why are so many people convinced that the darkness are "spoofing 80's metal?"

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This question is influenced by the "teen spirit" vs "hey ya" thread, and I considered asking this there, but I don't see what it has to do with that particular argument, and I didn't want to eff up the flow..

It seems to me that The Darkness is a combnation of at least 50 different bands, and almost none of those, if any, are hair metal bands. They don't appeal to "real metalheads" because they don't sound like metal.

There was also an earlier thread where someone wrote "what songs would you suggest for Darkness fans," and nearly everyone posted 80's metal songs - "Talk Dirty To Me," and the like.. I'm really having trouble seeing the connection between The Darkness and those bands.

― billstevejim, Tuesday, 17 February 2004 07:52 (twenty-two years ago)

The riffs?

― Aja (aja), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 07:56 (twenty-two years ago)

What about the riffs?

― billstevejim, Tuesday, 17 February 2004 08:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Simalar?

― Aja (aja), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 08:01 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't hear it in the riffs, not the hair metal aspects at least. I hear some Kiss, but that's more glam than hair metal.

I hear Queen, most obviously. I hear Kiss, Cheap Trick, Rush, some Boston, I hear a lot of The Cure in "Friday Night..." I could keep going..

I don't hear Poison, Motley Crue, Warrant, Winger, Dokken, Jovi, all that good stuff.

― billstevejim, Tuesday, 17 February 2004 08:09 (twenty-two years ago)

shut up?

― Pablo Cruise (chaki), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 09:06 (twenty-two years ago)

so what you really mean is "here's a thread where i get to project my own thoughts about the Darkness onto them and then slag them off for it".
if the Draness sound like any 80s metal at all, its more the NWOBHM end of things, with touches of the G'n'R about them too.

as for real metallers not liking the band. been to any Darkness shows?
sure, its not a sea of black leather and greasy mullets like a Saxon show, but there's as many 'real' metallers at Darkness shows as there are at Motorhead shows these days.

― yayanotherdarknessthread, Tuesday, 17 February 2004 09:09 (twenty-two years ago)

So they do appeal to real metalheads? I had no idea.

The 3 dozen or so threads that include a comment along the lines of "Spinal Tap did it better" surely deserves a "shut up?" more than my comment.

― billstevejim, Tuesday, 17 February 2004 09:19 (twenty-two years ago)

My apologies for not spotting what appears to be the original darkness thread and cluttering shit up.

― billstevejim, Tuesday, 17 February 2004 09:34 (twenty-two years ago)

billstevejim OTM.

― dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 09:35 (twenty-two years ago)

The reason everyone suggested 80s metal on that thread I started was because I ASKED THEM TO! I said "Well OK if the D are rip-offs of 80s metal what 80s metal should I listen to?" - so you can't really blame people for sticking to the phrasing of the question.

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 10:45 (twenty-two years ago)

they're not spoofing it, apparently, according a "Darkness insider" i have occasional email contact with. they, of course are, and i quite like that silly double-bluff, too. but it's seventies glam that they're really mining. interesting in that they do it one way, kompakt does it in another...

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 11:03 (twenty-two years ago)

they remind me more of late 70s american rock, mixed with a little queen and a little mid 80s Van Halen. the appeal to real metalheads because they are trendy, so they are bringing new blood to the scene. Much of this new blood being posessed of breasts makes the bands more farsical ellements pallitable.

― lukey (Lukey G), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 12:00 (twenty-two years ago)

The 3 dozen or so threads that include a comment along the lines of "Spinal Tap did it better" surely deserves a "shut up?" more than my comment.

That would be the same 3 dozen thread that exist nowhere outside your head, I presume.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 12:59 (twenty-two years ago)

They're defintely "spoofing" something. Its completely retro. Everything about their sound is borrowed from somewhere else.

― Johnny Badlees (crispssssss), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 13:50 (twenty-two years ago)

And I mean a band like Nirvana borrowed from The Beatles, Melvins, Pixies but they made it sound like Nirvana.

