Customer Reviews

Undoing Ruin

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In the world of music it is truly unfortunate that some genres lack an accomplished quality of musicianship as a result of becoming diluted with bands that are ordinary, and worse yet, untalented. This seems to be the fate that has befell the metalcore genre, as it, more so than any other metal style, is overflowing with bands who have undeservingly received a record contract. Furthermore, this level of sub-mediocrity within metalcore further adds insult to injury by having the hordes of untalented bands thrust upon the listener by Headbangers Ball, which manages to dedicate a generous portion of air time to the videos of bands that are best left unsigned.

With that said, Darkest Hour is a WELCOMED exception to the preceding statement! This is a band that is not only talented, but possesses the ability to write incredible songs. "Undoing Ruin" is an album which showcases the bands proficiency for songwriting in all of its glory. Even individuals who are not fans of the metalcore genre will likely enjoy "Undoing Ruin," as many of the songs on the album are fairly catchy and listener friendly. Make no mistake about it though, "Undoing Ruin" is an intense, aggressive, fast, and heavy album. Furthermore, it manages to be a standout album for a number of reasons.

First, the production is SOLID! For this, we must thank the great Devin Townsend (of Strapping Young Lad Fame). Devin Townsend is the consummate musician: a proficient songwriter, guitarist, and producer. Sometimes it seems that he can do no wrong. "Undoing Ruin" is yet another chapter of brilliant production added to Mr. Townsend's impressive resume. The sound of "Undoing Ruin" is outstanding, as each of the instruments shines through with clarity. In addition, the album has a controlled-chaotic feel to it. By this I'm referring to the fact that "Undoing Ruin" has many moments where it is so aggressive that it would appear to be on the verge of spiraling out of control, but Mr. Townsend's production abilities manages to allow this chaotic feel to be ever present while maintaining a degree of order that makes each song coherent.

Second, the songs are outstanding! With "Undoing Ruin," Darkest Hour has managed to create an album that one could listen to from beginning to end...its that good. There are no fillers on this album, each song is an excellent composition of aggression and speed, which will no doubt appeal to fans of speed/thrash metal as well as metalcore fans. As an enormous fan of death metal (the most extreme genre of music), even my appetite for brutal music is somewhat satiated with "Undoing Ruin."

Third, (and most important) John Henry has an outstanding voice. His vocals are fairly brutal and manage to perfectly capture the intensity of the music contained on "Undoing Ruin." A few octaves lower and his vocals may qualify as death growls. The vocals on this album are far and away the highlight of "Undoing Ruin," as it seems that it is the vocals which ruin most metalcore albums. Henry displays an amazing degree of control over his voice (rather than screaming forcibly and uncontrollably). Furthermore, he has a unique vocal style for this genre of music, as his vocals border on growls rather than mere screams.

Fourth, with "Undoing Ruin" Darkest Hour breaks away from the typical and predictable song arrangement that plagues most metalcore albums (i.e., aggressive verse consisting of grinding guitars and screaming vocals, followed by a more mellow chorus comprised of clean vocals). "Undoing Ruin" is intense and aggressive from beginning to end.

Though an excellent album, "Undoing Ruin" does have a flaw - a lack of breaks between many of the songs. This can be somewhat annoying, as the lack of pauses between songs create some confusion concerning where one song ends and another begins. Though each song is unique and distinct, the ending of certain songs serve as a bridge to the beginning of the next song, which manages to make the two songs sound like one long song rather than distinct entities. Given the solid production of the album, I feel as though this was intentional and meant to be a stylistic component of "Undoing Ruin." However, this is only a minor flaw that will be remedied after only a few listens.

In conclusion, "Undoing Ruin" is an album worth owning. It is unfortunate that Darkest Hour (like Trivium) will never achieve the degree of success that they deserve. This is not due to a lack of quality of musicianship, rather it is due to the musical tastes of fans toward the mainstream. With "Undoing Ruin," Darkest Hour has proven (at least to me) that they stand alongside Killswitch Engage, Atreyu, Lamb of God, Unearth, and All That Remains as the most elite metalcore bands. It will be interesting to see how Darkest Hour develops in the future. I have not heard any of their previous work, but if "Undoing Ruin" is any indication of what we can expect from this band, we are in for one hell of a ride!

