Reviews (page 3 of 8)
I think I was supposed to hate this guys annoying ass voice, but honestly it grew on me as the album progressed. There was one song where it was outrageously annoying but that was quickly forgotten. All things considered, for a generic glam rock album - this wasn't bad!
Givin' Up is very, very appropriately titled. The vocals did not grow on me at all in this funhouse glam/70s revival album or whatever this was supposed to be. Two or three songs on here are tolerable and I really couldn't bring myself to give this a 1 but fuck me I am never listening to this again.
It feels sacrilegious to give this a four when I gave worthy contenders a 3 recently...but it's just so fun. I love operatic camp don't-take-myself-seriously outfits like Queen, The Ramones and Meatloaf (though you wouldn't know - he might be taking the #drama VERY seriously).
Great
This album was like a breath of fresh air when it was released. Nu metal has aged better than anyone could've imagined but at the time it felt very four. While on the other spectrum of rock music was too cool for school garage rock like the strokes. So it was very refreshing for a band like the darkness come in with some levity. That being said this album is pretty top heavy. 3.5 rounded up.
> the Beatles Sorry, I loved this
Lots of parodies of rock music have been done over the years, from The Rutles to Spinal Tap to Electric Six, but where those bands were able to take rock and roll clichés and put them in a new context in a way that was funny, ironic or otherwise transformative, whatever The Darkness is trying to achieve here just ain't evident in the grooves.
Ok. I wanted to like the more than I did.
4.5 / 10
Greatness!
Wow! I don't think this ever got played on my side of the Atlantic, but it is the most perfect example of... whatever it is.
Oh hey it's gay Incubus. No thanks.
I despised this. This made me mad. Best Song: I Believe in a Thing Called Love Rating: 2.0/10 Stars: 1
ROCK AND ROLL AGAIN!!
8/10
Already had one song (I believe in a thing called love ) but the rest of the album I would not listen to all of it and say I enjoyed it.
Cheeks out bahoobas out
not for me
BELTER.
So close. I want to like this more than I do, and there are parts I liked quite a bit, but in the end if was just a touch too cheesy, the falsetto a bit too much. Much respect, but not for me.
this was fine.
I was pretty impressed with the instrumentation on this album, I think there are some really fun and interesting riffs for sure. But I cannot stand this guy, he genuinely makes every song border on unlistenable. He can't hit the falsetto, but he insists on resting there the entire album. It really is a shame, this could've been great if he had chilled out a little, but it is what it is I suppose. Favorites: I Believe in a Thing Called Love, Love On the Rocks With No Ice
i suppose it's fun but is it good
Fine, don't need to listen again
Dit zou je op vol volume op motortreffen horen, en ik zou ervan GENIETEN
?/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/the-darkness/permission-to-land/ Annoyingly, this is more entertaining than I could ever expect. Sure, it gets old quite quickly because literally everything is a gimmick, but it’s also just stupid fun.
There were vibes def a like dancing/doing hw if I could i would prob give 3.8
Decent. It's funny because this album has enough time on it now that Gen Z and later folks may not realize that The Darkness was an unabashed and over the top tribute to 70s glam rock. It's a fun listen, but Justin Hawkins' voice can be a bit much at times, which I think is kinda the point though. Anyway, I'll give it a 3. I'd probably give it another listen.
It’s so fun and a throwback to a special time. Thing called Love is such a Jam
Oh god I hated that. I hate most of glam rock as it is, but glam rock revival gives me a massive ick.
I've never heard this band till this album and that breaks my heart cause WOW, that was phenomenal.
3,8
Started growing on me at Growing on Me. Likes: Growing on Me, I Believe in a Thing Called Love, Givin’ Up
An amusing album but I hate it in a lot of ways
If this is a rock album then Scary Movie is horror
There are a bunch of instances on this list where it seems like an entire record has been included due entirely to the success and/or quality of one lead singe. I know The Darkness are a band that are self-aware enough and generally a fun listen, and while this is not the most egregious example of this practice (Simply Red? Really?), you can 100% die in peace having never heard this record or The Darkness' music at all.
Bmmjjjjj
Really cool album. Fresh and changing the course to a retro metal band vibe that was lost after grunge. Falsetto is cool but after 6 songs it gets a bit boring. Still the first 5 songs are all really good and puts anyone in a good rocking mood. Although I dont love the band objectively this album was really good when it came out and still holds but in context and significance for the time period it was better than it is
Kind of rolled my eyes at first, but honestly pretty fun album of you don’t take it too seriously. Enjoyed the interpretation of a lot of familiar tropes/sounds.
The voice, the voice is just too much. “I believe in a thing called Love” has about the only depth I can handle. There’s merit to the music, but the singing is just singularly awful.
The singer has impressive chops. There were some nice doubled lead guitar melodies.
I hope we get some better music soon (lol). 2 stars (not 1), cuz I guess they're good at what they do. But I find so much of it pompous, stiff, grating, and musically uninteresting. This one really gets at the question I raised previously of: are we rating how much WE like it, or attempting a broader: how good/well done is it? And I think I have to go more with the former, at least with this one (but probably most of them?). This is also another one where I feel like it's music for and by theater people, and/or people who don't really love music, so much as they love spectacle or something.
3.2 Fun rock album. I grew tired of the vocal stylings over the course of the album, but he is very talented, for sure. I would think it would be a fun band to see live
Singer sounds like a cracked out Jack White. The band is playing some good ole 80s rock n roll, but I can’t get past the singer.
They made being 30 years late uncool
Blind album and artist. I really liked this, and way more than I thought. I totally thought this could be something out of the 80s but yet it was released in 03. Another hidden gem and prime example of why I am doing this project.
One hit wonders should stay that way
This album sounds a lot older than it is, and for once that is by design. The Darkness has pretty much nailed the glam rock aesthetic here. It's a fun album, especially when they break out the falsetto. Favorite track: "I Believe in a Thing Called Love"
Music can be fun. Sometimes it's easy to forget that there doesn't need to be a bold statement or cause behind good music. It's fine to be fun. The Darkness leans heavily into this idea, that putting out a solid, fun-loving rock album is OK. Surprisingly, it's the more straight-forward (and dare I say, almost serious) songs that caught my attention. Growing on Me and Love is Only a Feeling are standout songs that feel different from I Believe in a Thing Called Love. This isn't an album most will have in constant rotation, but when you need a good pick-up, this is comfort food.
this is one of the albums on this list that should not be on here
"Get Your Hands Off my Woman" sung in a falsetto to metal guitar? Sounds like Will Farrell. Who thought this was a must-listen album? You can go sit in a corner with Brian Wilson.
This album is really growing on me. I remember when this came out and the little indie rock band I was playing in had it on constant rotation to get us pumped up for a little local show (we were nothing like this). It's campy and unbelievably over the top. There wasn't really anything like it when it came out and we were here for it. Don't take this album too seriously (they certainly didn't), just enjoy the silliness and explosive performance. Justin Hawkins voice is a perfect fit for the over the top glam rock, the guitar riffs are next level, the lyrics flip between heartfelt and comically cheesy, the solos are blistering! I'm not sure if this album really belongs among some of the other stuff on here, but I love it!
