VIII

Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas Everybody…Its Christmas Day and what an appropriate fun album for this day.

#8
The Darkness – One way Ticket to Hell… and Back

This one comes in as no surprise at all. I couldn’t leave it out, i tryed..but no! (Sorry Jing Kei…just too predictable) Justin and the gang after parting ways with Village people impersonator, Frankie have come up with the goods under enormous media pressure. Everyone labelling them as a novelty act which should be relegated to the pub circuit. Yet they have still managed to produce a super album wall to wall with squealling vocals and catchy melodies. Most people i know have shunned this album, what for? This album shows their talent as musicians, even though the songwriting hasnt come on much…but that’s what makes the darkness great.

The sounds on the album are so varied and different from their debut makes it seem quite one dimensional. Working with the Queen producer and the string arrangements on many track have added another dimension like on the great ‘Seemed Like Such A Good Idea’, but this has been taken slightly too far on tracks such as the Freddie Mecury ballad ‘Blind Man’. They havent lost any of their rocking prowess either as show on full out Cock-Rockers ‘Is It Just Me’, ‘Hazel Eyes’ and the uttlerly superb piano driven ‘English Country Garden’. Having heard some of these performed live on last winters arena tour probably give me a better idea of how fantastic these songs song blasting out a wall of Marshll Amps.

The album doesn’t provide the full on in your face sound of the first album, but it just creeps up on you and pounces its excellence on the you. The Darkness Still Rock!!! Favourite Track: English Country Garden – Genious Gui-board Glamming

The Darkness