― Johnny Badlees (crispssssss), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 13:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, and The Darkness, borow from Queen, Slade, Pulp and glam but they make it sound like the Darkness.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 15:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Looks like they had a decent thing going until that last part.

― dleone (dleone), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 15:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Nirvana -- Beatles -- wtf?

― ENRQ (Enrique), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 15:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Would you agree that they're funny? And that it's the result of spoofing something or other?

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 15:38 (twenty-two years ago)

It's not really spoof though, it isn't LOLWTFOMG behaviour -- usually (the xmas song prolly crossed that line).

― ENRQ (Enrique), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 15:39 (twenty-two years ago)

i) occasionally. They're funny less often than they are thrilling or touching or gleeful. ; ii) no.

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 15:40 (twenty-two years ago)

It's sometimes the result of them copying something that was funny in the first place, but that's not 'spoofing' any more than a circus clown now is 'spoofing' Pagliacci.

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 15:42 (twenty-two years ago)

I think they've accentuated the campy / self-aware aspect more than most of their inspirations though: yes yes I *know* Queen were called Queen but still Mr. Mercury didn't mug to the camera in the way that wotsisname does, or as often. But I agree that spoof's not really the right word.

― Tim (Tim), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 15:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Maybe goof? Queen seemed like a a bunch of guys who really wanted to be the champions. Darkness seem like guys who are happy to have the spotlight for their 15-minutes, but probably know it won't be long.

― dleone (dleone), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 15:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes they're much more self-conscious about it. That's cos they're indie though - I said yesterday they are the Metal Orange Juice.

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 15:48 (twenty-two years ago)

dleone - if so that's more a function of the times the bands formed in, being huge world-gobbling stadium champions was a viable deal for a new band in the early 70s in a way it isn't now: short-term MTV darlings is the career model for *everyone* in pop pretty much.

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 15:50 (twenty-two years ago)

No argument there.

― dleone (dleone), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 15:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Also, TS: Kid Rock vs Darkness VS ZZ Top vs Queen.

― dleone (dleone), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 15:54 (twenty-two years ago)

I've only heard a couple songs, but yeah, it seems to me they are SO much more self-conscious about the trappings of rock & roll (whether it's 70s or 80s glam) than the bands they are emulating. Sign of the times and all, sure, but it still seems like something some of my friends would start as a novelty band that got taken really far.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 15:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Queen

(x post)

― Aja (aja), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 15:54 (twenty-two years ago)

"The 3 dozen or so threads that include a comment along the lines of "Spinal Tap did it better" surely deserves a "shut up?" more than my comment."

"That would be the same 3 dozen thread that exist nowhere outside your head, I presume."

I said "along the lines of.." Usually at least one person claims that the concept is just being re-hashed. I, on the other hand, think it's a unique combination of elements, and I've never heard anything quite like them before, even though virtually every one of their songs sounds like a combination of 4 or 5 bands.

And also, I thought a couple of the songs were outrageous, but I wasn't convinced right away that they were intentionally trying to be funny. The video made that obvious, which I still laught at every time I see it. Spinal Tap were performed by actors, which makes their stance more obvious. A huge part of the appeal of The Darkness (and AWK, Turbonegro, and a few others) is that I was never able to figure out right away whether they were kidding or not, which is far more funnier than making it blatant.

― billstevejim, Tuesday, 17 February 2004 15:55 (twenty-two years ago)

why are so many people convinced that the darkness are "spoofing 80's metal?"

For the same reasons I'm convinced that fish prefer water to tomato paste and that Barcelona is in Spain.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 15:56 (twenty-two years ago)

It's quite obvious.

Just listen.

― Aja (aja), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 15:58 (twenty-two years ago)

You couldn't figure out if Turbonegro were kidding or not?!

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 16:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm sorry, but who is that?