Not bad
I can't believe this album is on this list, but I'm not mad about it. Possibly one of the most fun albums of all time. Love Is Only a Feeling stands up to any great rock ballad. It's a 3 but it's a 4 in my heart.
“I Believe in a Thing Called Love” is a fun song, the rest of the album is so so.
- Undeniably fun. If you listen, there are some just gorgeous guitar passages .... ok, monster fuckin' riffs. Most of all, though, this record gets a 5 for containing the absolutely most jaunty song ever written regarding heroin addiction. If you don't get it after hearing that, you never will. 10/5
Great stuff. They really brought the fun and glam back into rock & roll. I Beleive is a kick-arse song. I’m happy these guys survived into this day & age and received such success.
Hate to be basic, ma non mi piace la voce
Unremarkable. 1.5 stars.
Flashy hard rock built on crunchy guitars, pounding drums, soaring falsetto vocals, and flamboyant glam theatrics bursts with exaggerated confidence. Listening feels like stepping into an over-the-top arena show where every riff strikes a pose and every chorus demands a spotlight. The result is wildly entertaining and self-aware, though its relentless spectacle can verge on parody.
Probably the worst album I've had so far. I lost count of how many times I genuinely cringed while listening to this. I get it, this album is obviously drenched in irony, but I don't see how that should improve my listening experience in any way. It's just so painfully corny. I can't even say anything positive about the performances. Every single instrumental here is a dime a dozen and the only thing that stands out is one of the weakest, flattest attempts at a falsetto I've heard in quite some time. It's spammed in every single track, of course, because this album can't just be boring, it has to annoy me for forty minutes straight as well. I have a friend who loves this kind of stuff, though, so at least I have a recommendation for her.
Not bad. Feels a little dated for my tastes. ★★★
Sounds like a ps2 soundtrack. I literally forgot if I listened to it or not so I restarted. And it was even worse the second time. 1!
Queen after 10 years of meth abuse.
Te veel gitaar
Great Musik, but awful vocal
Ugh, metal plus a lead singer screeching out lyrics is not my idea of good music. Also, do you really need to portray a naked woman on the cover? 🙄
Tedious
easy to initially pass this off as on the list because of the single, but honestly its a pretty impressively made cosplay of classic rock that took full advantage of a moment in time when rock was allowed to be back according to like pitchfork or whoever
Third star for I Believe in a Thing Called Love. My most tightly held conspiracy theory is that I absolutely saw that music video multiple times super duper late at night on MTV and then weeks or months later it was a "new" track that got launched during normal hours and I had incredible deja vu. This was before I had meaningful internet so no clue if other people experienced this. It's boring enough that I continue to believe it happened just because, like, why wouldn't they trial run the weird video first at 3am?
I live not very far away from Lowestoft, so The Darkness have always seemed a bit like home town heroes. I worked with people who probably taught them, and I know the area well enough. Yeah, this is all a bit silly in places. But, hell, if you'd grown up in Lowestoft and ended up doing something like this then you'd have earned your escape as well. This sort of thing doesn't happen in places like that – lets just say there were an awful lot of flags hanging from lampposts the last time I drove through there. This is a decent album. A pastiche probably, but it's pretty decent and a bit different as well. And it features Black Shuck, a legend that appears throughout East Anglia in different guises. Yeah, a solid 4 actually, especially when you factor in the home town element.
Permission To Land (2003) is the debut studio album by The Darkness. I was only familiar with the tracks on the album that were released as singles. I really like ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’ but to be honest I always think of The Darkness as a kind of novelty band based on their overblown glam rock style and Justin Hawkins high vocal range (which Justin has explained is not falsetto because it’s shouty rather than soft). The album is pretty good but the songs work best when Justin varies his vocal technique. He uses a kind of call and response on ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’ where he sings one part in a lower register and responds in a higher register which is really effective, but on some tracks when it’s all high pitched and shouty it can feel like a bit of an assault. I’d definitely happily listen to this again, but its not going on my wish list. Side A: 1. Black Shuck - 3/5 2. Get Your Hands Off My Woman - 2/5 3. Growing On Me - 3/5 4. I Believe In A Thing Called Love - 5/5 5. Love Is Only A Feeling - 3/5 Side B: 1. Givin’ Up - 3/5 2. Stuck In A Rut - 4/5 3. Friday Night - 4/5 4. Love On The Rocks With No Ice - 2/5 5. Holding My Own - 2/5 6. Makin’ Out - 3/5 [Note - the final track doesn’t seem to have been on the original release but is on the Spotify version]
land of nopeness
I’d listen to again
Joyful, knowing, rifferama with some catchy tunes, although the Queen-style vocal moments are a little wearing. A little Big Country mixed in with the AC/DC and Thin Lizzy guitars. The album is front-loaded, for sure - the songs with tunes all happen early, and the second half is a bit stodgy. 2 stars, because there are a couple of bangers amongst the stodge.
Favorite track(s): just the part where he said "Latino lover mode" The worst album so far in this list's continued obsession with the death rattles of rock. How great that I'm as far away from the release of this album as this band is from the death of the glam metal they tried to replicate to astoundingly bad results.
Stupid riffs, but you can't deny them!
I really liked this album it didn't feel long and I liked the story aspect it had over the whole thing! I listened to it on my walk and it def put some pep in my step.
So fun, very underappreciated
This is another band that I was introduced to by guitar hero but I really enjoyed this whole album!
"I Believe in a Thing Called Love" has always been a favorite of mine, goofy song but a really fun guitar performance. That's pretty much how the rest of the album is too. Sweet guitar work. Solid enough rock music, nicely produced. Justin Hawkins' falsetto can be fairly grating at times. Overall a pretty good album.
Jeg kunne ikke komme igennem det, synes bare det var larm :)))
Meget bedre end forventet!!
Nostalgisk! Virkelig fed faktisk, ingen skips. Stor 3er
Everything you expect it to be. Extremely over the top, but just top class songs. I think I would've ended the album with Holding My Own and just discarded the last song. Not a perfect 5, but a big 4!
I think unfairly thought of as a novelty act, this album is well put together 4*
Outstanding debut album. Like stepping on a live wire. Its electric, high energy, clean and polished and in your face with posh british attitude. Simple music, simple lyrics and all around a timeless album. This a few songs on this will be played at my wedding. Gimmicky sure, tongue and cheek; whatever that means sure. But its good music at the end of the day, worth a listen before you die.
This album was passable for me. I didn’t dislike it, but I also didn’t like it. I’m not sure why, I’m sure there’s a reason that it’s highly acclaimed but I don’t really care for it. It feels like I’ve heard this sound before and either I don’t care for it or I’ve heard it done better. Fav song is Love is Only a Feeling, least fav is Get Your Hands off My Woman
The definition of a five-star album, stellar first outing from the Darkness.
This one is not totally for me but I appreciate the energy. And I believe in a thing called love. I feel how much the darkness wants it which makes me like it more. Favorite track: Friday night
BRING BACK GLAM ROCK!!!
Light 2
Fantastic debut, a lot of fun
Their lead singer quit drugs and went to rehab THEN quit the band, which I totally understand not being able to perform this while sober
Not my thinggg
I had heard "I believe in a thing called love" before but not the rest of this album. It was pretty good. Some were very "AC/DC" sounding.
