The Darkness

The Darkness: Permission To LandPermission To Land (2003)
Warner Music Group

Reviewer Rating: 3.5

User Rating:

Contributed by: CosCos
(others by this writer | submit your own)
Published on October 14th 2003This one is for all you punks who've been flogging Andrew WK around for the past two years as the savior of rock n' roll, when really, he's just the new Wesley Willis with a better backing band. With all the "return to rock" stylings happening in America with the aforementioned WK, the Donnas and t.

This one is for all you punks who've been flogging Andrew WK around for the past two years as the savior of rock n' roll, when really, he's just the new Wesley Willis with a better backing band. With all the "return to rock" stylings happening in America with the aforementioned WK, the Donnas and the like, the English give us The Darkness: bigger, louder, with really fucking bad teeth.

The Darkness are probably the best and worst thing to happen to music--no wait, the worst thing is Dashboard Confessional. The Darkness are just rehashing 70's and 80's heavy metal, sounding like a bombastic mix of AC/DC, Iron Maiden, and Queen. They have a singer who struts around in leopard print cat suits and might just be the ugliest rock star since Ozzy Osbourne. The bassist looks like a refugee from the Village people. And they're British--really, really bad teeth.

Musically, "Permission to Land" is the most over-the-top rock album in at least a decade. Justin Hawkins vocals can only be described as the most brutal falsetto ever in rock. Picture on opera singer on stage with Def Leppard. Hearing this guy sing "Get your hands off my woman MOOOTHEERFUUUUUUUCKEEEER!!!" is enough to cause a ten car pile up on the Hollywood Freeway. Be sure to check out the Maiden stylings of "Black Chuck"--"That dog don't give a fuck" and the sheer cock rock goodness of the lead single, "I Believe in a Thing Called Love."

This is truly a band that goes up to 11. Seriously, its funniest and most entertaining music I've heard in a long time. I can't wait to see what they come up with live...

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

Anonymous (March 26, 2006)

good points for the album cover!

Anonymous (March 26, 2006)

i love this cd, thats why i give it a bad score
they SUCK and i LOVE IT!!!
just try singing along and playing air guitar to it,
and jump up and down- scream your head off in that AWESOME english funny voice....
i KNOW you'll have the best time in a long time
and laugh at them....they ARE a joke and they kick ass!

Anonymous (October 7, 2005)

the reviewer has really bad taste in music.

Anonymous (April 13, 2005)

The darkness rocks.

pasha (February 14, 2005)

great review, seeing it perfectly. Although the band plays great music, the singing is to say the least weird but it sounds good.

Anonymous (February 1, 2005)

Thar style is like jimmy pages from led zepplen and i think it is relly good and thay should keep it up.

Anonymous (February 1, 2005)

Thay are a relly good band and thay are rell cool dude

heartandrazor (June 25, 2004)

fuck the darkness what the fuck kind of name is that anyway..why the hell would you want to try and immitate an 80's band and suck at it..i guess i just dont get it..maybe its supposed to be absollutly fucking horrendous..and justin hawkins might as well be justin timberlake hes a fag

Anonymous (June 6, 2004)

the darkness are not a joke. anyone whos listened to the entire album should know this. they're just not uptight like most bands

Anonymous (May 12, 2004)

the darkness just come across to me as the whole thing being a big joke that no one, them, included, "gets." an entire joke band? me first and the gimme gimmes are the only joke band that should be around. besides, hair metal died once. does it really have to be killed again?

Anonymous (January 31, 2004)

i don't understand y people have to take music so seriously, this is just a band who want 2 have fun n piss about, y do people find it so hard to understand.
Jebus shibby!!!

Anonymous (January 23, 2004)

the darkness have overtaken the UK we cannot allow the US to fall to the same fate!

Anonymous (January 23, 2004)

I like this band. I also like KISS, Def Leppard and AC/DC. In fact, the first record (literally) I ever owned was Pyromania. I grew up during the '80s metal and early thrash (Exodus, Slayer, Metallica, etc.) era so this record tuggs at my heart.

It's funny hearing some of you guys (who were 3 or 4 years old when Nevermind was released) talk shit about music that you never experienced "in the flesh." Something like 'Hell's Bells' may sound trite and trashy to you now, but it was the epitome of cutting edge rebellion in the early '80s.

Anonymous (January 13, 2004)

they're making fun of hair metal, something hair metal did better then anyone will ever be able to. That said hair metal is fucking bomb and this CD is a fine example.

Anonymous (January 3, 2004)

What the flying fuck!!? this album is average and should stay that way.
It's tacky cock-rock, you may as well listen to Bon Jovi.

Anonymous (December 21, 2003)

Average band, average musicians, average live show, unfortunately above average amount of media hype and attention.