― Aja (aja), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 16:01 (twenty-two years ago)

What's the difference between:
(a) the Darkness LP if you've become convinced that they're kidding / spoofing, and
(b) the Darkness LP if you've become convinced that they're deadly serious?

People really seem to care about whether thay're "4REAL" or not, which seems endearing to me.

― Tim (Tim), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 16:01 (twenty-two years ago)

"more funnier" - um, typo..

They're not 100% sincere, obviously, but their sound is taken from GLAM, not hair metal. That's all I'm trying to say.

― billstevejim, Tuesday, 17 February 2004 16:01 (twenty-two years ago)

but their sound is taken from GLAM, not hair metal.

Well, gosh, where do you think HAIR METAL takes its sound from, supagenius?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 16:03 (twenty-two years ago)

I said yesterday they are the Metal Orange Juice.

Right, that's you off my christmas card list, Ewing.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 16:04 (twenty-two years ago)

I think of Glam as David Bowie.

The Darkness doesn't sound like David Bowie.

― Aja (aja), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 16:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Okay, I'll rephrase that: Their sound is taken from Glam and several other genres, but hair metal is not even in the top 3 most representated genres on that record. Glam, power-pop, new wave, then hair metal.

"I think of Glam as David Bowie." - The Sweet, The New York Dolls, Mott The Hoople, they're all in The Darkness. Not so much Bowie.

The first time I ever really experience Turbonegro was in concert - I was so amazed I didn't have much time to think "are they kidding or not?"

― billstevejim, Tuesday, 17 February 2004 16:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Okay, I take that back: switch hair metal with new wave, so its the #3 most represented genre, in my estimation.

― billstevejim, Tuesday, 17 February 2004 16:09 (twenty-two years ago)

I think you've got the order of the genres backwards in the first list.

Glam is last

― Aja (aja), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 16:09 (twenty-two years ago)

"Well, gosh, where do you think HAIR METAL takes its sound from, supagenius?"

No kidding, but there's a distinction between glam and hair metal. That's why they've been given different labels, sugagenius.

― billstevejim, Tuesday, 17 February 2004 16:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, it's obviously not a clear cut distinction if it SOUNDS like glam metal to so many people. That's exactly what I thought when I first heard the single, and still do.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 16:18 (twenty-two years ago)

But then there is meatal in it?

― Aja (aja), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 16:18 (twenty-two years ago)

The reception the Darkness get still really interests me. A band like the Thrills come along who have certain influences and play music in a certain style and while they get criticised for that there's not these discussions about 'spoofing' and 'insincerity' - nobody could possibly doubt that the Thrills are oh-so-sincere.

I think more interesting than whether the Darkness are insincere or original or even good is the question of what is it about 80s Metal that makes the idea of someone playing it so repellent or suspicious (to Darkness nonfans) or enticing (to Darkness fans)? What unresolved baggage does it still have to make its use in modern pop so problematic?

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 16:22 (twenty-two years ago)

I think the vocals send mixed signals for the Darkness. The few songs I've heard by them reminded me more of Cheap Trick than the New York Dolls, but the vocals are totally camp. Hence, I would only classify them as "glam" if I wanted to say the primary thing with glam is that it's camp. And that's one of the things, but maybe not the primary one for me. (x-post)

Also, I'm disappointed by TS didn't garner a response from you Tico.

― dleone (dleone), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 16:22 (twenty-two years ago)

pink spandex

― kephm, Tuesday, 17 February 2004 16:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Skipping 111 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

If the darkness sounded 1/10 as good as Redd Kross' "phaseshifter" album, I'd worship the fuckers!!

Pashmina is a wonderful man. I think I need to listen to some Redd Kross today, actually!

the Darkness are a lot more influenced by glam than by hair metal

I know what he's getting at but I remember how the words were used back in the late eighties and it means this still reads like '50 Cent is a lot more influenced by rap than by hip-hop.'