This album is hilarious. Clearly, it's a decade or two out of place, but it's also unabashedly aware of that and just let's the ride speak for itself. Over the top falsetto, slamming riffs, and bodacious hooks, it's a lot of fun overall. I think i Belive in a Thing Called Love is clearly the best here and the only song that was even vaguely familiar on a listen but Friday Night is a lot of fun as well.
The fun songs on this album are so fun. Just a ripping good time. Unfortunately, the ballads are as bad as the good songs are good.
The mountains of drugs that fueled this album were not wasted. A hair one note but AC/DC made a living off of being completely one note so that's not necessarily a bad thing if you like the one note.
Not my style of music at all. The single most clichéd album I've gotten so far. But I respect it at least. It's melodic and catchy.
It was decent
not a great deal here
A fun album.
A record even the most glam rock of bands would say is on the nose. It's a lot of fun if you take it for what it is - a group of guys just having fun with some big riffs and silly lyrics. Does it need to be on this list? Probably not.
man idk what to think. lemme try this again when I’m not on day 1 of my period
permission to land?? u gone need permission 2 get the fuck on outta my face first
Marina and the diamonds brother
campy fun
that album was fun. haven't had listened to any track before except of I believe in a thing called love
The music itself was ok, but the lead singer’s falsetto was like a smoke alarm with a dying battery at 3 am. Annoying. Grating. Unnecessary. Change your batteries every 6 months, kids.
Big rock sounds on this album, but I’m not a real fan of the falsetto screaming that has a standing reservation on most of these songs. The tracks would be better received (by me and I assume by lots of others) if the vocals were delivered in a more tolerable manner. Get Your Hands Off Of My Woman was the only track that those vocal stylings really worked well for me as it’s more of screaming statement than the other songs. The lyrics were also pretty weak on a number of songs which didn’t help the screaming delivery either. Not a great album but worth a listen once….once.
This album would’ve killed at my junior prom. Unfortunately, it came out 15 years after that glorious evening. We had to settle for Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight”. They say better late than never but that is certainly not the case with this shitbiscuit. The Darkness made me wish for The Deafness. This album is as terrible as Glam Rock gets. Why in the hell is this on the list? They allegedly had one big hit in Britain, but I hope that is not all that is needed for inclusion. Otherwise, I’ll warm up my reviews for Chumbawumba, Double and The Bravery. The instrumentals are fine but the off-key falsetto and the performative vocals are paralyzingly bad.
I always liked I Believe in a Thing Called love, fun throwback to hair metal. I never listened to anything else by the Darkness until yesterday, and now a bit sorry that I have. The shtick is fun for a song or two, but an entire album of this is a bit much,I can't handle that much falsetto. They should have gone full old school and just released a cassingle.
2/17/26. Insanely fun, and a little bit hilarious album. Aggressively 80s style made in the 2000s but it works as the songs are catchy and the guitar work is impressive. I Believe in a Thing Called Love is a classic for me.
если бы я могла в глэмрок/метал, это было бы очень мило, чуваки очень стараются
the daarkness sind uf dere liste??? de justin hawkins of wohnt in st galle fame?? erste song mega acdc wenns meh chords hetted. huere fun. sie sind so glam. get your hands off my woman au seehr cools riff und goht jo insane füre. hm aber schochli wenig lied und viel crash cymbals. i believe in a thing called love halt classic. seehr geili melodie ide strophe hammer pre chorus wo ufbaut, suuper refrain. und guitar schreie voreme gitarresolo isch insane. geniestreich. ok jetz isch de hit dure. was hends no für mich? givin up isch suuuuper er singt scho geeeil. scho i jedem song es voll übertriebes gitarresolo haha. aber ich finds super. love on the rocks with no ice isch recht en geile titel. makin out isch insano horny. aso sinds generell. heeeeerts vieri.
hahaha scho wieder darkness aber tönt LIECHT andersch als de oldham hahah omg es isch SO ROCKIG sini stimm isch fast zu klar und hell für de rock aber s isch na en cool "gegesatz" omg growing on me macht huere spass hahahaha megaaa goofy love is only a feeling het echlii en ernstere underton woni na cool gfunde han hahahah "The business as a whole thought they were uncool. In fact, people were saying that they were a joke and that they weren't real." ich cheggs iwie scho, waser meint love on the rocks isch chli heavier, I likee holding my own erinneret mich ah irgendöppis? chli ballademässig und echt na schön makin out het mega es ac/dc riff ahh und au de refrain! abgseh vode stimm natürlich weiss nöd wie hüfig ich wird zum album zruggchehre, will ich jz nöd megaaa en haddrock-guy bin aber s het echt spass gmacht und isch erstunlich villsitig innerhalb vom genre?
You can tell these guys know their instruments and their music theory, but they are opting to make simple, fun songs because they are making a conscious effort to do so. This stands in contrast to so many bands on this list who make simple songs just because they don’t know any better.
Great!
I like the beat and guitar to it… kinda gives an ac/dc vibe but i’m not a fan of the singer
Okay, this is pretty ridiculous. What's ridiculous, you ask? Am I referring to the inclusion of this album on the list or am I referring to the album itself? Well, both, but that's not 100% an insult. For the first, I don't think this needs to be here, but it's not the worst inclusion either. At least this album had a major hit. The album itself though is where the ridiculous claims are focused at and they're not entirely bad claims either for one simple reason. This album being goofy and over-the-top is kinda the point. The Darkness are apparently a modern British glam rock band. They take that idea and just run with it on their debut album Permission to Land. How did it turn out? It's not my thing, but I can see why others might like it. I think the album succeeds in giving off the vibe that it wants to give off. Is it a vibe that I vibe with myself? Not really, but that's not a knock against the album itself, it's more so just a thing regarding my music taste. The writing is very tongue-in-cheek with replicating the glam-rock style. I'm not huge on the writing, but I can see the vision. The guitars are pretty cool though. I liked that part. The vocals are probably my least favorite part of the album. Justin Hawkins has this forced falsetto screaming thing going on for most of the album and I just find it kind of annoying. Stop trying to be Freddie Mercury bro, you're not him. As far as the songs, I didn't really fall in love with any of them. Even the big hit "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" didn't really speak to me. Overall, I'm not huge on Permission to Land. I get what these guys are going for and I respect them for seeing it through, but it's not really something that I'm excited to engage with. Light 3/5.
Glam rock is not for me
The Queeniest Queen this side of Queen!!!
An album on the listen I've listened to perhaps much higher on average than most and consistently have loved since 2003 when my school prevented me seeing them open Glastonbury and I've never seen them since. I mean, it's just fun. Love on the Rocks. Love is More than Feeling. The other big singles. All great. But despite all this I find it hard to give a 5 to an album with such innuendo as found on Growing on Me and Holding My Own, much as guy wordplay wasn't immediately obvious to me at the time.
i’m giving this five even though that means i should have given other albums in the past five as well. it is what it is. this is great stuff.