Ok, so I just bought this album and I can't explain the absolute bewilderment that an album could be this good. Darkest Hour's first EP was an introduction leading to the epic "The Mark Of The Judas", which in my opinion is very similar to this CD in its energy and power. Next came So Sedated, So Secure, an excellent follow up to TMOTJ, and next in my opinion their worst album Hidden Hands Of A Sadist Nation. After reading the other reviews on this website I was suprised to see how many people thought that HHOASN is Darkest Hour's best CD... Personally, I think it has very little melodic thought and musicality other than Veritas, Aequitas.

Anways... getting back to the subject matter of this CD. Every song on this CD other than district divided seems to have a unique quality unparalled by any other Darkest Hour CD. With the great suspension part in With A Thousand Words To Say But One, and the crazy fast solo in Sound The Surrender, Darkest Hour really shows that this is the metal album of the decade.

Here's my breakdown of the songs..

1. With A Thousand Words To Say But One - 10/10 (Great chorus and harmony with the most suspensful part in the entire CD)

2. Convalescence - 9/10 (Cool solo, but after listening to it enough times it just gets old)

3. This Will Outlive Us - 7/10 (Eh, almost random solo that doesn't have a true flow and nothing else to really make it better)

4. Sound The Surrender - 10/10 (Best... Solo... Ever...)

5. Pathos - 9/10 (Great break from the constant hard metal)

6. Low - 8/10 (Not really pronounced and mediocre lyrics compared to other songs)

7. Ethos - 7/10 (To tell you the truth, I had no idea this song was on the cd the first couple times, I thought it was part of Low)

8. District Divided - 6/10 (Worst Song on the album, no unique features or solos, very boring)

9. These Fevered Times - 10/10 (Amazing solo, great chorus, all around spectacular song that gets stuck in your head)

10. Paradise - 10/10 (Gloomy lyrics, no pun intended, but amazing nonetheless)

11. Tranquil - 10/10 (This finishes off the triple hit of songs to make the end of this CD amazing.)

Anyone who has seen advertisements for this album knows that it was being touted as "album of the decade" before it was even released. It's not quite album of the decade, might be album of the year, but one thing's for sure: this is the most balanced and focused Darkest Hour release yet. When the first track breaks into full stride about a minute in, 2 things are aparent: Wonderful production (by way of Mr. Townsend) and harmony. Gone (mostly) is the DH "Wall of Noise" sound they have become famous for. The aid of Devin Townsend has led the band to write fewer songs that were drawn out longer than necessary (like on "Hidden Hands...") and develop a tighter, more unified sound and writing style. I'm glad to see them structuring their songs instead of just thrashing non stop. The single, "Convelescence", is their most mainstream song yet - and I mean that in the loosest way possible. Though John Henry uses cleaner vocals in parts, it is still an undeniably powerful and heavy song. The intro to "This Will Outlive Us" may be the heaviest part of the record - Slayer immediatly comes to mind. The indisputible high point of the record, however, is "Low." For the first time in their careers, they have tuned their guitars down from drop C, and it makes for a remarkably good tune. Sure, most Darkest Hour songs sound the same - they have never been ones for variety - but this is still a remarkable record and the highlight of their careers. I forsee this becoming a benchmark in American metal, and the standard for metalcore for a long time to come.

