Reviews (page 4 of 7)
Es muy divertido y tiene muy buen ritmo. Me pregunto cómo lo hubieran recibido en los 80s
Dios por que canta asi jajajajajajjaja La banda suena bien encima todo cool, pero el cantante me distrae, es como que cante valeria lynch en motley cru
Alright
Really fun album supported by I Believe in a Thing Called Love. Is it good? No, but it’s a hell of a good time and in 2003 this was like nothing else.
You know, I appreciate how earnest this album is for what essentially is throwback 80's cock rock (I think it has a lot to do with the singers voice). In comparison to bands like Motley Crue, it doesn't sound like this band exudes STDs and heroin (despite Hawkins' drug use). But yeah, it's a fairly fun album with the crowd pleaser in I Believe in a Thing Called Love. My only real complaint is that this album in no way belongs on a list of 1001 Albums You Must Listen To. Hell, there aren't many glam/hair metal or rock albums from their heyday that belong within a country mile of this list, let alone one from 2003.
Wears out its welcome a bit
Variety: 3 Adequacy: 5 Listenability: 4 Uniqueness: 3 Emotionality: 2 = 3.4 rounded down to 3 "We'll give you crazy performance/ We'll give you grounds for divorce/ We'll give you piece de resistance/ And a tour de force, of course!" It's been a while, but I remember liking this enough when it came out to buy it. I think a lot of people dismissed them as a complete joke, when they were winking just enough for me. The music videos, Hawkins's outfits all played into this. The music itself is pretty strait forward tribute to early 70s Queen and Slade and glam infused hard rock in general. Moreso than the 80s hair metal I think they get unfairly compared to. True enough that hair metal also drew on the 70s glam and hard rock though. So fair enough. Been a good decade though since I've heard any of it aside from the big hit. THE TRACKS "Black Shuck" - Heavy notes from Queen/ Queen II era here with along with some Sparks vocal influences. Maybe a bit of AC/DC thrown in for good measure. Fun, very solid hard rock throwback stuff. "Get Your Hands off My Woman" - The humor is apparent in the lyrics sure, but the songs is pretty balls to the wall hard rock. It should not be as catchy as it is, but here we are. The way the song soars back into the stratosphere after the breakdown 2/3 of the way through is excellent stuff. "Growing on Me" - What if Freddie Mercury did a set with prime Van Halen? Would it sound maybe a little like this? An ode to STDs that's up there with "Burning for You" by Blue Osyter Cult in my opinion. "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" - The big hit. This one was all over MTV for a hot minute. And I still here it on satellite radio once in a blue moon. This one calls to mind early Cheap Trick, and would qualify as some high level power pop to me. This will certainly be the one the band is remembered for if anything. If hunting around for this on Youtube, beware of low quality shitty sounding uploads. And while the music video is not necessary, it's definitely worth seeking out. "Love Is Only a Feeling" - Even the best guitar heroes feel the pressure to dip into the schmatlz. Of any track so far on the album, this has the most in common with 80s hair metal. Specifically when those bands are in love ballad mode. Not awful by those standards, but maybe a bit TOO earnest and sappy for me. This is them at 60%, and I want 110%. "Givin' Up" - Back in the saddle again. Here we're treated to a some Thin Lizzy guitars in this happy go lucky tribute to heroin. Given Hawkins's very public relationship to addiction, it's a bit darker now in retrospect. This is no "There She Goes" when it comes to heroin songs. Hell, it's barely "Mr. Brownstone" but it's ok. "Stuck in a Rut" - Fine as well, but the title is a little on the nose at this point in the album. Maybe as sonically silly as the band gets with the "Friday Night" - A return to the power pop mode is welcome as it brings along the hooks and vocal melodies that the band is so good at. It's no "Friday I'm in Love" but's still pretty great. "Love on the Rocks with No Ice" - The most modern sounding song on here. If by modern you mean circa 1987. The harder, crunchier guitars make this stand out a bit, but it's definitely them in hair metal mode. "Holding My Own" - And we finish things out still in full 80s hair metal ballad gear. I even picture the "Home Sweet Home"-esque music video cobbled together from concert tour footage. I'll take this any day of the week over anything from Warrant or Whitesnake though. HIGHLIGHTS - "Black Shuck" - "Get Your Hands off My Woman" - "Growing on Me" - "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" - "Friday Night" MIDLIGHTS - "Love Is Only a Feeling" - "Givin' Up" - "Stuck in a Rut" - "Love on the Rocks with No Ice" - "Holding My Own" LOWLIGHTS FINAL THOUGHTS Hawkins's voice is going to be very hit or miss for a lot of people. Factor in the nod and wink towards rock's most overblown and easily parodied elements and the band is working at a disadvantage here. Even more I think when they first came out. I think at the time, this sort of music was still on the backburner of coming around for a revival. And when it did, there were several bands that leaned WAY too hard into the comedy elements ( Steel Panther anyone?). The Darkness ride the edge just fine for me, and they take the music itself very seriously. The craft and love put into this is self evident and I can't see a world in which the band saw this as any sort of a piss take. They were self aware to be sure but no one loads up that many hooks and memorable melodies into something that was just throwaway. Sometimes its ok to turn your brain off and just enjoy the ride. This is mostly empty calories, but that has its place. And "fun" albums are even better when there's just a little extra thought and care thrown in, which this has in spades. PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS FURTHER LISTENING - - Powerage by AC/DC - Pump by Aerosmith - Queen by Queen - Queen II by Queen - Kimono My House by Sparks
Enjoyably silly - slightly over stays its welcome - but good memories of seeing them at Reading.
