After a seven year respite between album releases, Darkest Hour arose and smashed the metal scene with a new monsterous record in February, titled Perpetual | Terminal (MRNK Music Group)—this, their 10th album. The album has received many rave reviews and well-deserved positive recognition.
Since the release, they’ve been on the road as always, with many tour dates, revisiting the same uproar they created when first entering the scene during their youth with their first album release in 2000.
The band launches an extensive headlining tour alongside Norma Jean in September along with a short jaunt of dates this month, which includes a stop at Ace Of Cups in Columbus, Ohio on Thursday, Aug. 15.
The band discusses the new record, their longevity, touring now compared to decades ago and much more in this extensive interview with OOTB.
What’s it been like to be on the road again this year after so long?
Over the course of our 29 year career we have rarely gone long without playing a show. Even during the pandemic we played (live streams) and so its pretty safe to say we love it, we hate to take a break from it, and we are very happy to be back at this now that we are on a new album cycle, and celebrating new music!
How does touring for you now compare to the early 2000s?
Things have changed SO much since we started touring. Obviously the big things, like when we started we had no iPhones, no internet, no social media; I mean, shit we used to call the club when we got into the city to find out where it was. It was absolutely a different experience and I guess I will show my age by saying how much better it was! But the one thing that IS better today are the food choices we have out here on the road. There are so many better options now and the technology allows us to find better places to eat, and this we are very grateful for. A lot of the things that are touted as advances have not really made touring better, but being able to see what food options are up ahead or around you has made a world of difference.
For this upcoming headlining jaunt and the run with Norma Jean, how have you decided on a setlist with such a solid amount of releases?
YES, we are deep in rehearsals for these upcoming shows. It is safe to say we are super excited about our new album. It has been 7 years since our last release, yes, we have done a few nostalgia / anniversary style set lists, and so this time we are lookin’ at this the way we did when we were younger. YES, we have songs you know and love, songs that helped define who we are as a band all these years, but you will also have new songs that we are all energized about.
Any songs fans can guarantee to hear?
You know the hits will be in there, but this tour we are going to add, the album closer, “Goddess of War,” which we have never played live. As well as one of the album rippers, “Love Is Fear,” which is a killer song. Both of those we have never played, so expect a set that is full of rippers, surprises, songs you love, and songs you are going to love after you see them live! [laughs]
You’ll also be performing in California at the return of Mayhem Fest in October. I remember seeing Darkest Hour at Sounds Of The Underground in 2007! How did things come together to join this Mayhem Fest lineup?
We had a total blast touring on the 2014 Mayhem Fest tour. The ability to share the stage and backstage after parties with bands like Cannibal Corpse, Body Count, Suicide Silence, and others was an experience we will never forget! When we got the call to jump on this year’s line up, we didn’t hesitate. We are all about taking this new record and new songs to the streets, so this felt like it fit perfectly with our current mission statement of promoting and pushing this new record.
And it might be too soon, but do you think you’ll be part of the traveling tour next summer?
Yes, we would be all about it, but also the summer touring for us usually means the European summer festivals, which we also love! It’s a little hard to see that far in the future right now, but if the opportunity presents itself, we’d be all over it!
What’s kept the motivation and drive going to keep Darkest Hour moving with longevity?
I think it is a combination of the love we have for travel, the stage, the open road… you know the life, AND the love we have for creating art, music, new songs, new albums, and connecting that all to the legacy of a band and a catalog that will be timeless. There are a lot of sacrifices one has to make for a life like the one we have chosen, and I don’t take those lightly, but it is with love and hunger that we continue to create, evolve, and carry on this tradition of adventure.
How would you say you’ve evolved and changed styles as a band since your foundation, specifically when recording Perpetual | Terminal?
Well that in itself could be a whole interview. I mean we have been a band for 29 years who has been constantly evolving, and the list of mistakes and lessons we have learned would fill countless pages! If I’m being honest though, I would say in the beginning we were a little distracted—we were maybe more focused on the adventure, the experience, the creation of the possibility of this life, this band… and now I would say we are focused first on the music, our playing, and our playing live, the craft of song writing in general, and how that relates to working together to create something special.
The album has received great reviews and it’s been well-received. With that encouragement, are you planning a new album or writing new material already?
We absolutely plan on making more music!
Of course, we are absolutely ecstatic and thankful that the greater metal media seems to have embraced this album as a masterpiece and that this energy has given us a shot of youthfulness. But, part of what makes this band so special is that we have never given up. We have never caved to the outside pressures that so many other bands have been destroyed by. That suffering has made us stronger. This legacy of persistence is part of what we are known for. So it all makes sense; while it would be easy this far into the game to rest on our back catalog, that never extinguishable fire to continue to create burns as hot as ever, so you can bet on it, Darkest Hour is undefeated, and another album will be on the way, once we are done celebrating the release of Perpetual | Terminal with the world.
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