Favorite Tracks: "With a Thousand Words...", "Low", "District Divided"

Yea I agree with the other guy, its not quite the cd of the decade but it is the best cd that has come out this year and that is saying something. And Franky I must state again your are really gay. Not because of ur ranking or anything just because you are trying to tell me that KORN!!!! the epitamy of sell outs along with trapt and 3 days grace (two of the worst bands to hit the market in years) are better than darkest hour. If you were a musician, which definitly you are not by the way you talk, you would appreciate the music more if you had any understanding of how much they have progressed over the years. And to say that the drummer is mediocre at best just makes you even look dumber. the drummers from the bands you are talking about couldnt come close to keeping up with him. and the solos that mike plays are a lot better than you think, but of course you wouldnt know anything about that now would ya. Sorry but you dont need to be saying stuff about bands if you dont know anything about music. Go back to ur 4/4 Korn and stay out of true metal you dumbf***!

thats about all i have to say. to even compare korn or trapped to this is a disgrace to darkest hour, and metal in general. this album will blow you away with how far theyve come. best metal album of the year no doubt.

There is no question that there are a bunch of worthy metal albums en route to record stores this summer - but for someone without ANY money - picking which ones to buy now and which ones to hold off on is a fine art. Admitted - I bought the new nightrage... huge mistake. I also bought the new darkest hour... and totally redeemed myself! There isn't a moment of this record that isn't completly awe inspiring, and thats saying a lot considering this is a band I thought had peaked with their masterpiece "hidden hands..." Well I was wrong - this album redefines what a modern metal classic should sound like. There is a well calculated blend of prescision shredding and all-get-out thrash annihaltion. I have to say my expectations were high but this thing met everyone one of them. MY biggest fear was the threat of Devin Townsend has producer. As a huge admirer of SYL I can admit I've always thought Townsend's production never translated well to anything other his own bands. However, his touches to Undoing Ruin manage to make it even more epic and powerful. So to recap if there are two metal albums to buy this summer - make them Nile and Darkest Hour (maybe BDM as well) and if there are two to burn make them As I Lay Dying and Throwdown!

This is easily the album of 2005, which goes without saying because there were not a lot of strong releases this year. If this album were to come out in 2006 I think it would have been edged out by the upcoming Trivum album, but onto this CD. The In Flames infulence immediatly recognizable when you listen to my favorite tracks on this album. On some songs they sound a little to much like the generic metalcore of countless bands like As I lay dying and Between the Burried and Me, but on the tracks that shine like "Tranquil", "Sound the Surrender" and the two instrumentals, you can tell that this band has gone to the roots of true metal. Kris Norris is an amazing guitar player, who is right up there with the modern heroes such as Alexi Laiho, Jon Donais and Jeff Loomis. I really like the swedish influence here, and I think that their best album will be their next work, witch is scary because of how good this one is. I feel the same way for Trivium. I also just want to tack something on to the end of my review. This is not metalcore. Shadows Fall is not metalcore. Trivium is not metalcore. Metalcore bands are bands that senselessly bang on their instruments, much like alot of punk artists. Trivium, Shadows Fall, Darkest Hour, and God Forbid are all metal bands that are extrememly good at what they do. Nuff Said.

Darkest Hour is an interesting band. For the past several years they have garnered much respect and praise for their musicianship and creativity. Nevertheless, I do believe that they have been overlooked by a great majority of their wanted fanbase. In our time of fashion-based "metal" such as Atreyu, it really is a shame. Darkest Hour has had me captured ever since they released The Mark of the Judas on Victory Records a few years ago. With Hidden Hands, they added more melody and focused more on the guitarwork. And a few of the riffs and beats sounded to be influenced by Gothenburg bands. Aside from a few notable tracks, Hidden Hands was a good album, but nothing amazing. Most of the songs sound too similar for comfort, and they would sometime blend together. Another metal band As I Lay Dying has a problem with this and they still need to amend it. But nevertheless, I looked forward to their next album Undoing Ruin. I mean their website's Ecard so blantantly said that this is the album of the decade. Along with Metallica's amazing Ride the Lightning and At the Gates' seminal Slaughter of the Soul, they arrogantly claimed this is on-par with those two albums. Was I skeptical? Sure Darkest Hour is good, but simply astonishing? As soon as I threw Undoing Ruin into my CD player, all my fears and vanished as my ears were met with incredible brutality, melody, and meaningfulness. It is true that this is one of the decade's best. Perhaps not the best, but definitely one of them. I don't even call this metalcore anymore because it permeates with that signature Gothenburg sound so strongly. The guitarwork is incredible. The drumming is fast-paced and never drops a beat. The bassist is blisteringly fast as well. And John's voice is simply put, visceral. I can actually understand what he's saying (most of the time). He's no Anders from In Flames, but he is still very good. What are you waiting for, go buy this album. With the help of Devin Townsend, Darkest Hour have truly crafted one of the decade's great metal albums and future albums will be compared to this. I happily place this album on my shelf alongside Soilwork's Natural Born Chaos, In Flames' Whoracle, Dark Tranquillity's Character, and At the Gates' Slaughter of the Soul. If you like good music, buy this album now.