Anonymous (December 16, 2003)

This is definitely one of the best albums of the year. When I first heard it, I couldn't stop laughing at the singer's voice; now when I hear it, I can't stop wanting to jump on things and playing air guitar.
Just bad ass: the singer/lead guitarist said that he formed this band because no one really gets out there and rocks anymore.
Too true.
And as for the AWK/Darkness debate, these guys actually vary the way their songs sound, unlike Mr. WK.

Anonymous (November 17, 2003)

these guys are great!
-benz

Anonymous (November 17, 2003)

lets play a game called talk about the record.

i really want to know what people think about this record.

not what it sounds like or how much you like/dislike ac/dc.

comments on the music? anybody?

Anonymous (October 20, 2003)

i work at a pizza place where i hear this album constantly. i dont understand......

Anonymous (October 20, 2003)

i work at a pizza place where i hear this album constantly. i dont understand......

Anonymous (October 20, 2003)

Kickin da fricken ass

Anonymous (October 18, 2003)

joy division...new order, who cares. the confusion is reasonable.

and the second one was a joke dumbass, lighten up.

funkisdead (October 18, 2003)

this is just fun rock music. these guys are just fucking around... they know that what they do is a joke. that makes it funny. its a conscious mockery of '80s metal through imitation and exageration.

and no one said that the faint sound like joy division. no one. there was a new order comparison... maybe you guys should read more.

and i hate andrew wk, a whole lot.

Anonymous (October 18, 2003)

seriously, quit saying The Faint sound like Joy Division, they sound nothing like them.

they sound like Orgy.

Anonymous (October 18, 2003)

"BSD is right. Most of the punk originators DID hate AC/DC. To them they were just like KISS, who deserve no respect from anyone."

Yes and like Led Zeppelin: Bloated rock stars.

dont_think_twice (October 18, 2003)

also, Kill Bill is my new favourite movie.

dont_think_twice (October 18, 2003)

AC/DC > you and your favourite pet

Anonymous (October 17, 2003)

BSD is right. Most of the punk originators DID hate AC/DC. To them they were just like KISS, who deserve no respect from anyone.

In hindsight though, AC/DC do rock the house off.

Anonymous (October 17, 2003)

You cant blame people like BSD for knowing nothing about music. HIs generation has grown up on Blink 182 and Goldfinger...While I grew up on Nirvana and Guns N Roses. AC/DC kicks ass....so why dont you go crawl up into a ball in the corner and listen to your Reel Big Fish record. Pussy.

Anonymous (October 17, 2003)

"Hahhahaha... You know nothing of what you speak of... All of the punk originators hated AC/DC, and with good reason. Bad rock n roll is bad rock n roll. -BSD"

LOL..you obviously are not a music historian. Angus influenced a lot of those cats playing. And just because Johnny Rotten hated them does not mean everybody did. Rotten is a stupid wanker with a weedy chief for the record.

Anonymous (October 17, 2003)

Hahhahaha... You know nothing of what you speak of... All of the punk originators hated AC/DC, and with good reason. Bad rock n roll is bad rock n roll.

-BSD

Anonymous (October 17, 2003)

"does anyone else realize that AC/DC is crap? Quit sucking their dicks."

Any current rock, punk rock, heavy metal, thrash metal, etc., etc., etc., etc. band you like would not exist if it weren't for AC/DC. Love 'em or hate 'em they were massively influential. So you don't have to like 'em but you MUST RESPECT 'EM.

And for the record I think they completely kick ass.

Anonymous (October 16, 2003)

What the hell is everybody talking about? These guys sound nothinglike AC/DC.....The faint sounding like Joy Division?...shut the fuck up idiot.

Anonymous (October 16, 2003)

does anyone else realize that AC/DC is crap? Quit sucking their dicks.

Anonymous (October 16, 2003)

"we got The Faint copying Oingo Boingo"

Nope, that's New Order.

"and now The Darkness trying to be Journey. "

Sorry, its Darkness either trying ot be the gay AC/DC, or the straight Queen. Get it right.
--Cos

Anonymous (October 16, 2003)

The NUGE is not impressed...

Anonymous (October 15, 2003)

As if we dont have enough bands ripping-off past genres, we get this shit. We got the strokes with no talent copying the velevet underground, we got The Faint copying Oingo Boingo , The Vines wishing they were Nirvana, and now The Darkness trying to be Journey. Everybody wants this whole fucking musical revolution, well its not going to happen when people keep recycling old shit.

fakesmile (October 15, 2003)

"Dont bother with this over hyped crap go buy the AC/DC catalog or Turbonegro
"Apocalypse Dudes""

seconded. this is crap.