THE DARKNESS
Permission to Land (Atlantic)
Reviewed by Jason Thornberry

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All of the Top Ten lists in the world aren't going to save the Darkness from their inevitable fate as silly retro turds. Everyone else with a copy of this promo/Frisbee must be on the pipe. Heavy metal this bad cannot suddenly be cool just because a new generation has grown up in the shadow of their siblings' fascination with butt-rock. Permission to Land is a treacherous ten tracks of wailing, squealing, melodramatic vocals, those one-note intros and guitar riffs from the eighties, done-to-death arrangements, and shout-along choruses so the audience can better relate to the band and feel at one with them. Turbonegro does the Big Guitar/Wack-job-on-vocals thing brilliantly, but their sense of irony is in perfect working order, unlike these cash-in clowns who probably laugh before the joke is even finished.

-6/10

© 2004 - Jason Thornberry