Darkest Hour

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the phrase coined by British prime minister Winston Churchill to describe a period during World War II, see The Darkest Hour.

This article or section is missing citations and/or footnotes. Please help improve this article by providing appropriate sources according to Wikipedia's style guidelines and policies regarding neutral point of view, original research, and verifiability. (help)

Darkest Hour is a metalcore currently signed to Victory Records. The band is officially based in Washington, DC, but several of the members live in Richmond, Virginia. Their sound is akin to classic European metal acts such as At the Gates, but it is noted for the incorporation of elements of punk and hardcore music. Over the years they have toured with many influential acts, including The Crown, Zao, Dillinger Escape Plan, and Thrice. They also played 2004's Ozzfest.

[edit] History

The band began as the conception of guitarist Mike Schleibaum. There were various member changes before a first line-up emerged and the band played its first show on September 23rd, 1995, when most of the members were still in high school. In addition to Mike Schleibaum, the original lineup consisted of vocalist John Henry, drummer Matt Maben, and bassist Raul Mayorga. This version of the band released much darker and slower brooding music compared to their current, melodic metal sound. Their original sound has been compared to bands such as Bloodlet and Damnation a.d., who were undoubtedly both influences. The band released its very first CD, The Misanthrope, in the summer of 1996 on tiny local label Death Truck Records. In 1998 Darkest Hour released another EP entitled The Prophecy Fulfilled, on the slightly-less-tiny DC label Art Monk Construction. The new EP marked the beginning of the evolution of Darkest Hour's sound, specifically the introduction of the Swedish metal influence. This sound solidified with the addition of drummer Ryan Parrish, bassist Billups Allen, and second guitarist Fred Ziomek, culminating in the band's first full-length LP, The Mark of the Judas, which was released in the summer of 2000. Because their sound has changed so much, the band tends to quietly ignore their first EPs and instead refers to The Mark of the Judas as "our first record".

The Mark of the Judas was a major step for Darkest Hour, and many fans continue to say it is their favorite Darkest Hour album, but the record was not widely distributed or promoted because the label that released it, M.I.A. Records, went out of business shortly after the album's release. However, the band had garnered enough attention at that point to catch the ear of Victory Records, who scooped them up after M.I.A.'s collapse. Darkest Hour released their Victory debut, So Sedated, So Secure, in 2001. After the release of So Sedated, Billups was replaced by Paul Burnette on bass, and Fred also left the band. Darkest Hour continued to tour with Schleibaum's longtime friend Mike Garrity filling in on second guitar while they looked for a permanent replacement. When they finally accepted Ryan's old friend Kris Norris as the new permanent guitar player, they began to write the next record.

Kris's influence on the songwriting caused a shift away from the band's hardcore influences to a more purely metal sound. This shift was amplified when the band chose to record their next album with noted Swedish metal producer Fredrik Nordström. As a result, 2003's Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation gained much more attention from the traditional metal scene, to the point that Darkest Hour was asked to play 2004's Ozzfes. Interestingly, even though Hidden Hands marks the decline of the band's hardcore influence, it is the first Darkest Hour album with overtly political lyrics, with several songs criticizing American militarism post-September 11th.

Darkest Hour are notorious for on-stage ferocity, taut guitar interplay and enraged vocals that outline the hypocrisy and casual brutality of politics and society. Their prior releases on Victory Records set benchmarks in the genre as the band embraced the DIY ethics of the hardcore scene and the technical skill of metal, galvanizing their own path and earning fans from both sides of the fence. While Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation (2003) attacked the duplicity of government, So Sedated, So Secure (2001) skewered organized religion and rampant commercialism. On Undoing Ruin, the latest chapter in the Darkest Hour story, themes of healing and moving forward are prevalent. “It’s our first album that isn’t overtly political, though we did record “District Divided” which deals with the rapid gentrification in our hometown, Washington DC,” commented guitarist Mike Schleibaum, “The album is about change, personal and musical. The name, Undoing Ruin, fit the concept – it’s about making life worth living again.”

Undoing Ruin was produced by Devin Townsend of Strapping Young Lad at Greenhouse Studios in Vancouver. Townsend, famous for his work in his own band as well his production role with Lamb of God and Soilwork, brought new definition to the signature Darkest Hour sound. “Unlike what some might think, Devin didn’t try to change our sound, but honed it, and helped us make a more concise album. He also was able to bring out the atmospheric side when it was needed and the shred side when it was called for.” explained Schleibaum. The result is an album that’s the most introspective and musically intricate work by the band to date, while maintaining their signature raw intensity.

The band is still continuing to develop their sound, as shown with their new record, 'Undoing Ruin', released June 28th, 2005. The album has received critical acclaim from critics and fans alike.