Look, the scores don't go high enough for this album. As a musical piece it is the easiest 5 out of 5 I've heard. The musician ship is incredible, the song writing is impeccable (they won Ivor novellos for this right!??), the guitar playing is the out of this world. The style is unique - you can recognise a darkness track against anything else easily. The record has so much energy to it, the recording really captured a rock band going for it. And and then, the lyrics are fun, clever, complicated, unusual and bloody hilarious in parts. "As the flaming priest stepped into the firing line, on the business end of a beam of despair, God he took his own life" who else writes like that? And that's track 1. But then... You add onto that the fact this was recorded as an unsigned band, no heavyweight label money behind it, that they were playing what was considered an out dated style of music, plus they did all this at a point where this type of rock music was severely uncool, everyone else was avoiding guitar solos like the plague, at a time where everyone constantly hounded them for being a joke band, because heaven for bid you actual enjoy yourself while playing music. Don't get me wrong, I love a lot of serious bands, Radiohead are one of my all time favourites bands and hail to the thief came out the same year and is glorious... but I grew up in the post grunge world where everyone was too serious for their own good, no one wanted to be seen as uncool. The darkness were a breath of fresh air. If you can write songs that are so lyrically clever that you can get half the country singing a catchy rock song about genital warts without realising, while the other half do realise, but the song is so good they'll happily sing it anyway... I don't think there is any higher praise you can achieve. My only issue is that as I get older I can hit less and less of the notes to song along with. This is absolute genius and it restored my faith in the joy of music in 2003. 47 out of 5.
Rock will never dye. Refreshing rock sound from the 21st. century
The vocals were so damn bad on this I struggled to listen to it, this is coming from a person who historically loves bad vocalists. The music was fine but seriously how is this fucking album on here, 1001 best albums to kick puppies?
*insert Drake and Josh after riding that rollercoaster* Solid 5 Stars.
It’s a 10. I mean, they just fucking killed it, what more do you want me to say? I thought glam rock like this passed away in the ‘90s, and was long dead by 2003 with the garage rock revival, but this is PURE glam rock, done as close to perfectly as you can do it, updating the ‘80s sound with a little bit less drum machine & a lot more fucking punch behind it. Their guitar solos sound like the synth solo on “Jump” half the time, they’re as juvenile as Aerosmith or Bon Jovi, they’ve got the energy of AC/DC or Motorhead, & they’ve got the falsetto of a Freddie Mercury undergoing puberty. Combine all of that with a technical proficiency reminiscent of Van Halen or even some prog rock bands like Genesis, Yes, or Rush, & somehow, someway, the cavalcade of influences & styles that are cherrypicked from history to create this album paint one of the most cohesively entertaining debut albums in the genre I’ve ever heard. That’s about it, really – I can’t write paragraphs about this because it’s an album where you just have to fucking feel it, and when you feel it, you’ll know exactly how goddamn good it is. I got as in sync with these guys as I’ve gotten with any of the other high-intensity glam rock/grunge/metal bands we’ve gotten, so I loved everything about it, including a very welcome rediscovery of “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” for myself. I’ve been looking for THAT track for years & years, and I could never find it because I always thought it was an ‘80s song. It’s gonna feel great to finally throw that into my playlists, goodness. It’s a super, super easy 10, and I’m very glad it’s on the list.
Fun, high energy album from a Queen throwback song. The ubiquitous "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" got most of the attention but there are some bangers throughout. Top tracks: "Get Your Hands off My Woman," "I Believe in a Thing Called Love," "Love is Only a Feeling," "Love on the Rocks with No Ice"
This is such a ridiculous fucking album. I love it so much. IBIATCL was a real fucking thing for a long time and that rules. Greta Van Fleet can EMAMF. This is the stuff right here. Fuck this album is so fun lol
I'd give this a 3.5 if I could. Doesn't have quite as many bona fide bangers as I'd like, but these guys know exactly who they are and they know how to deliver. Expert chefs grilling up greasy fast food. Oscar nominated directors filming b-horror zombie trash. Well crafted fun. ******************************************************************************* --Black Shuck...cheese. delicious delicious cheese --Get Your Hands off My Woman...see above --Growing On Me...uh, this one seems more serious. I don't want these guys getting serious --I Believe in a Thing Called Love...take notes, Paul Stanley --Love Is Only a Feeling...ballad. prefer the harder tracks but this is better than "Growing..." --Givin' Up...fun but a little generic --Stuck in a Rut...I want my nose to get stuck in the cover lady's rut --Friday Night...teeny bopper stuff. I appreciate the this band's humor but this song skews too young relative to earlier tracks (think middle/high school vs. college) --Love on the Rocks with No Ice...this does indeed rock but it also feels a little clunky. doesn't really get moving until the solo --Holding My Own...not a fan of their ballads --Makin' Out (bonus track)...would've preferred this over one of the ballads on the original release, but it still would've been a lesser track
Started off well, high octane, fun, joyful music but by the last 3-4 tracks I'd just lost all interest.
Corny and derivative. Listenable but not good
This album actually rocks! It's really pretty fun to listen to, and if you get into what they're doing, it's great.
some pleasant songs
I BELIEVE IN A THING CALLED LOVE (just listen to the rhythm of my heart).
They are trying too hard but I somewhat appreciate the effort
Good
3/10
I really liked this album when it came out. I don't anymore, but will give it a bonus star for memories.
This album is basically built around one song, the rest is mostly forgettable and whatever. Thankfully, that one song kicks so much ass >:)
Permission to Land! How haven't I listened to this album before? If you hear a song as awesome as I Believe in a Thing Called Love it should be a no-brainer to check out the album. I also love that this track is followed up by 'Love is only a Feeling' and Givin' Up'. A mix of Queen, ACDC, and Metallica, this album is full of energetic bangers and it doesn't slow down. Justin's vocals sound fantastic, there are some wonderful guitar riffs throughout. So much fun. Favourites: Growing on Me I Believe in a Thing Called Love Givin' Up
these guys are sexists i just cant prove it
This was alright, not my thing really
Groupe inconnu. Hard rock bien entrainant, plein de bons riffs. Mais l'accompagnement est parfois gâché par le chant (voix de fausset pas très agréable). Il ne rejoindra donc pas ma collection, mais je pense l'écouter de nouveau, histoire de voir si je peux m'habituer au chant ... =>3/5
Only heard "I believe in a thing called love" before, but like the album!
Oof just as I was complaining about the music chosen being too slow they finally give me a faster album. I already loved I Believe in a Thing Called Love but my other new favorite is Friday Night. Though a lot of the album is a little samey and chaotic so not the best but definitely better than what I've been getting.
His vocals are horrible beo. Instrumentation is good but i literally hust cannot listen to this man hooting and hollering in my ear
Good times.
A classic (when it was released 20 years out of step with the times) but still a classic!
Great, but something doesn't work for me
Kinda like Scissor Sisters who I had a few days ago, The Darkness is fun for a few songs but a whole album gets old quick.