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 19 February 2004 14:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Yay Redd Kross! Now there's a band!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 19 February 2004 14:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, Redd Kross seem like a more apt point of comaprison than Gwar to me. A spandex-clad, hair-flailing, pop metal brother-led band that the hipsters were allowed to like (or argue about anyway). "neurotica" definitely used a similar visual & musical vocabulary as "permission to land" (not that they sound much alike) but they were doing it in the 80's, and I think they got the same accusations of a) being Retro & b)not taking themselves or Rock or whatever seriously enough... but I don't want to overstate the similarities. I can totally see how you guys could love Redd Kross and hate The Darkness, as they don't really sound all that much alike to me even if they were drawing on a lot of similar ideas.

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Thursday, 19 February 2004 14:50 (twenty-two years ago)

The difference: though they had a sense of humor, Redd Kross were not EXCLUSIVELY a joke/parody/send-up band.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 19 February 2004 14:55 (twenty-two years ago)

...like the Darkness are.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 19 February 2004 14:55 (twenty-two years ago)

if every band w/ a guy with a weird voice singing funny stuff dressed in rock n roll clothes can be dismissed then throw out Little Richard Lou Reed Johnny Cash Slick Rick Axl Rose Johnny Rotten Tenpole Tudor & Wanda Jackson while you're at it.

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Thursday, 19 February 2004 15:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Wanda Jackson's a guy? *hides*

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 19 February 2004 15:55 (twenty-two years ago)

oh you know what I meant

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Thursday, 19 February 2004 15:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Slick Rick wore rock n roll clothes? *hide behind ned. realizes he is too fat to hide behind ned. hides behind tree*

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 19 February 2004 15:59 (twenty-two years ago)

a bejeweled eyepatch? hells yeah

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Thursday, 19 February 2004 16:01 (twenty-two years ago)

TS Slick Rick vs. Momus. Scott, should I hide behind you or the tree in turn?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 19 February 2004 16:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Slick Rick and Bushwick Bill in a handicap match vs. Momus (Elle Driver special guest referee)

― Nate in ST.P (natedetritus), Thursday, 19 February 2004 16:05 (twenty-two years ago)

I think you're onto something, my friend.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 19 February 2004 16:08 (twenty-two years ago)

i got a song for Momus to cover:

Hey Ray, hey Sugar, tell them who we are. ]

Well, were big rock singers, we got golden fingers
And were loved everywhere we go [ that sounds like us ]
We sing about beauty and we sing about truth
At ten thousand dollars a show [ right ]
We take all kind of pills, that give us all kind of thrills
But the thrill we've never known, is the thrill that'll getcha
When you get your picture on the cover of the Rollin' Stone

CHORUS:
Rollin' Stone,
Wanna see my picture on the cover
Wanna buy five copies for my mother [ Yeah! ]
Wanna see my smilin' face, on the cover the cover of the Rollin Stone

[ That's a very very good idea ]

I got a freaky old lady name a Cocaine Katy
Who embroideries on my jeans
I got my poor ol' grey haired daddy, drivin' my limousine

Now it's all designed to blow our minds but our minds won't really be blown
like the blow that'll getcha when you get your picture on the cover of the Rollin' Stone

CHORUS

[ Hey, I know how...ROCK AND ROLL! ]

SOLO

[ Awww, dats beautiful ]

We got a lot of teenage blue eyed groopies who'll do anything we say
We got a genuine Indyan guru, who's teachin' us a better way
We got all the friends, that money can buy, so we'll never have to be alone
and we keep gettin' richer but we can't get our picture on the cover of the Rollin' Stone

Rollin' Stone, wanna see my picture on the cover
Wanna buy five copies for my mother [ I Want one! ]
Wanna see my smilin' face, on the cover the cover of the Rollin Stone
On the cover of the Rollin' Stone
Wanna see my picture on the cover [ I don't know why we ain't on the cover, baby ]
Gonna buy five copies for my mother [ were beautiful fellows ]
Wanna see my smiling face, [ I ain't kidding ya ]
on the cover the cover of the Rollin Stone [ Ah, we would make a beautiful cover ]
[ the first shot, right up front man, I can see it now...we would be on the front smilin' man, ahhhhh beautiful ]

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 19 February 2004 16:13 (twenty-two years ago)

because of 'the archness' - as prevalent a mode of musical expression/appreciation now as 'the hysterical' or 'the authentic' were 15 <-> 30 yrs ago ?

