Rival Sons' 'Darkfighter' - Album Review

It is certainly fair to say that I was very late to the Rival Sons party. I had been aware of the California-based rock band for many years - and saw them live at the second and final iteration of the High Voltage Festival in London in 2011. The band played a set early in the day on the Main Stage, hot on the heels of releasing their second album Pressure & Time, but, at the time, they did little for me. With the exception of a handful of bands including The Answer, who I also saw at the same festival the previous year, I just was not that into bluesy, retro-sounding rock at the time. The throwback acts I tended to go for then were much more classic rock and glam metal based, so a whole generation of more Led Zeppelin-esque bands passed me by. Despite this, though, it was great to see the band grow in stature over the years. Rival Sons might not have been my thing, but a newer rock band getting a lot of press and building a fanbase is never a negative - and they have become pretty popular here in Europe over the years. Despite being aware of their stature, I essentially ignored all of the band's output until 2017 - when I saw them supporting Black Sabbath on the latter's farewell tour. I was not expecting much from Rival Sons, but went into their set with an open mind and ended up enjoying it. It was clear that the band had come a long way since 2011, and their sound felt more varied to me - plus they just seemed more assured on stage, complete with a keyboard player in tow to bulk out their sound. I picked up 2016's Hollow Bones, which was the band's newest album at the time, not long after seeing them - and enjoyed listening to it casually on occasion. My view on the band had changed, but I was not ready to fully take the plunge at that point. I think it was 2020, and the lockdowns, which finally persuaded me to dive in. I discovered a lot of music in 2020, largely as there was not a whole let else to do, and I finally bought the whole Rival Sons catalogue over a period of a few months and enjoyed going back through it. I would now consider myself quite a big fan of the band, although I am still certainly no expert. I need more time with all of their albums, but I am now an active follower - and have tickets to see them in London later in the year. A new album to enjoy was all that was missing, then, but last month the band released their seventh album Darkfighter - their first release since 2019's Feral Roots. Darkfighter appears to be the first of two 'linked' albums, with its companion piece Lightbringer due for release in the near future (although no date has been given as yet), and is the first Rival Sons album that I have bought on release. Sound-wise, it is not significantly different from what has come before - but, by this point, Rival Sons have established their sound and have become much more than a retro throwback. A blues rock group at heart, Rival Sons have always had an organic rawness to their songs - and there is quite a bit of soul to be found, too. The core four alongside aforementioned keyboardist Todd Ögren, who seems to possibly now be a fully-fledge Son rather than a session musician, have created another strong album with Darkfighter - which rocks pretty hard at times whilst also indulging in the occasional more progressive flourish despite its relatively short overall length.

Despite the album being typically guitar-led, opening track Mirrors actually starts with Ögren - whose organ textures create a warmth as the album slides into view. Despite this fairly gentle opening, the song soon morphs into a big hard rocker - and the arrangement is pretty dynamic, showcasing that slightly progressive flair from the off. Guitarist Scott Holiday takes over from Ögren, his off-kilter riff creating a catchy groove, whilst the rhythm section of bassist Dave Beste and drummer Michael Miley lock in perfectly with this bluesy strut. Ögren adds colour when necessary, the slab-like ends of each riffing cycle augmented by organ stabs, whilst frontman Jay Bachanan showcases his love of a soulful vocal delivery as he worms his way in between the guitar lines during the head-bobbing verses. These verses are pretty knotty, but they grab the attention right away - and the chorus which sits in between them is allowed to feel more epic as a result, building from a warm acoustic pre-chorus which explodes into something hooky, organ-drenched, and classic rock-inspired. The grooves of the rest of the song drop away during the chorus, with big power chords instead shining through. A tortured Holiday solo showcases his sometimes strange approach to lead playing, but it fits nicely within the song's dynamic arrangement - and it ensures that the album gets off to a great start. Lead single Nobody Wants to Die reins in the varied arrangement of the previous song, ups the pace, and focuses more on hooks. Rival Sons have often written no-nonsense hard rockers - and this is the latest effort in such a line of successful singles. Holiday's riffing here is more straight forward, with brash, bluesy melodies sounding nice and raw thanks to his tone - whilst the fat bass riffing of Beste drives everything and gives the song a heavier overall edge. Buchanan's vocals are right at the front of the mix, too, and this is very much a song which focuses on his strong delivery and snappy hooks. The pace of the song allows the verses to feature a rollocking vocal performance - whilst the chorus is one that grabs hold and never lets go. The song is likely to become a live favourite as a result, and the uncomplicated arrangement makes for a great single. Bird in the Hand strips the harder rock riffing of the opening two songs away, and instead somewhat goes for a more organic, acoustic based sound at times - which is smashed together with 1960s fuzz to create something that feels raw. Acoustic instruments dominate early on, despite a strong percussive stomp, but much of the song is based around a snaking guitar pattern - backed by Miley's booming drums and a hint of retro keyboards. The song still feels pretty hard rocking, then, but the overall vibe is different from the opening numbers. There is a smokiness to parts of the track, and the occasional surfacing of the intro's acoustic instruments allows the aforementioned rawness to maintain a presence, but there are still plenty of hooks - and the chorus feels a bit fuller overall thanks to a poppy Buchanan vocal which meshes perfectly against Holiday's gnarly guitar tone. Despite this mix of sounds, Bird in the Hand manages to hang together - and the song has become a favourite thanks to its mix of hooks and organic sounds.

