"Fuck waiting around to die!" This is our first impression from the newest album from Melodic Death Metal/Metalcore band DARKEST HOUR, their first album with Sumerian Records, their self titled album and possibly their strongest album to date. DARKEST HOUR are in the right mind set with this album, the "dudes" really know what their doing and its time for everyone to pick up their album.

So far we have been treated to four new songs of a fifteen song album. For those who saw then on Mayhem Fest we already know they can play a couple of these new songs live. For all of you, you know what's up with those four songs, or ay least one or two of them so you know what's going on there, why bother talking about them? Lets talk about what you're looking forward to hearing when you listen to the album for the first time. DARKEST HOUR vocalist John Henry has really honed his singing voice, compared to "The Human Romance" his cleans and harsh vocals have both improved significantly. "Anti-Axis" is the best example for how far he has come, the clean vocals are beautiful almost a style of what you would hear in a sad song. The beautiful cleans he has mastered mixed with the harsh vocals give a great shift of emotion, after the second chorus the instrumentals really get the spotlight, absolutely destroying everything in their path with blastbeats, amazing guitar riffs and even more killer hard vocals. "Beneath The Blackening Sky" is an old school style DARKEST HOUR song, constant killer instrumentals with amazing riffs from the Mikes, unfortunately bass isn't to present so its hard to say what's up there, but in the sections you can catch it Aaron Deal is typically doing his own cool little thing that mixes well with everything else while being different, the guitar solos that the Mikes dish out are incredible and very technical but not over the top and make you shake your head going "what the fuck is even happening?" (cough cough DRAGONFORCE). Last song on the album is "Departure" this is a song I personally can't wait to see live on a full tour as the show closer. Half of it makes you think that it's not your typical DARKEST HOUR song, the other half couldn't be more DARKEST HOUR. The chorus is the main section that made me love this song, it's the kind of chorus that the audience would gladly sing along to about coming to the end of the world. After the second chorus the song his a beautiful guitar piece that's eventually covered by some vocals before finally closing out with the chorus. The song itself isn't complicated and closes out the album (and probably a full show) perfectly with the way it opens and closes.

Contrary to what I said before I want to talk about a couple previously released songs, if you don't care what I have to say about what you've heard skip this paragraph. "Rapture In Exile" one of the songs being played on Mayhem Fest and even a video was recorded for it at Mayhem, the song is a great idea of John's harsh vocals, and is absolutely fantastic as a track. The guitar solo is face melting, the drums are ridiculously fast and whatever the bass is doing with its riffs in the background would pull anyone interested in bass in instantly. The thing with "Rapture In Exile" is its more of an intro to "The Misery We Make" when you pick up the album yourself you'll see. The other song I wanted to mention was "By The Starlight" this song features female vocals and is a beautiful track. If you're a fan of when a Metal band puts true emotion into their music this is for you. This isn't just an AVENGED SEVENFOLD style song either, "By The Starlight" has heavy sections that contrast well with the style of the slow sections and transition flawlessly into each other. The female vocals from DRÆMINGS mixed with John Henry's cleans offer one of the most beautiful vocal sections you'll ever find in Metal, especially Melodic Death Metal, not to mention when everything picks up the instrumentals charge into battle and obliterate everything.

Washington, D.C. home of the White House and DARKEST HOUR, this outstanding album will withstand the tests of time and prove to be one of DARKEST HOUR's best albums. If you have yet to listen to this band August 5th is the time to do it, the self titled album with do more than please you, Mayhem Fest is lucky to feature such a killer band on their line up.