Flies” that power the track's frantic guitar licks. His relentless presence on the album's title track harkens back to the golden years of thrash metal during the verse sections, while a rolling double bass beat opens up the cut's chorus, enabling Henry plenty of room to spout his vociferous grunting. Burnette pounds away at his bass guitar like a madman, providing plenty of heft during the anthemic “Full Imperial Collapse” while thumping holes in your speakers during the manic-sounding crusher “Stand And Receive Your Judgment.”
For all of its bombastic overtones, “Deliver Us” offers much more substance than you'll hear on many records of this ilk. Darkest Hour has developed into a veritable mainstay in today's metal scene and this record furthers such a notion in a most persuasive fashion.
Review by: E.F.
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