i picked up this one today and listened to it two times all the way through and man i liked it more the second time than i did the first time. Right from the opening song i knew this cd was gonna be heavy. Magazines are claiming that darkest hour can "eat slayer for breakfast". Now, while darkest hour are a very good band, that is defidently an over-statement. This cd is good but not as good as "reign in blood" and i dont think this is the cd of the decade. Possibly the cd of the year though like another reviewer said. The guitarists have stepped it up a notch contributing more complex solos to the song which i always like. The beginning of "This will outlive us" reminds of something that Kerry King did on an old slayer album. The songs are all fast and heavy, they do get a little repetitive but they arent as drawn out as on "Hidden Hands". All in all, if you want a fast, brutal NWOAHM album, pick this one up. You wont be dissapointed.

Even though Darkest Hour are one of now many bands to play hardcore influenced thrash, don't get them confused with the legions of imitators in the current New Wave Of American Heavy Metal genre. For one, Darkest Hour artfully blend in some death metal which is akin to legendary groups like At The Gates and In Flames. Secondly, and most importantly, DH are one of metalcore's originals and true innovators. Sure, John Henry's vocals now sound a bit familiar (they may remind you of the last Chimaira album), but Darkest Hour debuted in 1996, so they were one of the first bands on the metalcore scene.

The band's fourth full length record, "Undoing Ruin," which was produced by Strapping Young Lad's Devin Townsend in 2005, continues on the band's growing legacy. The aforementioned imitators (you know who you are!) should definitely take notes when listening to this disc because, simply put, this is metalcore done right! It's surely one of 2005's best metal releases.

Darkest Hour also stand above most of the playing field because they're efficient at incorporating two other things (aside from Swedish death metal). Guitarists Mike Schleibaum and Kris Norris are more than capable of unleashing a few memorable, infectious solos (tracks two and three wail and ascend gently, and "Sound The Surrender" features a solo which sounds like it could be from an arpeggio guitar or a keyboard.) Next, Darkest Hour also have the musical abilities, knowhow, and songwriting skills to fuse melody into the mix without resorting to predictable, cliche, soaring choruses.. "Pathos," which is a pretty, Killswitch Engage-esque acoustic interlude, and the slower, instrumental "Ethos," are both very tuneful songs, but they don't water down the album's overall momentum or sonic fury.

However, on the flip side, Darkest Hour prove they can still very much compete with the heavyweights. And this is one of the few modern metal bands which is capable of being intense without filling every song with boatloads of breakdowns, Cookie Monster vocals, and double bass drumming. Rather, "Undoing Ruin" is a very satisfying listen which flows as smoothly and consistently as milk. John's visceral, blood-stained yells spill like venom over fiery, blistering riffs, strong, propulsive leads, and quick, thumping drums on such catchy slabs of aggression as "This Will Outlive Us," "Sound The Surrender," "Low," and "District Divided."

So, whether opting for either end of the heavy scale, "Undoing Ruin" proves that this Washington-based five-piece are not only a notch above the competition, they are (and should be) one of the standards for which nearly every other modern metal band is judged. Thus, if you're a fan of hardcore and/or heavy metal, don't forget about Darkest Hour. This isn't just another metalcore band; this is the real deal.