The Darkness' 'Easter is Cancelled' - Album Review

As far as British glam rock revival acts go, there are none more genuine and yet so self-aware as The Darkness. While Cats in Space seem to be making a bit of a bid for this crown in recent years, The Darkness in my mind still deserve the title - simply due to splash they made back in 2003 with the release of their debut album Permission to Land. I was not quite old enough at the time to appreciate just how much of a success the album was, but it came at a time when old-fashioned British rock was experiencing something of a slump and reminded everyone just how great the genre can be. It was not a particularly original album, but shoved influences from bands like Queen, Thin Lizzy, and AC/DC into a blender to create a retro, yet extremely catchy, hard rock sound. I think however that the almost-instant success of Permission to Land, which was helped by some popular singles, has almost been millstone around the band's neck ever since. The Darkness were catapulted into mega stardom and immediately started to live the sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll lifestyle that saw the band come to an end in 2006 with the falling out of brothers Justin and Dan Hawkins - the band's two main members. An extremely over-the-top album One Way Ticket to Hell...and Back was released in 2005 however, which in my opinion topped Permission to Land but that is a view not widely shared, but for a few years it seemed that The Darkness were destined to be a short-lived yet very successful flash in the pan. After a few years apart however the band reformed in 2011 and have been very active ever since. A third album, Hot Cakes, was released in 2012 which saw the band's original line-up together again for the first time since Permission to Land, but since then the band's line-up has fluctuated somewhat with a couple of drummers coming and going. The line-up has been stable however since 2015, when Rufus Tiger Taylor filled the drum stool after a few years touring with his father in Queen. He made his debut with the band on 2017's Pinewood Smile (which I reviewed here), a decent album but not one that I have revisited too often since the few months after its release. For me, the band's best post-reunion album so far is 2015's Last of Our Kind (which I reviewed here), with Pinewood Smile sounding a little rushed and raw in comparison to its predecessors. That is not an accusation that can be made of Easter is Cancelled, the band's newly-released sixth studio album however. While not a big departure from their usual sound, Easter is Cancelled does on the whole sound a lot more involved than much of the band's work, and is certainly the most diverse and interesting album since One Way Ticket to Hell...and Back for me. The songs just seem to have more depth to them overall, with the more diverse arrangements and additional instrumentation making for a varied and interesting listen.

The more diverse songwriting style rears its head from the off, with lead single Rock and Roll Deserves to Die mixing soft and hard rocking sections throughout. Much of the song is far from the bombastic rock that The Darkness are known for, with a folky intro that gives way to an acoustic-based verse. Justin Hawkins has a very diverse voice in my opinion, and is at home singing gentle passages as much as he is hitting his famous falsetto high notes. His verse delivery is extremely controlled, with a lovely shimmering quality that fits in well with acoustic guitar whimsical-isms; before he and his brother strap on their electric guitars for a meaty riff that makes up a portion of the song's chorus - which definitely channels their love of early Queen. Justin Hawkins can still hit some ridiculously high notes, and that is demonstrated throughout the track - with the whole band harmonising well with him. The song constantly switches back and forth between the calmer sections and the all-out rock parts - although tends to stick to a heavier gear as the song moves towards the end as the speed increases. There is lots of great classic rock-style guitar soloing going on towards the end - which ensures the song ends with a bang. Acoustic guitars are a big feature of the album, and while not every song has specific acoustic-dominated sections, they seem to be ever-present in the mix which adds depth throughout. How Can I Lose Your Love is a good example of this. The song is more of a rocker, but the chorus is allowed to sit back on a delicate acoustic pattern while the band, gently, crashes around it and Justin Hawkins delivers some great AOR-esque vocal melodies. Another thing that is clear from this song is that the band have gone for a clearer production style this time around. Pinewood Smile was a very raw-sounding album, but this one sounds much bigger - with more keyboards etc. used throughout to bulk up the sound. In fact there are occasional shades of One Way Ticket to Hell...and Back throughout, and I feel that this track in particular would have fitted nicely on that album. It is an extremely bombastic piece, with some driving hard rock riffs and plenty of vocal gymnastics - with the soaring chorus being the icing on the cake. Live 'til I Die is a bit more of a laid back piece, with Dan Hawkins laying down a chugging guitar pattern throughout and Justin Hawkins singing the lyrics in his off-hand, tongue-in-cheek style. It is not as bombastic as the opening couple of numbers, but still is packed full of the band's signature style. The chorus again features some melodic falsetto vocals, and the occasional burst of Thin Lizzy-esque twin lead guitar shows that the band are still happy to wear their influences on their sleeves.

