“Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation” was my first experience
with Darkest Hour. The music here is a well-executed brand of metalcore with
varied riffs that chug along, but don’t become white noise like many other acts
during this period. In fact, I’d say that many of the riffs and melodies the
guitars create sound as if they could be on a melodic death album, (perhaps a
hint of Soilwork or Night In Gales) The drums are consistently present on this
album. Not once do they become repetitive or just there. I would say that their
presence is definitely the base of their sound to which the band can then layer
the guitars and vocals on top. Speaking of vocals, John Henry has an excellent voice
for the genre. However, given that the sound of this album borders on the verge
of melodic death metal, I found his vocals to become rather tiresome in various
parts of the album. Certain sections could have benefited from a more guttural sound,
while others perhaps could have thrived with some cleaner vocals. Again, they’re
not bad, it’s just they remain the same throughout the album. While the
drumming and guitar playing are constantly fluctuating, it would have been nice
to see the same occur on vocals
All in all, “Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation” this is a nice
offering from Darkest Hour. 2004 was a pretty crowded time for metalcore.
Darkest hour did themselves a favor by putting out a solid effort to help stand
out among the crowd that would only increase and smoother many under the radar
bands from reaching the success they deserved.
Highlights: “Pay Phones and Pills” “The Patriot Virus” “Marching
to the Killing Rhythm”
Rating: 3.5
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