(and it doesn't help when genres being referenced totter around so much on the dbl-edge meaning of 'hysterical' in the first place)

― Snowy Mann (rdmanston), Thursday, 19 February 2004 16:37 (twenty-two years ago)

I think "spoof" is the wrong word. They're certainly a novelty band, but that doesn't mean they're a "spoof" necessarily. More like a tasteless homage.

― Stupid (Stupid), Thursday, 19 February 2004 16:43 (twenty-two years ago)

if the darkness covered this i would love them:

My momma talkin' to me tryin' to tell me how to live
But I don't listen to her 'cause my head is like a sieve
My daddy, he disowned me 'cause I wear my sister's clothes
He caught me in the bathroom with a pair of pantyhose

My basketball coach, he done kicked me off the team
For wearin' high-heel sneakers and actin' like a queen

------ lead guitar ------

The world's comin' to an end, I don't even care
As long as I can have a limo and my orange hair
And it don't bother me if people think I'm "funny"
'Cause I'm a big rock star and I'm makin' lots of money
money, money, money, money, money, money
Ahhh! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha...

I'm so bloody rich! Ha ha ha ha
I own apartment buildings and shopping centers! Ha ha ha ha
And I only know three chords! Ha ha ha ha

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 19 February 2004 16:50 (twenty-two years ago)

i think soundgarden covered that, scott! (and it didn't rock nearly as hard as the cheech y chong/alice bowie version, if i remember right.)

― chuck, Thursday, 19 February 2004 18:10 (twenty-two years ago)

I can agree with this to an extent. HOnestly, I think The darkness have more in common with like, Jackson Browne 80's styled pop rock than they do Motley Crue. Even the first two songs, which are the msot rocking , seem to have more of a Kiss-school of pop/hard rock feel to them than they do hair metal.

and...THEY SOUND NOTHING LIKE QUEEN. Unless idiots think that Queen was a glam rock band their entire career and think the 80's was the only decade they existed in.

― Rob DelMedico, Thursday, 19 February 2004 22:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes. Earache My Eye rules.

― Rob DelMedico, Thursday, 19 February 2004 22:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Dammit, enough with the Queen BS. Queen and Darkness share nothing in common other than their vocalist likes to do falsettos, but the DArkness guy has a horrible falsetto.

Queen were an eclectic mix in a giant stewpot of a million different things, from classical to ragtime. They were pretentious and over the top (in a good way), and for the most part of their first decade made their music very showy.

the Darkness? Not only do they not share any similarities in approach, sonically they don't sound the same either. They're just a standard 80's sounding pop/rock group who could have done Eddie Money/Jackson Browne covers. There's nothing really pretentious or showy about them either....

I hear very little 70's in The Darkness after the first two tracks. Most of the riffs they play aren't really aggressive but more just catchy simplistic riffs that back up the vocals.

― Rob D, Thursday, 19 February 2004 23:04 (twenty-two years ago)

So, am I the only one that thinks they sound like Benatar/Scandal/new wave-era Heart & Linda Ronstadt? Somebody else must!

I think they're OK, especially the non-hit songs. And I like his falsetto, but I find his regular voice pretty dreary.

― Arthur (Arthur), Friday, 20 February 2004 05:37 (twenty-two years ago)

867-5309 is the magic number.