At a recent show, the band announced they will be back in Vancouver in early 2007 to work on a new record.

[edit] Members

Although John Henry and Mike Schleibaum are the only original members, the band didn't have a solid line-up until Billups Allen, Ryan Parrish, and Fred Ziomek joined the band in 1999. This would be the band's first line-up to release a full length album, 2000's The Mark of the Judas. The band would remain fairly solid until 2002, when Billups Allen and Fred Ziomek left the band. Paul Burnette quickly filled the shoes of Allen, while the band searched for months for a suitable replacement for Ziomek. eventually gaining Ryan Parrish`s long term friend Kris Norris.

[edit] Current line-up

• John Henry - Vocals (1995-)
• Mike Schleibaum - Guitar (1995-)
• Kris Norris - Guitar (2003-)
• Paul Burnette - Bass (2001-)
• Ryan Parrish - Drums (1999-)

[edit] Previous members

• Matt Maben - (1995-1999) Drums on The Misanthrope and The Prophecy Fulfilled.
• Raul Mayorga - (1995-1999) Bass on The Misanthrope and The Prophecy Fulfilled.
• Billups Allen - (1999-2001) Bass on the untitled split 7", The Mark of the Judas, and So Sedated, So Secure.
• Fred Ziomek - (1999-2002) Guitar on the untitled split 7", The Mark of the Judas, So Sedated, So Secure, and Where Heroes Go to Die.
• Mike Garrity - (2002) Guitar. Garrity did not, however, appear on any recordings, as he was a temporary replacement between Fred Ziomek and Kris Norris.
• Tom Lythgne - (1995) Guitar. Played VERY briefly with the band before the initial line-up was set.
• Kevin Lamiel - (1995) Bass. Also played very briefly with the band.

[edit] Related projects

• Battery - Mid-nineties DC straight edge band - Mike Schleibaum toured with them as a 2nd guitarist late in their career.
• City of Caterpillar - Richmond, VA screamo band that Ryan Parrish was in before joining Darkest Hour.
• Corn on Macabre - A grindcore band formed by Billups after leaving Darkest Hour.
• Crackhead - An older band of Paul Burnette.
• Cropduster - John Henry plays guitar for this band.
• Days Lost - Northern Virginia metallic hardcore band, featuring Matt Maben on drums. Also featured Dan from Age Of Ruin.
• Disinterment - Ryan Parrish and Kris Norris's pre-Darkest-Hour melodic death metal band.
• Fighting Chance - Baltimore based oi!/street punk band featuring Matt Maben on drums. After numerous lineup changes, the band changed their style to hardcore punk and began calling themselves Spit On Your Grave.
• First Offense - A band that featured Matt Maben on drums.
• Four on the Floor - This band apparently features all the members of Darkest Hour.
• Hell To Pay - Matt Maben currently drums for this band, a Baltimore based old-school hardcore band.
• Hot New Dance Hits - Another Paul Burnette band before Darkest Hour.
• Indivision - A DC-area hardcore band that Mike Schleibaum was in before Darkest Hour.
• Locus Factor - Kris Norris' side project. Features members of GWAR.
• My Best Mistake - A short-lived emo/rock band featuring John Henry, Mike Schleibaum, and members of Battery.
• Nitro Tokyo - A "sleazy, sweaty, whiskey-soaked rock and roll" band featuring Mike Schleibaum and Mike Garrity.
• Spit On Your Grave - One of Matt Maben's current bands.
• Suppression - A chaotic, spastic grind band, currently a two-piece featuring Ryan Parrish.
• Wake Up Cold - Matt Maben was a touring member of this band before their breakup.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Full-lengths

Album Cover	Date of Release	Title	Label	US Billboard Peak	US sales
Image:Judas-medium.jpg	July 18, 2000	The Mark of the Judas	M.I.A. Records
Image:Sedated-medium.jpg	April 2001	So Sedated, So Secure	Victory Records
	May 20, 2003	Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation	Victory Records
	June 28, 2005	Undoing Ruin	Victory Records	#138
	March 7, 2006	So Sedated, So Secure (reissue)	Victory Records
Cover	October 3, 2006	Archives	A-F Records

[edit] EPs

• The Misanthrope (1996), Death Truck Records
• The Prophecy Fulfilled (1999), Art Monk Construction Records

[edit] Splits

• A Split Seven Inch (1999) Split with Groundzero, East Coast Empire Records
• Where Heroes Go to Die (2001) Split with Dawncore, Join the Team Player Records
• Split Seven Inch (2004) Split with Set My Path, April 78 Records

[edit] External links

• Official Darkest Hour Website