They've had 7 albums? They were the novelty all over the radio in the early 00s, some how they've lasted? I guess the album is a bit of fun - rock equivalent of bubblegum pop. Novel and fresh at the time, but very disposable.
It’s a fun time! The lead singer’s voice is the best part because of how whimsical he is. I enjoyed it enough but it’s a lot of nonstop energy. We know there is one standout classic on here though. Top Songs: Growing on Me, I Believe in a Thing Called Love
Like he got kicked in the nuts every other verse.
i feel like this album aged poorly, not in any sense other than it was sort of gimmicky even when it came out, and that the shtick sort of wore out. despite that, it does have a several bangers ("Friday Night", "Growing on Me") that keep it at a 3 for me.
don't get me wrong, I like 70s rock music. when it was made in the 70s.... Back in the days this band would be just one of many. Also the singer can be quite annoying
What a bizarre inclusion! More fun than I was expecting. Can’t take it seriously though and don’t see a circumstance where I’d ever listen to it again.
3
Fun I guess
There are some fun absurd songs on this album, but the only song anyone needs to listen to is I believe in a thing called love. Nothing else on the album really compares
Ambitious, but not my thing. Also kind of weirdly 70s derivative?
About half the songs are right for me, and the other half, the music was meh and the vocals were irritatng. Still, there's talent there. 3/5
3.5
3.5
His voice is too theatrical, but this album still have some bangers. Low 3.5 stars
The Darkness is kind of a weird band because I often can't tell if they're serious or not. They sort of straddle the line between jokey throwback 80s hard rock band and trying to write good songs. It's better than I assumed it would be, but I don't know that the shtick really works for more than a few tracks. "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" is fun, and "Friday Night" was good. 3 stars.
Ok. I wanted to like the more than I did.
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.
this was fine.
?/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.
3,8
Started growing on me at Growing on Me. Likes: Growing on Me, I Believe in a Thing Called Love, Givin’ Up
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.
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
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"
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.
Hate to be basic, ma non mi piace la voce
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.
Not bad. Feels a little dated for my tastes. ★★★
Great Musik, but awful vocal
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?
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]
I’d listen to again
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.
This is another band that I was introduced to by guitar hero but I really enjoyed this whole album!
Nostalgisk! Virkelig fed faktisk, ingen skips. Stor 3er
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
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.
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.
It was decent
not a great deal here
A fun album.
man idk what to think. lemme try this again when I’m not on day 1 of my period
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
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!
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.
Started off well, high octane, fun, joyful music but by the last 3-4 tracks I'd just lost all interest.
some pleasant songs
They are trying too hard but I somewhat appreciate the effort
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 >:)
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
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
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
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.
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.
00’s Rock ⭐️Love Is Only a Feeling
I believe in a thing called love was a surprise on this album, but overall didn't grab me
A bit underwhelmed.
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.
Entertaining with a couple of bangers but not a brilliant album. The great songs really lift the experience. Wonderful live band!
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
Verkligen inte så pjåkigt. Otroligt medryckande och energigivande! Kul överraskning. Stark trea på det sättet att det verkligen är en trea rakt av.
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.
Not bad, not great.
This is Glam Rock with a bit of ACDC sprinkled in. But somehow, Glam was glammer in the 70s. 3/5
Not as cringe as I expected. Should give them more credit
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
Good riffs and songwriting but just not a major fan of the vocal style, kind of gimmicky imo.
