REVIEW: The Darkness – Easter is Cancelled (2019 Japanese import)

THE DARKNESS – Easter is Cancelled (2019 Canary Dwarf, Japanese release)

I’m baffled.  I’m truly baffled this time, and I’ve followed The Darkness through thick and thin!  From brightest days to darkest nights.  From Stone Gods to Hot Leg.  And for the first time, The Darkness have thrown me for a loop.

Easter is Cancelled sounds like their rock opera, their big concept album, with gentle acoustics turning into loud bombast.  It looks brilliant on paper, but in practice it sounds more like Tenacious D.  That’s it — this isn’t a Darkness album.  This is what the D should have released instead of whatever Post-Apocalypto was.

Where I used to shout with glee as one gleaming riff gave way to another and then another, now I hear only fragments.  Only portions of great tunes, not completely brilliant tracks front to back.  The top track is actually one of the bonus songs, called “Different Eyes”.  The guitar work on Easter Is Cancelled is consistently stunning, at least.

This review has been painfully hard to write.  I take no pleasure in this.  It took months of agonising to get here.  I don’t want to hate The Darkness.  I want to embrace them — all four of them! — with open arms and heart.  Perhaps one day, I will again.  With all due apologies to Justin, Dan, Frankie and Rufus, this one wasn’t for me.

2/5 stars

I would be neglecting my rock and roll duty if I didn’t report on the Japanese bonus track, “Dancing House”.  It’s only a minute long and it’s…umm…about people dropping in for a party.  It sounds like bad B-52’s.  Really bad B-52’s.  I cannot discern its purpose or reason to exist.

 

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22 comments

  1. After us talking about negative reviews you go and post this! I’ve had The Darkness on hold since Hot Cakes, which I liked but found a bit disposable. Heard some songs from the album after that and just wasn’t interested. Not heard anything since… seems like I’m not missing too much!

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      1. I’ll maybe give it a go if the mood strikes. I did hear a good portion of it and wasn’t that fussed.

        I think it’s one of those Marillion type things. I’ll wait until I get the mojo for them back and then do a bit of catch up. But they’re just not a priority at the moment.

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        1. You know that’s a good way of doing it. I like that way. (Can’t work that way with me and Marillion though because of the whole “collection” thing.)

          I THOUGHT I was taking an Ozzy break but somebody named Deke fucking made me buy a fucking Japanese import! LOL

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  4. You and I so disagree on this one. This is the first one I have gravitated towards since One Way Ticket. I flat out LOVE this album. It was one of my absolute favorites of last year and I still throw it on. I guess we can’t always agree. That’s what keeps things interesting is how we all differ on some of these albums. We don’t all like the same thing which makes for more interesting reading.

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    1. Jade, I’m so glad judging by the comments that so many people love it. Because I love The Darkness and want them to do well! I can’t explain why this album doesn’t click with me and I agonized over my review.

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  6. That can make for a frustrating listen, when it’s part of a great tune, but not fully realized.
    Sort of like how the Leafs & Penguins look lately, great on paper and some strong moments, but just not consistently putting it all together!

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  7. Meh. I’m with you totally here. I saw them again last year too and they were a bit lacklustre (by their skyscraping standards) if I’m being honest; I wouldn’t bother again.

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