Darkest Hour
Undoing Ruin
(Victory)
Who would have thought that five guys from Washington, DC, would be better at making Swedish metal than basically every Swedish metal band? Armed with four solid releases under its belt, the quintet went to Vancouver to record the fifth and possibly greatest album of its 10-year career. Undoing Ruin, produced by Devin Townsend, has everything from epic and thrashing riffs to shredding solos, brutal screams, commanding percussion and even an instrumental acoustic piece. And it’s also great to hear singer John Henry experiment with his vocals, as heard to great effect in “Convalescence.” Standout tracks include “These Fevered Times” and the brilliant final track, “Tranquil,” both of which display Darkest Hour’s excellent songwriting.
—Brian Boates
categories: Canadian artist
This article appears in Dec 6-12, 2007.