The guitars really carried this album, and the vocals really added to the intensity. Favourite tracks: Friday Night Love Is Only A Feeling
Three stars. It’s a fun album.
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
Not an album I would have expected on this list.
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.
Shit maybe I do believe in a thing called love Favorite track: Growing on Me
Novelty 3 for a fun novelty
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
cheesy but a lot of fun, easy listening :)
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.
Permission denied. 3
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
The most self aware band out there and I respect them for it. I also respect them for writing a Christmas song about bellends.
It's OK. It's sort of campy 80's rock, which isn't my thing.
Some fine moments
Touching you - touching me - oh yeah
Not bad, just not for me.
I always start my reviews by writing down the band, album title and year. Two songs into this album, I pulled up the site again, completely convinced that I got the year wrong. Nope, 2003 is correct. This confusion continued throughout my first listen. Is this a parody? Some of the lyrics come off that way and the music doesn’t try to hide its early 80s metal or arena rock influences. The tunes sound exactly like the music coming from the joint smoking metalheads behind my high school shop classroom. As often happens for me, the second listen was more enjoyable because I put all of that aside and just listened. These guys are seriously talented musicians and the vocals are pretty impressive. Some of the guitar solos are fucking amazing. My biggest complaint stems from my original reaction. There is not much original or new here. At what point does the old become new again? Does it matter? Maybe being “just rock n roll” is the point? In any event, this style of music wasn’t really my jam in the 80s and still isn’t. All the same, I can appreciate talent on display throughout “Permission to Land”. I’m glad I listen to it several times for this project, but it also is probably not something I’ll be revisiting.
Glam rock... reborn?
Decent
I think this album and The Darkness in general have a time and a place. If I were to see them at a festival for example, on a hot summer day with other screaming fans I would probably get into it. Listening to this album on a quiet Sunday morning was definitely not the time or the place. While they own the cornyness with pride, it's still on the higher end of what is tolerable for me.
I was surprised how good this was. Really good guitar band.
I don't need this when I already have, like, Screaming For Vengeance. That said, I DO believe in a thing called love.
Better than I remembered!
This is a good record, a fun record--but this is the first one in this process where I've thought to myself, "Self, is this really a record I needed to hear before I die?" Answer: Probably not
Its inability to take itself seriously is both its biggest asset and its biggest weakness. There’s genuine talent here. And it’s hard to hate the cliched and fairly by-the-numbers rock and Justin Hawkins’s ridiculously over-the-top vocals when it has its tongue firmly implanted in its cheek. But it’s also hard to genuinely love or give much of a fuck about it either. 3 on a good day, 2 on a bad day. Best in small doses.
Fun stuff
I've never stopped believing in anything called Love. Half baller album, half annoying gimmick.
Permission to Land by The Darkness feels like a transmission from another era — as if a glam metal band from the 1980s got cryogenically frozen and thawed out in 2003 with one mission: rock as hard and theatrically as possible. I still remember seeing the video for I Believe in a Thing Called Love in middle school and thinking it was one of the weirdest things I’d ever seen, but the song was so ridiculously infectious that the campiness became part of the charm. That track alone showed what made The Darkness special: soaring falsetto vocals, huge guitar riffs, bluesy grooves, bombastic drums, and unapologetic guitar solos at a time when rock music wasn’t really doing that anymore. Going into the album, I honestly wondered if I could enjoy a full record beyond the singles I already liked — especially Love Is Only a Feeling — but opener Black Shuck immediately grabbed my attention. It’s a rip-roaring intro with massive energy and standout vocals that demand you pay attention. From there, tracks like Get Your Hands Off My Woman and Growing on Me bridge the gap between flashy 80s glam rock and 2000s hard rock surprisingly well. “Growing on Me” especially feels like the band at their most modern — a song that stood out on rock radio and music TV while still fitting perfectly into the era. The album’s biggest highlights come from its larger-than-life singles and power ballads. I Believe in a Thing Called Love is just pure fun, with wild high notes nobody else in rock was attempting in 2003 and guitar playing that makes you want to pick one up immediately. Meanwhile, Love Is Only a Feeling and Holding My Own revive the lost art of the power ballad, delivering huge emotional choruses and genuinely memorable hooks. “Holding My Own” in particular was a standout first listen, with uplifting lyrics about perseverance that hit surprisingly hard beneath all the glam theatrics. The second half of the album loses some steam, leaning a bit too heavily into generic AC/DC-style hard rock clichés. Songs like Givin’ Up and Stuck in a Rut feel less distinct, even if the guitar solos still rip. Love on the Rocks with No Ice is heavier and more interesting, channeling 70s hard rock in a way that makes you wonder what music history would look like if this album had come out in 1973 instead of 2003. The comparison can sometimes work against The Darkness — occasionally they sound a little too indebted to their influences — but unlike many retro-rock revival bands, they still manage to carve out a personality of their own. Overall, Permission to Land earns its place as one of the most unique rock albums of the 2000s. The first half is packed with infectious singles and genuinely great power ballads, while the weaker second half falls into familiar hard rock habits. Still, during an era dominated by garage rock revival, pop-punk, glossy pop stars, and gangster rap, The Darkness sounded refreshingly authentic and gloriously over-the-top. It’s the kind of album that reminds you why rock music can be fun — and hopefully inspires some kid somewhere to pick up a guitar and crank the volume to 11.
