The Darkness // Hot Cakes
"Punk and classic rock cross-over, it’s like the love child of Kiss and Sid vicious."
Release Date 20th August.
The Darkness- ‘Hot Cakes’ (Wind Up)
Classic-rock-influenced and lyrically hilarious, The Darkness challenged Christmas number ones, chart music and the immortal question - can a man really sing that high (?). After a true rock and roll stint in rehab by lead singer Justin, the band split up in 2006 and the members left formed the analogously reputable Stone Gods. Despite Stone Gods being successful and rocking hard, there was something missing...
Flash-forward to 2012 and the whole damn dirty band is back with the album ‘Hot Cakes’. Punk and classic rock cross-over, it’s like the love child of Kiss and Sid vicious. The lyrics are still cheesy but since when have classics not been? "You pull the trigger of my love gun", "Love in an Elevator", "Don’t stop believing" - hideously crap, cringe-worthy lyrics are the foundations of a good classic rock song!
First track ‘Every Inch of You’ is a prime example, but of course, it’s incredible. "I've attended my last lectures / Left in my last class / You can take your qualifications / And shove them up your ass", is teamed with a killer bass line and punk influences - from the get go you know it’s going to be a great album. And it is; ‘Livin’ Each Day Blind’ is a rock’n’roll ballad, while in contrast, ‘Street Spirit’ is Metallica-esque, showing their metal influences.
I genuinely can’t find a fault in this album; it’s similar to their previous releases but fantastically different. It sounds fresh and amazing. If a ‘Hot Cakes’ Guitar Hero isn’t released soon, I’ll be very disappointed.
10/10 Freja Hoskins
