DARK HAVEN
"Your
Darkest Hour" (Self-produced; 2005)
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
Dark Haven's "Your Darkest Hour" is one of the best surprises of 2005. Although I had heard of the band in passing, I had never listened to any of their recordings or seen them perform live. After listening to their five track EP, "Your Darkest Hour," I was nothing short of blown away.
Dark Haven is the kind of melodic death metal that is brutally intense, brilliantly realized and explosively dynamic. Guitar chords crash with incendiary fury, vocals scream from a ragged throat, lead riffs peel off like razors on flesh and yet it all comes together with a kind of logical cohesion. It's simply breathtaking and the CD demands to be played again immediately after the fifth track comes to a close.
Not only a stunning debut but one of the best metal discs of the year, "Your Darkest Hour" doesn't score the full four guitarsaw rating solely because it's an EP. Perhaps the best praise I can give this record is that I can't wait to share it with East Coast Editor Christopher J. Kelter, who introduced me to melodic death metal giants like In Flames and Dark Tranquillity.
Now I can return the favor.
Dark Haven: Brandon McLaughlin - vocals, bass; Brennan Kilpatrick - guitars; Amy Zion - guitars; Nate Falzon - drums; Kent Crisp - keyboards.
For more information, check out http://www.darkhavenmusic.com.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2005 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised: 18 Nov 2024 13:33:11 -0500.