― dave q, Friday, 20 February 2004 12:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Jenny Jenny.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 20 February 2004 13:37 (twenty-two years ago)

I think his falsetto sucks cuz he doesn't breathe well enough to support it full out. When he does the high waily whines, he's ok, but his attempts at a more operatic intonation a la Freddie Mercury (and no, I'm not someone who throws the word 'operatic' around liberally like so many twits who think vibrato=opera) fall flat.

but yea, I think they sound like 80's pop, not hair metal, not cock rock.

and after buying Queen II yesterday, I laugh even more at the comparisons drawn between geniuses such as Queen and mere 80's pop copycatists who are fun but not essential like The Darkness.

― Rob D, Friday, 20 February 2004 15:44 (twenty-two years ago)

After watching the Brit awards tonight, I have revised my opinion. I <3 the Darkness 4 eva.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Monday, 23 February 2004 05:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Aw.

Meanwhile, a band for us all.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 23 February 2004 06:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Or could it be that The Darkness are spoofing _on_ 80's metal?

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Monday, 23 February 2004 06:18 (twenty-two years ago)

I bought the album. I quite like it. I don't think it really sounds like 80s hair metal, 80s new wave, or 80s mainstream pop/rock. Does no one remember or care how clean, synthy (or at least glossy and produced), and tightly (if unimaginatively or simplistically) played just about all mainstream guitar rock was in the 80s? As far as 80s music goes, the music is probably closer to 80s indie rock than to any mainstream 80s rock. I haven't heard that much Redd Kross but from what I do remember that's probably an apt comparison. Just the sound of the guitars may be somewhat comparable to a sloppier, boozier version of Husker Du's more pop moments. The voice reminds me most I think of "Ballroom Blitz" by Sweet in the heavy English accent, the outrageous campiness, the comically exaggerated tones, and the swoops into screeching falsetto. "Stuck In a Rut" sounds a little like "All Right Now" by Free. Both of those are great songs. This album is similarly great. I could hear a little Boston in the twinned guitar melodies but minus all their singing, playing, and production chops or their pomp and earnestness and plus a lot more humour. I think that all of these qualities are combined with a strong sense of fun, camp, and energy to make a sound that's actually really distinctive and current.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Tuesday, 24 February 2004 05:33 (twenty-two years ago)

The Sweet is a good comparison, but leaving the vocals aside, I was reminded strongly of AC/DC and Slade.

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Tuesday, 24 February 2004 05:54 (twenty-two years ago)

I haven't heard that much Redd Kross but from what I do remember that's probably an apt comparison.

Try Neurotica, Third Eye or Phase Shifter as suggested above by various folks if you're interested. My acidic judgment of the Darkness's worth having been noted, you are welcome to them.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 24 February 2004 05:55 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't know Slade but, more than any particular 70s band, I think they sound like people who grew up on classic rock radio and decided to form a rock band but do it goofier, sloppier, a little louder, and more dissonant. Which is why I could sort of imagine it being a little like some old indie rock. I mean, they can remind me of elements of AC/DC, Sweet, Free, Boston, Zeppelin, Rush, and Husker Du, but usually of a few of those within the same song.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Tuesday, 24 February 2004 06:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Maybe even Bowie. I can see Pulp in "Friday Night".

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Tuesday, 24 February 2004 06:17 (twenty-two years ago)

bowie too, i always think "love is only a feeling" is gonna turn into ziggy! i do find the darkness' slower songs reminiscent of warrant's power ballads, but yeah, i'd agree they're more 70s glam and classic rock than 80s metal.

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Tuesday, 24 February 2004 20:54 (twenty-two years ago)

"Does no one remember or care how clean, synthy (or at least glossy and produced), and tightly (if unimaginatively or simplistically) played just about all mainstream guitar rock was in the 80s?"

Not all of it was. Besides, when you're emulating something, you don't have to nail it 100%.

I don't hear most of the 70's glam others do, except for say, the first two tracks. Other than that, they're pretty much straight up pop.

