The Darkness - One Way Ticket To Hell.... And Back! (REVIEW)
 

So let me just say that I just listened to the new Darkness album and I won't lie.... I'm surprised because they just proved that they aren't going to be a one hit wonder...... I have a feeling about this one. It's going to be huge. To the hard rocking songs, to the songs that sound dedicated to the one and only Queens, and to the couple ballads that sound just great. I'm loving this album twice as much as Permission To Land... Be very optimistic while listening to it, you'll realize that it's simply.... Awesome. Mark my words... It's going to be huge.

Ok so I said I was going to write a review... Hear is what I've heard and have officially taken in...

The Darkness - One Way Ticket To Hell.... And Back

1. One Way Ticket - So just about everyone has heard this one. A pretty simple rocker with a good radio sound. Great song with an interesting guitar solo. It's one of those songs that could take awhile to get into, but once you do, it just sticks to your brain for hours at a time! LOL... 8/10

2. Knockers - Great song! Probably one my favorites off the record. It's chorus is very catchy with Justin singing the high notes with ease. There is a small guitar solo, but the feel of the song is rock with a little country twang involved. Great song! 9/10

3. Is It Just Me? - Another great song.... Great rocking beginning but it wears off towards the chorus. Not a bad feel to it. The guitar solo is my favorite part of this song. It's great, one of the better ones on the album. Enjoy it and soak it in! 7/10

4. Dinner Lady Arms - If you want to call it ballad then fine. It's a softer song, but it certainly keeps up with pace. The chorus is another catchy one with a solid melody that'll have you singing for a long time! Another great guitar solo here with the beginning sounding like something Eddie Van Halen might rip. I like this song a lot and probably could be a single. 9/10

5. Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time - Another softer song with really really catchy guitar parts and added strings and piano. Like, I see the Queen in this song... I remember them mentioning that they've had a lot of Queen influence on this album because of the producer and the studio they were recording in. (Queen's old Studio) It's a cool song with a light guitar solo that really doesn't dissapoint. 8/10

6. Hazel Eyes - A rather cool intro, also sounding like Styxx wrote this one. LOL... It has a Styxx feel to it. Also could sound a little japanese. Before it kicks into the acoustic intro. Then it just jumps into Justin's high pitched singing with bagpipes and all that. I think this is the song that has the most potential to be one of their best songs to date. Couple of guitar solo's in it to add the kick. It's an interesting sounding song! 10/10

7. Bald - Very dark guitar intro with the chant of bells every couple seconds, before kicking into the heavy riff with wailing guitar. First thought to me was... Hells Bells!!!!!! It certainly has an AC/DC feel to it. The chorus is rather catchy. Has a really loud guitar solo before going into the mellow sound of Justin singing and the dark guitar intro. Add another guitar solo in there too. Another song that's just really really awesome. My favorite! 10/10

8. Girlfriend - Got a quick beat at the beginning with decent guitar. Justin has it going at all octaves on this song. The chorus is again very catchy with strings added... Not before adding some brass intrumentation to it also though! Some might consider this to be a filler but even so, the song is not too bad. It has a guitar solo that sounds very different!!!!!! It has a glimpse of the brass and strings involved. Rather cool I'd say though. Again, pretty good song! 7/10

9. English Country Garden - This is the song that I think sounds quite like Queen. Piano intro with a glimpse of guitar. The chorus chants the title of the song with back up vocals that highlight many of Queen's best songs! It has a very fast guitar solo that might just give you shivers. Cool song nonetheless! 8/10

10. Blind Man - Want to put a Queen song on the Darkness album??? Here ya go. Again, added brass with piano and just Justin singing. Later in the song the chants with back up vocals sound JUST LIKE Queen. It's a pretty song. You won't hear any guitar in this song till he end where the outro is rather soft and very beautiful. 8/10


This is the real deal guys... I'm very impressed. I liked Permission To Land to a point but I didn't think a lot of those songs were written with thought and creativity. This album is full of songs that could be huge hits and fans of this band will not be dissapointed. They aren't going anywhere... They are the real deal and I can't wait for this album to get into stores. I have a good feeling about this one! 8.5/10 is what I'd give this album. It could be close to a 9. Please, soak this album in... It's great!




Ryan

The Darkness...finally!!!After all these"Good Charlotte,Simple Plan" treatments every day on MTV,something really pleasant for my ears:)

I've seen the video for the new single recently and I heard Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time on BBC Radio 2 today and though it was great. I've been waiting for this album for what seems like an age. To me this album seems much more polished up and produced than the last album.

Ah well I preordered it from Play.com a while back so this time next week I'll be listening to it!

Took a while for me to get into the latest single, but now I'm a big fan. The video is quality, too. I booked a couple of tickets to see them on their new tour. If it's anything like the winter tour last year, it'll be awesome. Looking forward to getting the new album.

Ryan. Where id you find this? Help me. Pm me! :)

u damn right ryan..Heard the album..it's way too damn good...Hazel eyes and one way ticket are hits..But Bald is a stunning song..huh!! can't get enough of it..Rock'n'roll rules..darkness rulez....

Just listened to it twice through and I can't believe what I'm hearing. I know lets see how high Justin Hawkins can get on the next song, and the next after that, wait he may even break his record again. It's just an album full of high pitched screaming. Permission to Land had one or two decent songs on it to be fair, but so far I'm not impressed by this follow up.

