It's been a long time since we've heard new stuff from the Darkness. As you may recall, the UK hair metal revivalists scored an improbable hit back in 2003 with I Believe in a Thing Called Love, a song that to this day remains one of the most fun singalongs you can have if you dare to do so. After releasing a subpar sophomore album in 2005, they disbanded a year later so that singer Justin Hawkins could get over his coke-and-booze controlled lifestyle. Reuniting for a handful of shows last year, the Darkness are now nearing completion of their third album and have offered up a free download of Nothing's Gonna Stop Us to whet our cock-rock appetites. While not boasting the major league hooks of some of Permission to Land's best moments, the single does a smashing job of lifting spirits. The video makes for a hell of a watch; as the band embarks on batshit crazy adventures spawned from the mind of a young fan, you can't help but submit to its awesomeness. Grab an mp3 here. And don't forget to fix your hair.
Speaking of free downloads by British hair metal bands who've returned after a long absence, the Cult will attempt yet another comeback with their new album Choice of Weapon. This marks the band's third go at a comeback after 2001's Beyond Good and Evil and 2007's Born Into This were met with resounding apathy; Beyond Good and Evil rocked hard, but tried (and failed) to strike the balance between hair metal nostalgia and downtuned nu-metal sludge; as a result, fans of both sides found plenty to dislike. Born Into This, quite simply, wasn't a very good album. In fact, everything they've done since their 1989 high water mark Sonic Temple has been boring (1991's Ceremony) or misguided (the failed attempt at alternative that was their 1994 self-titled album). If there's reason to be optimistic for Choice of Weapon, it's mostly on producer Bob Rock's shoulders; it's his first time working the levels for the Cult since Beyond Good and Evil and, if the first taste of the album is any indication, the Cult seem content to forego any trend-hopping and strike for the jugular like they last did 23 years ago. Lucifer, offered as a free download below, is a swarming, ugly mass of guitars, piled on top of each other and writhing around in a blissful electric orgy. They're loud, they're huge, they're punishing. The Cult have chosen volume as their weapon, and the pure bombast combined with the hellish (but honestly sort of eye-roll inducing) lyrics have delivered a track as evil and exciting as the band's name seemed to once promise long ago. However, having endured four disappointments of varying degrees since Sonic Temple, I'll wait until I hear more of the new album leading up to its May 22 release before deciding whether or not to drink the Koolaid.
Speaking of free downloads by British hair metal bands who've returned after a long absence, the Cult will attempt yet another comeback with their new album Choice of Weapon. This marks the band's third go at a comeback after 2001's Beyond Good and Evil and 2007's Born Into This were met with resounding apathy; Beyond Good and Evil rocked hard, but tried (and failed) to strike the balance between hair metal nostalgia and downtuned nu-metal sludge; as a result, fans of both sides found plenty to dislike. Born Into This, quite simply, wasn't a very good album. In fact, everything they've done since their 1989 high water mark Sonic Temple has been boring (1991's Ceremony) or misguided (the failed attempt at alternative that was their 1994 self-titled album). If there's reason to be optimistic for Choice of Weapon, it's mostly on producer Bob Rock's shoulders; it's his first time working the levels for the Cult since Beyond Good and Evil and, if the first taste of the album is any indication, the Cult seem content to forego any trend-hopping and strike for the jugular like they last did 23 years ago. Lucifer, offered as a free download below, is a swarming, ugly mass of guitars, piled on top of each other and writhing around in a blissful electric orgy. They're loud, they're huge, they're punishing. The Cult have chosen volume as their weapon, and the pure bombast combined with the hellish (but honestly sort of eye-roll inducing) lyrics have delivered a track as evil and exciting as the band's name seemed to once promise long ago. However, having endured four disappointments of varying degrees since Sonic Temple, I'll wait until I hear more of the new album leading up to its May 22 release before deciding whether or not to drink the Koolaid.
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