Anyway, after hearing the first two songs off this album, I decided to check their latest material out as I was very impressed and felt they deserved another chance. So here it is!
Oh wait, hang on...
Sorry, my mistake. This isn't the cover for their new album.
This is the face of Megadeth mascot, Vic Rattlehead, easily recognisable by his bald head and metal plates/locks covering his eyes, ears and mouth (to exaggerate the phrase "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil").
Ah, here we go.
THIS is the album cover for Last Of Our Kind.
Easy mistake to make, I guess. I mean, this has a real Ed Repka vibe about it, to say the least.
However, I wouldn't be surprised if that was intentional. As well as being pretty fucking awesome, this cover could easily be the band's way of saying they're departing from their standard Arena Rock sound to a heavier style branching between Hard Rock and Metal.
After all, album opener "Barbarian" definitely shows a side of the band that's more feral than the chaps who released "I Believe In A Thing Called Love". Hell, it's even heavier than the entirety of Hot Cakes, their last album from 2012 which was in turn a step up from Permission To Land. Between frontman Justin Hawkins' supersonic vocals and their inability to keep a drummer, there's always been a sort of Spinal Tap feel to this band. They made good music but they were undeniably facetious, which is part of their charm. One thing that drew me to this album was the way the band have subtly toned down their sillier aspects in favour of cranking up the music quality in a similar way Tenacious D have done with Rize Of The Fenix.
For those concerned that one of their favourite bands has lost their way, fear not! There are still plenty of tunes older fans will enjoy such as "Sarah O'Sarah", "Conquerors" and title track "Last Of Our Kind", all featuring Hawkins' falsetto gimmick. As well as these, there are more tracks with riffs that wouldn't sound out of place on a Slash album such as "Mudslide", "Roaring Waters" and first single "Open Fire", a boss of a song that sounds like a merger between "Hooks In You" - Marillion and almost every mid-80's song by The Cult with a healthy sprinkling of 'badass'.
On top of album staples, we have a few odd ones out such as Rolling Stones inspired "Hammer & Tongs", Synth-Metal master "Mighty Wings" and arguably the most mainstream sounding track "Wheels Of The Machine". All in all, it's a package with something for everyone who would ever consider picking up the album in a record store. On a personal note, I am disappointed that there weren't more songs like "Open Fire" and felt that the album gradually declined in quality until it practically became a standard Darkness album by the penultimate track.
Of course, if that's your thing, you're in for a treat. Taking into account their previous albums, this band have only improved so I give it a 6/10, since there are still a few moments where the band intentionally include messy moments which disrupt the flow of the music (the alternating gallop in the "Roaring Waters" middle eight, for example). Also, if they chose the more appropriate "Last Of Our Kind" to be the album closer, I may have rated it slightly higher for starting and ending on a strong, well rounded note.
Granted "Conquerors" does work as a good closing song, just not the one that this album should've had. However, I definitely feel more open to music of The Darkness now and if there's ever an album that helps me grow accustomed to vocals I previously found irritating, I'm quite happy with it being this one.
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