Taylor's strident, round-the-kit drumming opens Heart Explodes before he is joined by the two guitarists who lay down a heroic classic rock motif. From the intro you would be forgiven for thinking that the song is going to be a straight up rocker, but like many of the songs here it keeps you guessing. The acoustic guitars are a big part of the song again, with the chorus taking on a real folky flavour with some busy acoustic guitar melodies for Justin Hawkins to croon atop. Some moments of the song recall the hard rock of the intro, including a very Queen-inspired guitar solo section that sees either Justin or Dan Hawkins channelling their inner Brian May with some thin licks, but much of the song is more laid back which helps it to fit in with the overall feel of the album. Deck Chair is a short, strange song that sees Justin Hawkins singing in an almost-classical style, with a simple acoustic guitar and keyboard backing. It sounds like nothing that has ever appeared on a Darkness album before, and instead sounds more like something that a 1950s crooner might sing - albeit with some extremely silly lyrics. There is a strange, effects-heavy guitar solo part way through which does remind you that you are listening to a rock album - but mostly this song acts as a bit of a mid-album change of pace. The album's title track is up next and immediately grabs your attention with a fast-paced heavy guitar riff and some driving drumming from Taylor. It is one of the most in-your-face tracks on the album, with less of the diversity featured throughout the rest of the material. In many ways the song sounds more like something that could have appeared on Pinewood Smile, although the production is lusher and there is a bit more depth. That being said, after a few tracks that play a little more with structure than average, it is a lot of fun to hear the band really letting rip. Justin Hawkins unleashes lots of hitch-pitched vocal screams throughout the song, and him and Dan really team up nicely throughout for lots of meaty riffs and guitar leads. Up next is Heavy Metal Lover, which is one of my favourite songs here. It is filled with Justin Hawkins trademark tongue-in-cheek lyrics, and is based around a crunchy AC/DC-esque riff which kicks in every so often to keep things moving. That being said however, there are still quite a few gentler moments here, with tender verses mixing well with fast-paced punky sections which I imagine are supposed to represent 'heavy metal' - although it is somewhat tame. It is all clearly done in jest however, and it works well to create a strange song that is made up of lots of distinct sections. I love the song's chorus, which starts off with a fairly simple chug; before moving into a bluesy, Aerosmith riff-led section with some Axl Rose-esque vocals. All in all it is a whole lot of fun, and should really become a staple of the band's setlists going forward.

In Another Life is a more whimsical piece that opens with some breezy acoustic guitar strumming and some gorgeous bluesy guitar leads. It is the album's ballad, but it still finds time for grandness as everything builds towards another winning chorus that sees huge vocal harmonies give everything a massive boost - before fading back into some more of the bluesy playing from the intro. The Darkness have written some excellent ballads over the years, but I feel that this one might be one of their very best. I just love the chorus, as the vocal melodies are so infectious and later renditions of it also feature some more of that Queen-esque guitar style. Choke On It opens with what sounds like old Morse Code, but soon opens up with a chugging guitar pattern and simple drum beat. Much of the grandness found throughout the album is stripped back here and instead is replaced by a more in-your-face hard rock sound that at times recalls Black Shuck from the band's debut album. It is that sort of riff-based rocker anyway, with a guitar-heavy sound and a screaming hard rock chorus. With a title like Choke On It I certainly did not expect subtly, and that is certainly not something that you could accuse the song of being. There is a strange bit towards the end however were Justin Hawkins starts singing in what sounds like a Scouse accent - but I am not sure why! The Darkness have always been a quirky band, and I assume that this is just another of their little jokes. The album is a compact one at under 40 minutes in length, and it comes to a close with We are the Guitar Men which sounds a bit like a companion piece to Rock and Roll Deserves to Die - meaning that the album closes as it opens. The acoustic guitar-led sections are back in a big way here, and the grandness also returns - with Queen-esque choirs and a few synth leads and patterns throughout. It never ramps up as much as the album's opening song however, but instead focuses on creating a big sound by layering lots of instruments and vibes on top of each other. It works really well however, and does a great job of exposing the more progressive side of the band's songwriting. There is also a lengthy guitar solo, which is unsurprising given the song's title, which is another strong moment of excess in a song packed full of grandeur and soaring goodness. Overall, Easter is Cancelled is another strong album from The Darkness - and in my opinion it may be their best since their 2011 reunion. I have enjoyed their three previous efforts, but I felt that the band have never quite managed to match their early heights. This album comes the closest however, and I feel that this is a collection of songs I am going to be listening to a lot over the coming months.

The album was released on 4th October 2019 via Canary Dwarf Limited/Cooking Vinyl Limited. Below is the band's promotion video for Rock and Roll Deserves to Die.