ALBUM: Darkcell // ARTIST: Darkcell
Come take a walk on the dark side! Tomorrow, Brissie kings of industrial freak chic Darkcell unveil their long-awaited self-titled album, and it's a daring, devilish delight.
Long revered for their superlative heavy tones and bombastic live shows, Darkcell's output is already that of legend; with three full-lengths, an EP and a remix album in the short space of seven years, the Brisbane quartet's latest self-titled release steps up even further into their own unique stratosphere - abrasive force, infectious hooks and theatrical mayhem abounds on 'Darkcell'. Buckle up kids - here there be rhapsodic monsters.
Intro track 'La Chambre Des Cauchemars' slowly whirrs to life building some heady anticipation; white noise builds into gothic organs and ascending textures, exploding into one of the lead tracks: 'The Great Big Nothing'. Here, Darkcell take full flight with pummelling rhythmics and moody tones swirling relentlessly beneath buzzing riffs and creamy rasps from frontman Jesse Dracman. Nu-metal moments twist amongst the avant-garde, showcasing the group's ability to straddle showmanship with solid writing chops (and shredding your face just the right amount at the same time).
THE GREAT BIG NOTHING (DARKCELL)
Up next we've got 'Reign Of The Monsters' and 'Burn The Witches', a pair of thumping terrors that whip up the frenzy and push Darkcell to their most anthemic waters yet, creeping with menacing electronics, catchy hooks and madcap moments that truly embrace the sublimely chaotic ethos that Darkcell embody.
REIGN OF THE MONSTERS (DARKCELL)
Barreling on, Darkcell's opus cavorts between nu metal ragers ('Scars & Stripes', 'Hail To The Freaks'), heavy industrial blasts ('Godless'), and toe-tapping rockers ('Night Rider', 'Carnevil'). But as the Darkcell adventure slowly comes to a close, 'Sold My Soul' suddenly crawls out with some slinky sass and mixes up proceedings with some heavier grooves for your ears to feast upon, before closing track 'Midnite' dishes up booming beats and gnarly fuzz, ricocheting into your veins and pouring Dracman's compelling vocals over sparser noir instrumentals. 'Midnite' marks a change of pace to the proceeding album, but throws down a fittingly ferocious ending that will still be buzzing in your head hours after the tunes have subsided.
For a band who are synonymous with abrasive rock and the occult, Darkcell have concocted a notably approachable body of work with this self-titled outing. Sure, the Satanic nods and grinding textures are all here and ready to party, but it's the savvy execution beyond any potential gimmicks that highlights why this quartet have whipped up such a loyal following (as well as fans in Slipknot, Rob Zombie and beyond). Darkcell's dedication to evolution is notorious, and their new baby solidifies this as a fact - this is an emphatic, ravenous and measured release that celebrates strength, savagery and flying your inner freak, and it's another triumphant leap forward for the lords of all things dark.
DARKCELL'S SELF-TITLED ALBUM IS OFFICIALLY OUT IN THE WORLD TOMORROW.
FOR MORE INFO, HEAD HERE.
BY TIANA SPETER