7/10 I somehow expected a band called the darkness to make music thats a bit eeh darker. I don't know what to make of this. The lyrics are very silly. Its fun and competent and I usually enjoy stuff thats a bit over the top, but the songs dont really do it for me. Highlights: Get Your Hands Off My Woman Growing On Me Love is Only a Feeling Holding My Own
fun listen
Sometimes on vet shows they have to castrate farm animals by putting an extremely tight band around their testicles. The lead singer of the Darkness sings like he has one of those bands on him
Glam dinlemem
Having been brought up on a diet of Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Rainbow etc when I was young and gradually growing out of those bands, I’ve always steered clear of this stuff. The aforementioned bands will always hold a special place in my heart and I dismiss any wannabes as never coming anywhere close to them. Having listened to this album my attitude hasn’t changed but I’d rather listen to this than the hip(perty) hop(perty) (c)rap which pollutes this list. Not an album to sit down with but would be happy to hear tracks on a random playlist. Just studied the album cover which I’ve seen before and never got the gag until now! Good one and deserving of an extra star! 3/5 29/1/26
похожи на мотли крю, прикольные рифы и соляки местами, но вокал прям не понравился
I've never listened through this before. Glam rock that sounds like Lynyrd Skynyrd and AC/DC? Not bad.
A fun album full of energy and nostalgia. The album suffers from its own success of the lead single—everything else feels like a build up/down from that high.
Derivative of AC/DC, Judas Priest, and Boston, with a singer who has pipes and a falsetto like Ian Gillan. But this guy is no Ian Gillan! He doesn’t seem to know when to wail, scream, or use the falsetto and when to growl. Like, when he sings “Get your hands off my Woman,” he literally sounds like an indignant middle aged woman singing in a disco band. I’m all for freedom of gender expression, but this band is obvs shooting to be men’s kinda men, with extra hair on the side — the singing approach just doesn’t match. Basically, this is the rock vocalist’s version of a dancing Elaine Bennis. Did I mention that the band is derivative? This is the downside of Boston’s breakthrough album — which I gave a 5. They created a great sound that paved the way for too many crummy imitations. A 1.
Such a fantastic debut album! Bangers start to finish. Great instrumentation, fun lyrics, and obviously stunning vocals.
A really poor attempt to revive a style of rock that should've stayed in the 80's. I couldn't distinguish anything between this band and that fake band from The Rocker
really good
Brilliant. Classic british party rock. More of this!
Some good some rough, a few bangers.
Honestly this was way better than I expected, but I just don't really like the vocals. Despite that, the songs themselves are usually pretty good, and 'Friday Night' is an absolute gem.
That is some lame goofy shit
Hair metal belongs in the 80s.
Blegh
Darkness are cool.
00’s Rock ⭐️Love Is Only a Feeling
- My friends loved this album when it came out, so I got into it through them, but I haven't listened to it for a long time. Touching yoooooooou.... touching meeeeee.... - It's really fun... It's like 80s hair band mixed with Freddie Mercury falsetto. I know people didn't really take it seriously when it came out (in 2003), and that + the glam rock leotards & hair is probably why, lol. - The songs are catchy as hell, and the musicianship is good, all around. - Well, that was really good - I liked all the songs, definitely 0 skips. I kept waiting to hear a song that made me write "well, except this song", but it never came. It probably should get a 4, but nostalgia and pure joyful fun means I'm giving it a 5, anyway. Sue me.
Por primera vez he sentido que un album es buenísimo objetivamente a pesar de que no me guste. Una de las peores cosas es el cantante, una de las mejores, es el cantante. Conocía una canción, la mítica del álbum y la odiaba, pero sabiendo que todo el álbum es igual, hace que me guste en conjunto contraintuitivamente. Es la mejor representación del glam de la historia, 20 años después de que mueriese el género y en el país equivocado. Es divertido, activo y lleno de clichés y gilipolleces que te hacen preguntarte el por qué de tu existencia. La producción es buenísima, una de las mejores de la lista hasta ahora, suena orgánico real pero depurado y limpio al mismo tiempo. Tiene sentido, pues entra en esa franja de años donde peakearon las producciones del rock/metal. Lo odio pero es buenísimo. 8/10—>4/5
I came upon The Darkness when I caught the music video for I Believe in a Thing Called Love. The video was kitschy and intentionally cheesy, I knew I had to hear the rest of the album. This is glam rock that does not take itself too seriously which is why it is a bit shocking when there are serious songs on here. Love Is Only a Feeling being the highlight of the "serious" songs. There is a song with the line "Get your hands off of my woman, motherfucker," which is very straight to the point. There is also the line "I want to banish you from which you came," which doesn't sound terribly out of place in the song. The lyrics tend to make me laugh. I still listen to The Darkness and they have other albums I believe are close to the level of this one. The constant jumping into falsetto can be a bit jarring but with tongue planted firmly in cheek it does not bother me. He doesn't go into the falsetto quite as much on later albums. Two of the outtakes, Makin' Out and Best of Me, are very worthy of placement on here. Interestingly, the worst song (for me) on this album is the first track, Black Shuck. Overall, I cannot say there is a song on the album I don't like. I can see why a listener would not enjoy this album but it's glam rock that is loud and stupid. I would check out other Darkness albums (not the follow up to this one though, didn't love it as much) and maybe that will convert you further. My favorite tracks: Get Your Hands off My Woman Growing on Me I Believe in a Thing Called Love Love is Only a Feeling Givin' Up Friday Night Love on the Rocks with No Ice Makin' Out
Glorious.
I believe in a thing called love was a surprise on this album, but overall didn't grab me
A bit underwhelmed.
Its pretty unremarkable, except for the absolutely annoying lead singer voice.
I don't know why I would listen to this instead of the classic glam rock of the 80's. Also this is too soft to hit my metal spot, and too bland to hit my rock spot.
I really liked this one. I was aware of this band, but had never listened to them.
The album cover is quite…camp. A bit, uh, misogynistic, because why is she naked, is that necessary. But alrighty I guess. The band name is also quite ominous. The opening of the first song was good. Very good riff. And wow he is hitting those high notes. He is punching them right in the face. The lyrics are as camp as the album cover. I do love the energy. And wow. Get Your Hands Off of My Woman is oddly kinda…feminist? If a little racist? And wow he is roasting that guy. And singing like Mariah Carey on steroids. Every time he curses here (which he does very gratuitously) it’s pretty hilarious. Growing On Me sounds like he’s trying to do a Robert Smith voice. It’s an obnoxious and cliche song. It reminds me a lot of a good portion of crappy pop punk from bands like Bowling For Soup. The vocals on I Believe in a Thing Called Love are absolutely insane. Adam Levine would be proud of this guy. He’s like Adam Levine’s twin who likes Guns n Roses. This whole album feels like being trapped in the room of a thirteen year old boy. Love Is Only a Feeling sounds like that thirteen year old boy is going through some stuff. The vocals actually work with this one. Which is why I think that this man could’ve actually been Adam Levine if it weren’t for his love of long hair and distortion. Good for him I guess? The guitar solo at the end has absolutely no feel to it—just straight dumb shredding. That said, it’s not a bad outro. I’m surprised to see any instrumental outro at all, to be honest, so pleasant surprise. Giving Up offers some amazingly poetic and beautiful commentary on drug addiction and disillusionment, with lines such as “sticking that f*cking sh*t into my arms” and “giving up giving a f*ck.” Ok, in all seriousness, it’s a fine song instrumentally. The guy’s voice is awful there though. Stuck in a Rut attempts to be Robert Smith once again. And then shoots right into being Freddie Mercury and Mariah Carey’s edgy thirteen year old. The laughter is unhinged. And the guitar solo at the end actually…developed some feel to it? Friday Night just confirms for me that this guy absolutely worshipped Robert Smith. I’m glad that this one is self aware though. I actually think it’s a fun song. Wow they go kinda Metallica with Love On the Rocks With No Ice. And I know they were proud of the title. His vocals are actually pretty good here. With the exception of Freddie Mercury, I’m not a big fan of falsettos when it comes to hard rock (it’s the reason why I don’t listen to bands like Rush more). This song actually uses them well though. It’s probably my favorite song on here so far. I would sing along to this at a party. Holding My Own is basically like all the other songs. I really have nothing to say about it. The vocals are painful. Making Out begins as a banger. And then the vocals and lyrics come in. I didn’t know a voice could get as high as his does when he says “hoOoOoOoOooOOOOOOOT.” This song feels like an awkward conversation. Like I do not want to know that the petting is heavy. That sounds like an inside thought. Action. Whatever. This could definitely soundtrack a thirteen year old boy’s middle school. Some of this album would be great in Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I’m giving this a one as a compliment. I think these guys do not care. I think they are aiming to make music that is given a one star. Yeah, so, this album sucked. I would totally see these guys live though.
