all photos by Ian DittbrennerGimme a D! Gimme an Arkness! Yes, the triumphant return of unitarded Britrock gods the Darkness with Hot Cakes--the band's first album since 2005's totally underrated One Way Ticket To Hell...And Back, and their first with all four original members since 2003's glittering debut Permission To Land--has been cause for headbanging celebration on both sides of the pond. In an Auto-Tuned age when many pundits are wrongly declaring that "rock is dead," it is hair-flippingly, fist-pumpingly thrilling to see that the amazing Justin Hawkins and his band of merry metal men are once again flying the flag--and flying their V guitars--for rock 'n' roll.
Clearly, there are many rock fans out there who still believe in a thing called the Darkness.
But the amped-to-11 Darkness have a softer side, too, and the boys were happy to showcase the kinder, gentler Darkness when they recently stopped by Yahoo! Music to play rare acoustic versions of "I Believe In A Thing Called Love" and two new Hot Cakes cuts, "Every Inch Of You" and "Love Is Not The Answer." Check 'em out here.
The band--Justin Hawkins, his guitar-shredding brother Dan, impressively coiffed bassist Frankie Poullain, and drummer Ed Graham--also sat down for an in-depth and characteristically dry-witted interview, covering their breakup, hiatus, and comeback; their decision to produce Hot Cakes themselves, and what they learned from legendary One Way Ticket producer Roy Thomas Baker; Justin's writing and producing for Adam Lambert, Foxy Shazam, Meat Loaf, and possibly Kelly Clarkson; and how the critical tides are turning as more fans discover and rediscover the Darkness's singular brand of brash, unabashed rock 'n' roll.
Welcome back, boys. You've been missed.
Related links: