History
Formation (1994−1999)
Darkest Hour was formed on September 23, 1995 and initially consisted of vocalist John Henry, guitarist Mike Schleibaum, bassist Raul Mayorga and drummer Matt Maben.
The band released its first EP titled The Misanthrope in 1996 on a local label called Death Truck Records. In 1996, Darkest Hour cut a single titled "Paths of Despair" for East Coast Empire Records' The Harder They Come compilation. The song proceeds at a slower, grueling tempo in comparison to the up-beat tempo the band would come to be known for. In 1999, Darkest Hour released another EP titled The Prophecy Fulfilled on another label called Art Monk Construction.
The Mark of the Judas and So Sedated, So Secure (2000−2002)
The addition of second guitarist Fred Ziomek, bassist Billups Allen and drummer Ryan Parrish saw the band release their first full-length LP The Mark of the Judas in 2000, on the now-defunct M.I.A. Records.
The Mark of the Judas was not widely promoted or distributed due to M.I.A. Records going out of business not long after the album's release.
Despite the fact Darkest Hour were left without a label, the band garnered enough exposure to catch the attention of Victory Records. Their Victory debut So Sedated, So Secure was released on August 7, 2001. After the release of the album, Billups was replaced by Paul Burnette and Ziomek left the band. The album was re-issued by Victory on March 7, 2006, and featured new artwork, re-mixed audio, re-recorded vocals and additional tracks.
The band continued to tour with Schleibaum's longtime friend Mike Garrity, filling in on lead guitar duties. Eventually, they accepted Parrish's old friend, Kris Norris as the new lead guitarist, and then began to write their next record.
While Garrity was the guitarist, the band was arrested and jailed in Roland, Oklahoma for alleged marijuana charges, also for "illegally imported" beer and for an open beer can. They were fined $6000; Schleibaum was able to pay for himself, Burnette, and Garrity. Ryan and John had to stay for a couple of hours while the rest of the band had to get money to bail them out.
Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation and Undoing Ruin (2003−2006)
Their third release Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation was released on May 20, 2003. Produced by well-renowned Swedish record producer Fredrik Nordström. The album gained strong mainstream attention, to the point where they were asked to participate at Ozzfest 2004. Notably, the album contained political lyrics, with several songs criticizing American militarism post-September 11. The album was re-issued by Victory on July 13, 2004, with a bonus song and an additional DVD containing bonus material.
Darkest Hour released their fourth full-length LP Undoing Ruin on June 28, 2005. The album was produced by Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad) at Greenhouse Studios in Vancouver. The album was the band's first to enter the Billboard 200 charts, debuting at #138 with first week sales of 8,484.
In the 2005 documentary Metal: A Headbanger's Journey, Darkest Hour and a number of other bands including Shadows Fall, Lamb of God, Chimaira, Killswitch Engage, Unearth, and God Forbid are all listed under the category "New Wave of American Metal" in the "metal genealogy chart".
Deliver Us (2007−2008)
In early 2007, the band was in Vancouver to work on their next record with Townsend. On March 7, 2007, Victory Records issued a press statement confirming the title of the album was Deliver Us; it was released on July 10.
In April 2008, Darkest Hour created a Washington Capitals fight song and a MySpace tribute page in support of the Capitals 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs run. The song "1,000 Words to Say but One" was re-recorded with new lyrics and new solos into "Let's Go Caps!"
In September 2008, it was reported on Blabbermouth.net that Kris Norris had left the band and would be pursuing producing routes and possibly a new band.[11] Not long after Kris Norris' departure, they found replacement Mike "Lonestar" Carrigan. With Lonestar officially on board the band is heading back into the studio to write & record with Producer Brian McTernan of Baltimore's Salad Days Studio.
The band's song Demon(s) is featured on the music game Guitar Hero 5.
The Eternal Return (2009−2010)
In March 2009, Darkest Hour began to record the new album, The Eternal Return, just before co-headlining (along with Bleeding Through) the Thrash and Burn European Tour 2009 in April and May. The Eternal Return was released on June 23, 2009, two weeks later than originally announced.[12] Darkest Hour then went on to play the 2009 Summer Slaughter Tour. They supported Trivium for the first leg of the North American Into the Mouth of Hell We Tour.
In February 2010, Darkest Hour announced a new tour with Dillinger Escape Plan, Iwrestledabearonce, and Animals as Leaders.
Signing to E1 and The Human Romance (2010–present)
In April 2010, Darkest Hour announced their signing to E1 Music after having been with Victory Records for a decade. The new album will be produced by Soilwork guitarist Peter Wichers, who helped pioneer Swedish melodic death metal and was a major influence on Darkest Hour.[14] In an August press release, the band described the new material as "the most emotional and melodic Darkest Hour album to date" and also said it "shares in that aggression [with The Eternal Return] and pushes Darkest Hour beyond the unknown."
In a new Metal Injection interview, Darkest Hour members Mike Schleibaum and Ryan Parrish revealed that the new record will be titled The Human Romance, and it will be released on February 22, 2011.
On January 13, 2011, A new song entitled "Savor the Kill" was released on Noisecreep
As of the year 2011, it has been discovered that Darkest Hour seems to find a strange satisfaction and enjoyment from canceling their Arizona tour dates.
While on tour with Machine Head in 2011 Ryan Parrish left the band and has been replaced by Tim Java (he isn't yet part of the official line - up yet).
Band members
Current members
* John Henry – vocals (1995–present)
* Mike "Lonestar" Carrigan – guitar (2008–present)
* Mike Schleibaum – guitar (1995–present)
* Aaron Deal - Bass (2012 - present)
Former members
* Ryan Parrish – drums (1999–2011)
* Paul Burnette – bass guitar (2001–2012)
* Matt Maben – drums (1995–1999, featured on The Misanthrope and The Prophecy Fulfilled)
* Raul Mayorga – bass guitar (1995–1999, featured on The Misanthrope and The Prophecy Fulfilled)
* Billups Allen – bass guitar (1999–2001, featured on the untitled split 7", The Mark of the Judas and So Sedated, So Secure)
* Fred Ziomek – guitar (1999–2001, featured on the untitled split 7", The Mark of the Judas, So Sedated, So Secure and Where Heroes Go to Die)
* Mike Garrity – guitar (2001, did not appear on any recordings, as he was a temporary replacement between Fred Ziomek and Kris Norris)
* Tommy Gun – guitar (2001, filled in for the band between Fred Ziomek and Mike Garrity. He was later asked to join the band Immortal Avenger)
* Kris Norris – guitar (2001–2008)
Eclipse
Darkest Hour Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A nation of millions caught in the jaws of a lie,
Uniform stagnant filth,
Sub culture with no remorse or guilt,
Feeding the frenzy of fears,
It feeds on it's young for years
A new chain for the same set of slaves,
I can't pretend I care anymore,
None of this is worth anything anymore,
An angel with the eyes of a whore,
This facade has been bleeding from the core
A new home not far from the last,
A new home from the same suffocating past
The lyrics of Darkest Hour's song Eclipse speak of a society that is trapped in a web of lies and a cycle of destruction. The opening lines reference a mass ceremonial suicide, which could represent a society that has resigned itself to a hopeless fate. This sense of despair is reinforced by the line "A nation of millions caught in the jaws of a lie," which suggests that the people have been deceived on a massive scale.
The next few lines of the song paint a picture of a stagnant, corrupt society that is devoid of any values or principles. The "uniform stagnant filth" and "sub culture with no remorse or guilt" suggest that there is a pervasive sense of apathy and moral decay. The people are trapped in a vicious cycle of fear and violence, which is perpetuated by those in power.
The chorus of the song expresses a sense of hopelessness and detachment. The lines "I can't pretend I care anymore, None of this is worth anything anymore" suggest that the singer has given up on trying to make a difference. The "angel with the eyes of a whore" could represent a false sense of hope, or a system that promises solutions but ultimately delivers nothing.
In the final lines of the song, the singer speaks of a new home that is not far from the last, and a suffocating past that they cannot escape. This could represent a cycle of destruction that keeps repeating itself, or a society that is unable to break free from the shackles of its own history.
Line by Line Meaning
Mass ceremonial suicide,
A large-scale voluntary act of ending one's life,
A nation of millions caught in the jaws of a lie,
A country's countless people trapped in a deceitful trap,
Uniform stagnant filth,
Consistent, motionless, and dirty waste material,
Sub culture with no remorse or guilt,
A group of people with no sympathies and regrets,
Feeding the frenzy of fears,
Encouraging a passionate and uncontrolled anxiety,
It feeds on it's young for years
This system nourishes and develops on the future generations for years to come.
A new chain for the same set of slaves,
A new limitation for the same oppressed group of people,
A new shovel for the same set of graves
A new tool for digging the identical graves.
I can't pretend I care anymore,
I cannot act as if I still care about this.
None of this is worth anything anymore,
All of this has lost its meaning.
An angel with the eyes of a whore,
A pure-looking person with impure intentions.
This facade has been bleeding from the core
This front has been bleeding from its heart.
A new home not far from the last,
A new residence in close proximity to the previous one,
A new home from the same suffocating past
A new residence with the same oppressive past.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@macblunts9029
Best band of all time. Fan since i've been 12 years old and i'm 34 now.
@SicilianAmericanDreams
I've been a fan since I was 13 and I'm 26 :)
I taught myself guitar by learning to cover their songs
@doctranate
That is literally me, I'm 33 and found 'em around 2001-2002ish
@justinc4924
Mass ceremonial suicide
@justinc4924
And you already know you had this EP on a burnt cd
@MrDoodle257
Omg. I missed this so much!
@maiden0507
Still masterpiece , underated band
@alienJIZ1990
Idk why but this song always makes me wanna just chug a beer
@atreacherouspath
Everyone talks about At the Gates with this band, but they never really sounded like AtG. Those first few albums (not counting The Misanthrope) were clearly hardcore Dismember worship and goddamn did they ever nail it.
@lyricyst2000
At the time there wasnt much that sounded like AtG, to be fair...now there's an ocean of copy cat bands.