Entertaining with a couple of bangers but not a brilliant album. The great songs really lift the experience. Wonderful live band!
new find, really nice, made its way into my gym playlist
Ludicrous but not much fun. Silliness may be the intended outcome, but if it isn't, they need a different singer.
Gear: Hifiman HE6se v2 SE Artwork: 🛬🏓🍑 Production (20th Anniversary Edition): 📈🐍😖 Music: ⚡🎇🫠 Rating: 🛫✈️🛬/5
Fun modern gl rock that I will forever associate with Bridget Jones’s Diary
Interesting
Är inte mycket för den här rockopera-skiten egentligen, men på enskilda låtar träffar dom fan rakt i mitt Early 2000s high school chick flicks-hjärta <3 I Believe in a Thing Called Love är ju en sån jävla banger också, så Mörkret lyckas fan kravla sig upp på en riktigt svag trea! Känner mig generös
Falsetten är ju hela grejen. Utan den är det bara ännu ett rockalbum i mängden. Den är kul men räcker väl inte riktigt för att kompensera för resten. Tapping i tersstämma i ’Making out’ var i för sig också lite kul. Kul är nog rätt ord för plattan. Stark 2a.
Verkligen inte så pjåkigt. Otroligt medryckande och energigivande! Kul överraskning. Stark trea på det sättet att det verkligen är en trea rakt av.
Ledsen blir man inte! Men det är också outhärdligt haha. Tvåa för I Belive in a Thing Called Love.
Knappt att i believe in a thing called love ens är höjdpunkten här. För jävla fullproppat med bangers! Är underhållen så in i helvete. Saker får väl bara vara lite skoj ibland?! Ett par fillers i andra halvan som är onödigt radiopoppiga, som ”friday night”. Men det räddas upp direkt med ”Love on the rocks with no ice”. Vilken rökare. Lyssnat igenom drygt två gånger och skulle kunna lyssna om ett par vändor till utan att tröttna. Det indikerar stark 4a igen? 5a?
Riktigt fett! Trodde inte jag skulle digga glam rock. Känns som Dino skulle kunna ta detta på karaoke
Juuustin Hawkins rides again, aaagain.... Sjukt att dom gör den här musiken år 2003 och lyckas bli så pass stora. Dom är mycket lustiga men skulle dock hellre se det här live än att lyssna på album.
Stackars stackars The Darkness. Här har man förvarat dem precis bakom fiskpinnarna 11 månader om året för att tinas upp lagom till jul som vore de Michael Bublé. Men jösses vilket ös vi bjuds på. Ge. Mig. Mer!
så roligt så campy så glam!
Inte emo-rock precis. Kul, feta refränger (Get your hands off of my woman motherfucker) och tunga riff. Riktigt bra rockbryggor också. Hasse Fröberg-klass! Vad mer kan man önska sig? Kanske att de kapat någon av de sista låten och varför börjar de med albumets sämsta låt? Klarar med bravur konststycket att inte låta som en pastisch av 70-/80-talet. Mycket tack vare otroliga popdängor i – a jag kommer gå dit – Abba-klass. Låt 2 till 9 är otroliga. Har nog underskattat hur bra Darkness är bortom all spandex.
Loud, camp, a lot of fun! Definitely on the list for relisten as an instant pick me up
Not really what I usually listen to but this is inevitably a great rock album.
Some good ol AC/DC branded cock rock. Hell yeah. This falsetto voice is really unique, and quite fun to try mimicking. The singles really hit hard, you can tell they've gotten the most love on the album. The rest is pretty damn cool too but not as exciting
Not bad, not great.
I get that it’s “fun” and they don’t take themselves all that seriously, I just don’t enjoy this type of music at all and would never listen again.
Good album! I remember excitedly buying the CD when it came out; packed with fun and catchy songs. Better than classic hard rock and hair metal because it doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Favorite tracks: Get Your Hands Off My Woman, Growing On Me, I Believe In A Thing Called Love, Love Is Only A Feeling, Friday Night Well, that was a surprise! I figured I'd like this; like any good millennial, I was obsessed with I Believe In A Thing Called Love back when it came out. I didn't expect the rest of the album to be sooo up my alley. Great melodies, fun energy. Wish I had checked this out all those years ago!
This is Glam Rock with a bit of ACDC sprinkled in. But somehow, Glam was glammer in the 70s. 3/5
This album seems to nail the sound it’s aiming for. Unfortunately, that sound isn’t something that fits with my taste. Justin Hawkins is clearly a very talented singer, but the falsetto flourishes are too pervasive. This has always been an album that feels so close to a good fit and yet so far away.
Black Shuck: 6/10 Get Your Hands Off My Woman: 6/10 Growing on me: 6/10 I Believe In A Thing Called Love: 6/10 Love Is Only A Feeling: 5.8/10 Givin Up: 6.2/10 Stuck In A Rut: 5/10 Friday Night: 5.8/10 Love On The Rocks With No Ice: 5/10 Holding My Own:
Good operatic metal
If you like AC/DC mixed with a little Tenacious D, you’ll like this! Few real bangers
Sorry...I can't take those vocals serious. The rest of the band was great though.
Not as cringe as I expected. Should give them more credit
Plenty of falsetto over very pedestrian late 70s style hair metal music. The instrumental side is unoriginal, the lyrics are weak, but it’s the vocals that really drag it down. It ALMOST sounds like a parody band from a movie, like Spinal Tap, but from what I read they were actually serious when they put this out. 1.5 stars
Possibly the worst album I have been subjected to on this entire list. The band take all of the worst bits of heavy rock and throw them at the wall. Some of it sticks. Sadly.
Refused to listen.
2. fun musically and gets my head moving but vocally, i'm annoyed and tired.
For me, this was a case where the whole was worse than the sum of its parts. The guitarist had some interesting ideas, but it wasn’t until the third song that they actually lined up with the drums. And the singer’s very shrill vocals mostly didn’t fit the music. It was almost as if they all recorded their parts without hearing the others, and then just threw them together. Maybe that’s what they were going for, but if it was, it didn’t work for me. I didn’t think it was horrible, but definitely below average
Permission denied. A poor parody, Spinal Tap without the jokes.