Bright Light slows down somewhat, and expands on the acoustic elements of the previous song. Acoustic guitars are present throughout the track, adding depth, but it never really feels like a ballad - with the song instead feeling like a good mix of laid back bluesy rock and with a chorus hook that is not too dissimilar from something the Eagles might have come up with if they had more of a blues and gospel background. It is this chorus that really allows the song to shine for me. Buchanan is quite a varied singer, but his poppier edge shines here - mixing well with Ögren's organ backing and the tight mix of electric and acoustic guitars. Rival Sons might sound their best when they are operating at full-tilt, and I tend to prefer the band's harder rock efforts, but they also do this amped-up singer-songwriter sound very well. Their sense of melody suits that generally mournful sound, but they manage to inject enough of their rock sensibilities to keep interest levels high. Another slightly strange Holiday guitar solo adds an unsettling edge to parts of the song, too, and this contrasts nicely with the wistful chorus hooks. Rapture opens with a somewhat fuller sound, but it is another that ultimately is not all that much of a hard rocker. The opening riff is quite meaty, but the song in general is a varied, mid-paced bluesy piece that mixes soulful, guitar-led instrumental sections with acoustic moments that feature a rather plaintive Buchanan vocal. The verses feature a prominent drum groove, which feels like the main focal point, whilst Beste's bass snakes around in the space and Holiday adds choppy rhythms in the background. This is a strange bed for Buchanan's vocals, but it works nicely as he fits his vocal lines around the big snare hits - whilst the acoustic sections allow for additional warmth as the band step back to allow Buchanan to really shine. The song also features a more typical guitar solo from Holiday, who really cuts loose to lay down some bluesy melodies. The solo is quite brief, but it really soars - and it perfectly transitions into a heavier rendition of the previous acoustic sections, which feature some pretty raw screams from Buchanan as the song grows in stature. Those missing the harder rocking side of the band will love Guillotine, and the muscular song returns to something more akin to how the album opened. Despite this, though, the song is not exactly a snappy rocker - as its overall pace is fairly slow. Holiday channels Tony Iommi a little here, though, as his riffs have a bit of a doomy quality throughout. Black Sabbath started out as a blues band, so this heavier take on blues works - and a gritty verse grows from this riffing, with Beste's bass pulsing whilst Buchanan sings over a sparse backing. This only serves to make the riffing sound bigger when Holiday kicks back in, and other sections feature Holiday really powering through the mix - whilst Buchanan channels his inner Robert Plant and Miley unleashes some Ian Paice-esque jazzy drum rolls. This heaviness, despite the occasional acoustic-led moment, ensures that the song is another favourite of mine - and it is great hearing the band really go for it here.

There are only two songs left at this point, but both breach the six minute mark - meaning that the band have left their most expansive efforts until last. Horse's Breath is up first, which opens with buzzing keyboards that slowly loom into view - creating a strong atmosphere which suits the darker vibes that the band seem to be going for here. The keyboards still sound suitably-retro, though, and they maintain this atmospheric approach throughout - even when the rest of the band soon crash in. Holiday's main guitar riff is surprisingly hooky given how atmospheric the song is - but the melodies work well to contrast with the rest of the darkness going on around them. This riff is purely a hook, though, and does not go on to form the basis of either the verses or the chorus - with the former channelling the intro's darkness despite a slightly punky drum groove which Buchanan effortlessly croons over. Beste's bass playing is busy, whilst the guitars add a heavier depth - and Holiday does break into the main riff occasionally to break up the darkness. The chorus is similar mood-wise, but it features some of Buchanan's strongest vocal hooks on the album. They are pretty simple, but they have stuck in the brain from the off - and even before the song made a big impression on me I could remember the chorus hook clearly. There is something resigned about Buchanan's vocal delivery here, but this fits in nicely with the overall atmospheric depth of the song - and Ögren's understated keyboard work underpins everything and creates the song's unsettling overall feel as his synths crackle away. Closing out the album, Darkside sees Holiday returning to a doomy sound - and the song's main riff crashes in following the synths of the previous song fading out slowly. It gives the listener a real kick, then, but the song is another varied one overall - and the heavy riff actually gives a bit of false impression early on. Holiday briefly lets rip as the song opens, then, but the lengthy verse which follows is one of the album's most stripped back moments. Buchanan almost whispers his vocals here, and the musical backing is extremely minimal with some distant keyboards and the occasional clean guitar line all that is heard. This could not be more different from the opening riff, but the contrast works well - and when the riff reappears a little later it has a similarly powerful impact as it really jumps out of the speakers. This pattern repeats itself, albeit with the second verse feeling a little more expansive, but generally the mix of heavy, slow riffing and exposed vocals is what characterises the song - before it grows in stature towards the end with a screaming Holiday guitar solo which then morphs into a much heavier take on the song's main vocal hooks with the band really crashing away. The album somewhat ends on a bang, then, although it is left to Buchanan to properly close things out with some wordless humming. As I am still fairly new to much of Rival Sons' catalogue, it is hard to say where Darkfighter sits in the canon - but there is a lot to like here and the album says a lot in its 40 minute runtime. I like the slightly progressive leanings at times, but the rawness of the band's core sound still shines through - and the album generally feels like one by a band confident to do exactly what they want.

The album was released on 2nd June 2023 via Low Country Sound/Atlantic Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Nobody Wants to Die.