Darkest Hour are notorious for on-stage ferocity,
taut guitar interplay and enraged vocals that outline the
hypocrisy and casual brutality of politics and society. Their
prior releases on Victory Records set benchmarks in the genre
as the band embraced the DIY ethics of the hardcore scene
and the technical skill of metal, galvanizing their own path
and earning fans from both sides of the fence. While Hidden
Hands of a Sadist Nation (2003) attacked the duplicity of
government, So Sedated, So Secure (2001) skewered organized
religion and rampant commercialism. On Undoing Ruin, the
latest chapter in the Darkest Hour story, themes of healing
and moving forward are prevalent. “It’s our first
album that isn’t overtly political, though we did record “District
Divided” which deals with the rapid gentrification
in our hometown, Washington, DC,” commented guitarist
Mike Schleibaum, “The album is about change, personal
and musical. The name, Undoing Ruin, fit the concept – it’s
about making life worth living again.”
Undoing Ruin was produced by Devin Townsend of Strapping
Young Lad at Greenhouse Studios in Vancouver. Townsend, famous
for his work in his own band as well his production role
with Lamb of God and Soilwork, brought new definition to
the signature Darkest Hour sound. “Unlike what some
might think, Devin didn’t try to change out sound,
but honed it, and helped us make a more concise album. He
also was able to bring out the atmospheric side when it was
needed and the shred side when it was called for.” explained
Schleibaum. The result is an album that’s the most
introspective and musically intricate work by the band to
date, while maintaining their signature raw intensity.
The band formed in Washington DC in 1998, playing hardcore
shows and releasing two split 7” records and a CD EP
before dropping The Mark of the Judas in 2000 and receiving
great notice from the underground press. Victory Records
quickly signed Darkest Hour in the wake of the excitement.
Their first album for the label, So Sedated, So Secure came
out in 2001 to critical raves. Metal Maniacs said, “They
are at the forefront of metal’s new titans, sharing
the circle with the likes of Lamb of God.” Darkest
Hour continuously toured with bands like God Forbid, Dillinger
Escape Plan and Atreyu.
In 2003, Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation kicked their profile
up decidedly. Revolver Magazine described it as “A
metalcore classic.” Ozzfest called and in the summer
of 2004 Darkest Hour joined Lamb of God, Slipknot and many
others on the second stage. Their live shows were explosive,
the band playing each set as if it were their last, demanding
circle pits and laying down blistering guitar and enraged
vocals, even at sets that began at 10:00 a.m. The seeds for “District
Divided” were sown, as vocalist John Henry discovered
early in the tour that he had been evicted; his albums and
belonging scattered on the sidewalk. When Ozzfest wound down
in August of 2004, Darkest Hour toured North America again
before settling in for winter songwriting and work on their
DVD, Prison Scars and Party Bars: A Thrashography. The DVD
hit the streets on February 22nd while the Darkest Hour recorded
Undoing Ruin, and received praise from magazines like Alternative
Press and Chord.
In April, fresh from the studio, the band exploded onto
the stage at New England Metal Fest ’05, showcasing
their new material to the unsuspecting crowd - the unwary
risked instant conversion to the religion that is Darkest
Hour. The band is back with a searing, incendiary album that
takes their already formidable arsenal of metal and reinforces
it with more dynamics, crystalline production and a new barrage
of calculated madness that defies category and will elevate
them to the top echelons of the metal world. Undoing Ruin
is the next volume in DARKEST HOUR’s encyclopedia of
metal; they will be the break-out metal band in 2005.
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