It was Ok.
I remember back in the mid 2000's you couldn't get away from "I believe in a thing called love". It's a great song and a good album, giving a (at the time) more modern take on glam rock, but it's a little bit of a one hit wonder release.
Favorite: get your hand off my woman. Not my favorite rock album but a solid one nonetheless. Never heard of the band prior
Always knew "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" but never listened to the full album until now. It was so much fun! Simple, catchy, and full of infectious riffs. It knows exactly what it is and isn't trying to be anything else. I'd probably give it a 4.5/5 if I could but I have no issue giving it a 5/5.
Unimaginative, boring rock. It’s all been said much better before. Not for me.
Good riffs and songwriting but just not a major fan of the vocal style, kind of gimmicky imo.
Feels like a parody of glam rock, but a really goddamn good one.
The guitars really carried this album, and the vocals really added to the intensity. Favourite tracks: Friday Night Love Is Only A Feeling
This album is utterly derivative, but also good fun and to be honest, I prefer it to a lot of the work it takes inspiration from. I know the Darkness got very frustrated with being labeled a joke rock band because they were totally out of sync with the music at the time, other than Tenacious D and Electric Six, which were joke bands. However, when you write songs about pubic lice or bellends and ringpieces, alongside your songs about herion addiction what do you really expect? All in all though, I like this album quite a bit. The falsetto singing fits with the over the top silliness of the genre. I'd certainly rather listen to this than something like Aerosmith or Motley Crue.
In July 2003, "Permission to Land" arrived as an outlier in a rock scene defined by dourness. The album split opinion down the middle; while some saw a backward-looking parody that bordered on a novelty act, others found a refreshing antidote to the rock music of the time, a record that wore its glam-rock influences with pride and flamboyant sincerity I was and am in the latter camp, "Permission to Land" is an unapologetically fun hard rock album, bursting with melody, massive hooks, and infectious choruses. While it is fundamentally a hard rock record, it masterfully weaves in influences from glam rock and heavy metal, all underpinned by a sharp pop sensibility and a brilliant sense of humour. The latter often sees the band unfairly dismissed as a "novelty" act—which they certainly are not. Their DNA is clearly a blend of the theatricality of Queen, the grit of AC/DC, and the melodic twin-guitar attack of Thin Lizzy. The album opens with "Black Shuck", featuring a riff straight out of the Malcolm and Angus Young playbook. It’s a track that showcases great imagination and a clever use of dynamics, and then you have Justin Hawkins’ vocals! Love them or hate them, and I personally love them, they are the band's calling card. This is followed by "Get Your Hands Off My Woman", a high-energy track that stands out as perhaps the heaviest moment on the record. The hits continue with "Growing on Me", a song famously about genital warts, and the fabulous "I Believe in a Thing Called Love". On the latter, the Thin Lizzy influence truly shines during the exceptional lead guitar break. The band also proves they can nail a power ballad with "Love Is Only a Feeling", a sweeping track that balances the album's earlier frantic energy. Even when tackling darker themes, they don’t lose their spark. "Givin’ Up" deals with heroin addiction, proving they can handle serious subject matter without sacrificing the "AC/DC-esque" riffs and soaring choruses that initially mask the song's grim reality. While "Stuck in a Rut" is arguably the weakest link, it isn’t a poor song by any means; it simply feels a bit more "hard-edged" and stylistically distinct from its surroundings. In contrast, "Friday Night" is a wonderfully catchy pop song with a chorus that stays with you long after it’s over. The mid-tempo, stomping "Love on the Rocks with No Ice" is a highlight that arguably should have served as the album closer, but that honour goes to "Holding My Own", a slower track that, in classic Darkness fashion, carries a cheeky double meaning. The production throughout is crisp, and the arrangements are performed brilliantly. While Justin’s larger-than-life persona often steals the spotlight, his brother Dan Hawkins is frequently overlooked; his rhythm and lead guitar work here is quite fabulous. Having followed The Darkness for years and seen them live (a must-see experience, by the way), I revisited this album expecting to give it a solid four stars. However, the sheer infectious quality makes it such an effortless, joyful listen that I realised I’d slightly underestimated it. It sits right on the cusp of four and five stars but, as I like to accentuate the positive, I’m landing on a full five. I’m perfectly cool with that. An excellent debut album. 1 "Black Shuck" (5/5) 2 "Get Your Hands off My Woman" (5/5) 3 "Growing on Me" (4/5) 4 "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" (5/5) 5 "Love Is Only a Feeling" (5/5) 6 "Givin' Up" (5/5) 7 "Stuck in a Rut" (3/5) 8 "Friday Night" (4/5) 9 "Love on the Rocks with No Ice" (5/5) 10 "Holding My Own" (4/5) Total - 45 Average - 4.5 207/1001 116/207 albums reviewed were new to me.
Three stars. It’s a fun album.
I'd include this album on a list of 1001 simply based on "I Believe In A Thing Called Love" and "Love Is Only A Feeling". The rest of it ranges from fine, to pretty good. It's all FUN. I've never met anyone that dislikes this album. Everyone finds it enjoyable, although there are huge variations in irony. Through no fault of my own and through none of my own doing, this album was HEAVILY prevalent in my life in 2010. It was constantly popping up.
No es mi tipo dijo aquella
Hate the high voice. Love the music.
seemed like a very generic album didnt care to listen to all of it
Sure.
Fun but starts to sound the same after a while
Enjoyable
Loved this at the time but can only handle it in small doses these days
Fuck YES
I used to hate them when I was 13 but I went in with an open mind and disregarded my younger self because I had just discovered Radiohead and the Mars Volta and therefore was insufferable. My teenage self may have been pretentious but he was still insightful. Shite. An extra point since it was quite short.
Phenomenal! Brought me back to being 13 years old, knew every song on the album. Only a few duds, the rest still holds up. Growing On Me is still one of my favourites
Stupid, bombastic, supremely enjoy hair metal from the band that, before they got grannies singing about bellends and ring pieces at Christmas, managed to sneak both ‘mother-fucker’ and ‘you cunt!’ onto the UK’s national broadcaster. Five mother-fucking stars, you cunt!
Not an album I would have expected on this list.
Gui-TAR!
A solid album, I love the vibe it’s going for and the throwback to the 70s rock scene. I think it really tris too hard at some points and the falsettos can be a lot of a few tracks, but overall is great. 4 stars
Rocking but not for me. First song vs the rest are two different worlds
Sounds like every rock band you’ve ever heard - I can hear Queen, AC/DC, Led Zeppeli, to name just a few. Entertaining enough but not particularly original
This feels very AC/DC to me. Not bad at all, but nothing super original or new here at all, so I don't really see what's the point of having this album on this list. Probably 3 stars, it's alright, enjoyable listen indeed.
It feels like they did to Queen what Greta Van Fleet did to Led Zeppelin. Very forgettable
No, glam rock at its worst. Terrible singer, boring music.