― Rob D, Friday, 5 March 2004 17:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Okay, by my count their are 22!!! Darkness threads on ILM so I had to pick one to post an update on and so i picked this one. I tried again to listen to the album yesterday and this time I made it to either track 7 or 8 before I had to turn it off. The first time I listened I think I made it to track 5 or 6. So, that's an improvement I guess. The first couple songs are fine and then it really becomes so tedious and annoying I just can't keep listening. One song with those vocals might be endearingly kooky if it were a memorable novelty a la Electric Six, but a whole album of it with no truly great hooks just makes for a slog that grows increasingly less funny with every tune. For their next album they should lock themselves in a room with some Angel, Babys, Starz, Silverhead, Marseille, and Def Leppard records until they get their shit together (Or they should just cover Trooper's "Raise A Little Hell", have DFA produce it, and watch the money come pouring in). If there is a next album.

― scott seward (scott seward), Wednesday, 17 March 2004 14:46 (twenty-two years ago)

nine months pass...

You have been Googlewhacked!!!

― Ben, Jay and Emma, Saturday, 8 January 2005 13:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Really? What phrase?

― Masked Gazza, Saturday, 8 January 2005 14:05 (twenty-one years ago)

three weeks pass...

I REALLY hated the darkness on this thread.

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 3 February 2005 17:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Have you changed your mind? (Still think they're ridiculously overrated but other acts deserve more seething contempt than the non-entities. ;-))

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 3 February 2005 17:34 (twenty-one years ago)

I kinda forgot about them. Do you think they will even come back so that i can hate them all over again? Or are they done? I never listened to that album again. It was like a cruel joke.

this thread was funny:

Which Superhero Team Could The Darkness Beat Up?

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 3 February 2005 17:36 (twenty-one years ago)

I kinda forgot about them.

Same here! My fave local bar had a fad of playing the album a few months back and you know, it was just dull in the end. I think I forgot everything about it every time it ended (or maybe that was just the drink).

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 3 February 2005 17:39 (twenty-one years ago)

i can barely remember what the hit sounded like.

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 3 February 2005 17:40 (twenty-one years ago)

if it even was a hit. in the u.s. anyway. they used to show the video a lot.

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 3 February 2005 17:41 (twenty-one years ago)

There was a slower verse and then they sped up for the chorus and it was all "ayayayaYIIIIIIIILOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE" and then it ended. Something like that.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 3 February 2005 17:41 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah, that falsetto. ugh. worse falsetto ever.

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 3 February 2005 17:43 (twenty-one years ago)

you know, maria got that xiu xiu album and she didn't like it at all and she wondered why people like it so much. so i listened to it, and it didn't really do much for me, and i don't know what to make of that support the troops song (faux-punk irony? is he serious?), but I could see why people like it. the darkness, i just couldn't see it. the songs seemed really lousy to me. and that's really what it boils down to. i dug that young heart attack album. i don't think anyone bought that thing. they did the retro ac/dc 70's hard rock thing, and i thought the songs were really catchy. and they had the added novelty of a boy/girl vocal tag-team. but, yeah, the song is the thing.

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 3 February 2005 17:52 (twenty-one years ago)

scott, did you ever hear supagroup, from new orleans? they were/are better ac/dc ripper offers than young heart attack, i think .

― chuck, Thursday, 3 February 2005 20:48 (twenty-one years ago)

I still listen to this album like constantly.

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Friday, 4 February 2005 00:42 (twenty-one years ago)

two weeks pass...

Same here - and late last year I discovered their b-sides, which completely rekindled my interest. ("I Love You 5 Times" contained my favorite guitar solo of last year.) The b-sides were more outrageous than the album tracks, which has now convinced me of their tongue-in-cheekness. So now I get it, but aside from the videos, I never really thought the joke was that funny (genuine 80's metal is 1000 times funnier); however, I still love their songwriting to death, and I'm anticipating world domination after album #2.

They'll be back. I hope.

― billstevejim, Thursday, 24 February 2005 19:28 (twenty-one years ago)

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