He's not even screaming, it's just wussy falsetto singing.

Ice

Yeah it sounds like someone has whacked him in the balls or somethin'! :p

LOL!!!! :D

I recieved the new album yesterday through the post and listened to it last night when I came home from work. It's way better than the first album and their all songs of hit potential! The guitar work is superb and again better than PTL. Like I said before, this album is alot more polished up compared to the last album and feels much cleaner.

OWTTHAB is a very solid album and regardless of weather or not they have lost the appeal they had with PTL (spandex catsuits, etc), this album will do well for them.

"Bald" is just bone crushing... I've been listening to that song now quite a bit and it's the heaviest song they've released yet. Everytime I listen to this album it just gets better and better! It's going to be big I think!

Ryan

Well I just checked the album charts for this week expecting to see The Darkness shoot straight in at no.1 but to my suprise they didn't even make the top 10. They enterted at No.11, I cannot believe it, maybe its because the 1st single was a bit similar to their previous stuff or the public just didn't take well to it or are sick of The Darkness altogether.

I ordered their new album of play (only £7.99) and I'm hoping (although I've heard it once through already) it will far surpass Permission as a whole. Dan's guitar work seems absolutely superb, right the way through the album.

This album is amazing

every track but my fave is english country garden. just the sheer power of it

Am I the only one who thinks that new album is not so great???

i loved it off one listen. Bald as previously mentioned is absolutely huge, and would probaly be my favourite track, but they are all solid. Nice short, entertaining record.

I've had a good few listens through, now. First impressions were good. It's very solid production, which I think was lacking from Permission to Land. I was a little disappointed with the lack of 'party' songs, the really meaningless, but incredibly catchy. You know, the ‘I Believe in a Thing Called Love ‘,’ Get You Hands off My Woman type, which set The Darkness apart. However, I persisted. It sounds as if they've acknowledged that they’ve made their impression (with PML) and now it's time to have fun. They've experimented with different things this time - instruments, effects, basic song formula. It sounds fresh, and definitely pleases the ear when compared to the shite in the charts at the moment. Certainly, there has been a progression from the pantomime songs from PML. Although I’ve not looked too closely at the lyrics, there’s still that comedy and tongue in cheek, just to a lesser extent. I don't think I'll be the only one to say that the guitar work on this album is fabulous, everything from the solos to the beefy riffs (Is It Just Me?). It is rock and roll.

I’ve come to the conclusion that The Darkness still rock and without doubt these songs are going to sound great live.

Yeah musically the album is superb and like you I think Bald is a monster track, musically its flawless and lyrically its funny but Justin sings it in an agressive kind of way which makes it really come to life. Dinner Lady Arms is a great song too, I will have to start checking the booklet for some of the lyrics though sometimes it impossible to know what he's saying when singing in that high pitched tone and at a good pace.

Oh yeah does anybody know if Dan plays the solo's or does Justin the way it says he's lead guitar in the booklet, or do they share or what?

A horrible band. How anyone listens to that singer and actually enjoys it is beyond me. Any other singer and I might actually like them!
And how on earth can you have 'A One Way Ticket, to Hell and BACK?!
Quite a relief to see the album only going in at No 11!

Well just checked the UK album charts there and The Darkness have dropped from 11 to 34, looks like their popularity is fading, they better hope their second single gets interest in their album a hell of a lot more than the first did. If it is Knockers which I have heard it is that won't do them any favours.

it debuted at number 58 in the U.S. which pleases me.

Justin Hawkins is Austin Powers. The resemblance is quite scary. :?

I'm not a fan of The Darkness

Then why post here then?

I absolutely love this album. "Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time" is easily the best song on it.

Knockers is a great song, had it in my head for days. There is still alot of comedy on the album, especially English country garden and Knockers. I think 'It seemed like such a good idea at the time' is my fave,

Because this is Bon Jovi messageboard?

Ice

Here is my message to bash the Darkness.....

they are just a bunch of copycats.

Sorry, the forum entitled "Other Bands" threw me a bit.

I would have though that one would only reply to posts about bands that they take an interest in. You don't see me posting on Coldplay topics do you?

You thought wrong. IMHO, the Darkness are the worst thing that's happened to rock'n'roll since grunge.

Ice

That is quite a bold statement indeed, considering at least if you hate Justin's singing you have to admit the music is good. Grunge was just sad, depressing and in the case of Nirvana talentless crap.

The music was good on Permission to Land. I dunno about this new album at all! Justin Hawkins is really annoying too! He could be a good singer but he way over does it.

Grunge wasn't exactly the worst thing that happened to rock and roll in my opinion. I'm not really a Grunge fan but a few of the songs are decent. The worst thing that happened to rock n roll was sythesizers which replaced the original talented musicians with, as you said, talentless crap. I have to admit there are songs by good artists that have used sythesizers such as Dancing in the Dark by Bruce, Baba O'Reilly by the Who, etc, but I really think sythesizer's have been used to cover up the fact that many artists have no, or very little talent.

I really, really hate to admit it but their lastest Single, is it just me, it rather good.

Yeah the new single Is It Just Me is great, very funny video too and a hell of a good solo. Still Bald and Dinner Lady Arms are the killer apps for me, might get tickets to see them in Febuary.

Is It Just Me is awesome. Possibly my second favourite on the album, after Hazel Eyes.