Awful dross
I liked 2 of the songs. That's it
Shit maybe I do believe in a thing called love Favorite track: Growing on Me
What a pleasant surprise! I wasn't really expecting to find The Darkness here, but I'm really glad I did and happy that it gave me a reason to listen to “Permission To Land” again after so long. When I first heard about The Darkness in 2003, I wasn't sure if it was a parody—their appearance was so at odds with the zeitgeist at the time. I also remember them being described as the gay AC/DC or the straight Queen. What they present on their debut album is all three of those things and much more: a mature production of songs reminiscent of AC/DC, Queen, and similar bands, but with a modern sound (the equipment of the aforementioned bands was already outdated in the 1980s) and a self-deprecating coolness that I still admire today. My only criticism is that The Darkness' later releases never quite reached the level of “Permission To Land.”
It's just full of bangers...
As much as it rocks and I dig the tunes, the falsetto kinda grates after a while
Ahh yes, the "I Believe In A Thing Called Love" guys, as they are known to Americans like me who have viewed this band as a One Hit Wonder in our country. I was messaging a girl on one of those contrived dating apps many moons ago and she told me her favorite band was The Darkness, and she was seriously into them even as she knew not many people knew about them. But you don't forget "I Believe In A Thing Called Love", a very early 2000s rock song that...works actually. And this album was....surprisingly pretty good. Especially as rock and roll was beginning to decline from its highest points of the 60s-90s. Even more surprising from a band that actually manages to mix glam metal and hard rock to make it not so very "cringe". I'm not sure there's much else to explore from this band, one of many to "suffer" with their debut album also being their creative best. They have a cultish following in America and are probably bigger in their homeland in the UK. Does it belong on this list? Ehhhhhhh, there's a lot worse on this list and The Darkness are sort of rock and roll (and more certainly for Glam Metal)'s last grasp of being in the mainstream. Also god damn yeah that dude can sing incredibly high pitched. That's probably worthy of the inclusion alone aside from their biggest hit. Wonder how many glasses he broke as a pub trick. The Darkness might have peaked quick and early, but they left some kind of impact: that you can make glam metal and not be totally cringe or too in on the joke like Steel Panther (good band).
This is far more falsetto than anyone could possibly need to hear before they die.
I own this album. It is excellent and absurd in all the best ways.
Novelty 3 for a fun novelty
Fucking great album! Nostalgic and also surprising - not really any bad songs a few I hadn’t heard that were as good as the popular ones. Amazing voice it’s hard to believe they haven’t held onto the amount of success they had with this album.
Other than thing called love it's not very good
Expected to hate this and I didn't hate it. I didn't really love it either. The singer is irritating. Every guitar part sounds like it was already played by either Angus Young or CC Deville. I don't mind a revival or tribute but this is just hair metal cosplay. They bring nothing new to the party, but they execute it well. Mainly, I'm wondering why this was included. Nothing here hasn't been done 100 times before in a better format
146/1089 I Believe in a Thing Called Love is iconic and i quite liked Love is Only a Feeling but otherwise I’m quite lukewarm on this one. It was decent but i was hoping for more based on my knowledge of IBIATCL 59/100
Not really. Rush meets Aerosmith meets Tiny Tim.
I tried. I really did. I just can’t get there. 1
cheesy but a lot of fun, easy listening :)
A latter day rock classic!
it's fine i guess. the singer is noteworthy for having a nice voice but broadly speaking it's forgettable muddy 00s glam rock before they invented parametric eq and mixing. it's really rough. i can't tell if it's the mixing or if the vocalist is just british but i could scarce make out more than a line here or there. the whole aesthetic and vibe of this album is "protagonist band in a high school movie who save the school from a nebulous outside bureaucratic force through the power of song". does that make sense? it kinda makes sense to me. tracks like "friday night" are toe-tappers that i'd hear at 20% volume on the store radio while standing in line at a coffee shop that charged me $7 for a basic latte. your dad probably swears this band is underrated for some reason.
My immediate reaction to seeing this album was "Wait didn't these guys sing that one song?". Why yes, yes they did. I saw a Todd in the Shadows video about this band once. The first immediate thing I noticed when listening to this is that the mastering of this album is god awful. It sounds like the music is playing on an MP3 player at the opposite side of a really echo-y hallway. Luckily, this can SORT of be fixed by listening to the 20th anniversary version. This was fun, mostly. The first few songs kinda suck, but the one hit wonder "I believe in a Thing Called Love" is pretty good. It's goofy and an earworm. I don't really get why this is on this list though? It's a very early 2000s rock album that doesn't really feel very special, except maybe the singers voice. I feel like they should have committed more to the comedic and absurd elements, but it doesn't and so it feels trapped between goofball anthems and semi-sincere love songs. It's like they can't work out if they want to be Electric Six or The-Killers-does-glam-rock.
dadrock core
Possibly the most precisely 3.5 album I've run into on here. It's better than a three, they know exactly what they're doing and are nailing it, but giving it a full four stars feels crazy. But I'm limited by the tools available to me, so congratulations, this thing really wails.
A bland British hard rock/metal album. It’s nice to hear it in the morning to warm up. But actually, it isn’t a really good one. It feels like an imitation of great albums. Nothing extraordinary. I don’t wanna relisten to any songs. 2/5 —————————————— No liked songs
Not a fan. The falsetto and silliness of it all is a turn off.
Love the standout tracks and was out around the time I started learning guitar so they have a resonance for me - but the filler stuff is a bit samey tbh.
Hair metal opera meets AC/DC 6/10
40% of it was okay, the rest was showing off guitar skills.
Fun songs. And glad to finally enjoy the missing link that gave us NSP.
Permission denied. 3
oh it's the guy with the shiddy youtube reaction channel. Has the occasional good riff but not often Will I listen to again: 1%
6/10 It's fun, until it's not. Really a novelty album, just with a handful of great tunes. Justin Hawkins' vocal pushes it into comedy too often, but when it all clicks, it's rather good
I prefer light
I love this album in all its over the top and half satirical loudness. Doesn't really have any business being on this list though.
Ugh...
The most self aware band out there and I respect them for it. I also respect them for writing a Christmas song about bellends.
4/5 - aside from my favourite track, I Believe in a Thing Called Love, this was just a generally good rock album
I have a huge soft spot for this one as I really appreciated the silly over the top glam back in the day. I can’t say that it’s vital enough to be on this list but I do appreciate that they never took themselves too seriously but still rocked as hard as they could. IBiaTCL is still a rocking great tune.
Well, I had heard their famous song, as probably most everyone had. But I came away thinking that The Darkness is underrated within this genre of rock and roll music.
Enjoyed this, what a voice and great guitar licks.
I love the first couple Darkness records. Maybe the rest are great too, but the first two are awesome, and particularly this first one is really fun. 5/5
Decent rock, but the falsetto vocals get a little annoying after a fashion. A good choice if you want to hear some classic rock but don’t want to take the time to seek out AC/DC or Deep Purple.
Excellent example of the need for vocals to blend with the instruments. This shrill, thin voice does not work with the thick sound of glam rock.
It's OK. It's sort of campy 80's rock, which isn't my thing.
More epicslop.
Some fine moments
That singer hits high notes that no human or dog should hear. I definitely hear the Rush influence here...but not in a good way.
Best album, ever. Sry Bre!
Touching you - touching me - oh yeah
Without Compromises!