Listened to this the way it’s meant to be heard: blasting it on a work site while driving a scissor lift around. I remember the days when “A Thing Called Love” was getting constant rotation on MTV, and it was one of my favorite music videos. Never listened to the full album before. It’s pretty entertaining, a nice homage to Thin Lizzy while the lead singer imitates as many 70s belters as he can. Two stars for a perfect single and another star for attempting to resurrect glam metal as a genre.
it was alright, just not really for me
vafan man gillar väl detta lite. mycket nostalgi och så. blir lite väl mycket falsett dock
Odd album. Epic at times and silly at others.
Fun. Goofy.
Permission to Land is one of those albums that’s impossible to take too seriously, and that’s exactly its charm. The Darkness brought glam rock swagger back into the early 2000s when everyone else was busy being moody and serious. It is over the top, ridiculous, and completely self-aware, full of falsetto wails, power chords, and guitar solos that sound like they were recorded with a wink and a grin. Tracks like “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” and “Growing on Me” are undeniably catchy, and the energy across the record is infectious. You can tell they were having fun making it, which goes a long way. Still, it can be a bit much in one sitting, since the constant theatrics and tongue-in-cheek delivery do not leave much room for subtlety, and after a while it starts to blur together. That said, it is hard not to admire how committed they are to the bit. It is campy, confident, and genuinely entertaining, even if it is not something I would reach for often. Permission to Land is not a perfect album, but it is a perfect snapshot of a band who knew exactly what they wanted to be: loud, cheeky, and gloriously excessive.
I think Glitter Rock had had its 14 minutes of fame. This was the 15th minute.
Started out really worrying. His voice is pretty good, but only as long as he doesn't go into that high pitch squeal he keeps doing. The first couple songs weren't so great, but then Growing On Me came on, that one was pretty fun. Love Is Only A Feeling was really good, smooth vocals and some great guitar. Dipped a bit after that, and Stuck In A Rut had this weird laughing part that didn't really fit in. Friday Night was fun too, interesting lyrics. It's averaging a 3, with a few duds but some good ones to balance it. Best song: Love Is Only A Feeling
Hard Rock mit ruhigen Phasen
Thre is an earnestness to the band, they clearly loved the era of 70s-80s rock and roll. Where bands like Greta Van Fleet rip off, The Darkness is inspired. It definitely fits a mood, and I'm torn since I'm not sure that this is "essential" listening, but it is indicative of the rock and roll revival of the early 2000s (albeit the hair-metal influences of the 80s didn't really take on) that guided Millenial culture. I feel like every millenial my age could do a passible, drunken rendition of "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" at Karaoke.
Oula, j'écris ces lignes quelques jours après l'écoute, pis j'ai la mémoire trouble, c'était du rock correct de mémoire, rien de bien spécial
нихуя, глэм рок в нулевых
Didn’t enjoy the whole thing but it’s good fun at times
This takes me back, was only a young boy when I got my hands on this album and forgot that I loved it so much. Crazy what nostalgia can make you enjoy! I also forgot how much the back end fizzles on this album. Still a damn good time
5,8
The confidence to go out and make exactly the music they wanted is amazing. His voice has quite a range. I believe in a Thing Called Love takes me right back to college. Otherwise, glam rock isn't really my thing.
The dude's voice is pretty annoying but the instrumentation is fairly enjoyable, nothing really bad about this it just doesn't do anything interesting
Sounds fun, dad rock things Growing on me kinda a vibe
„Permission to Land“ ist ein energiegeladenes Debütalbum, das sich mit voller Wucht in die Welt des Glam-Rock und klassischen Hardrock stürzt. Die Band zitiert unüberhörbar Größen wie AC/DC, Def Leppard und Aerosmith A, und liefert eine wilde Mischung aus eingängigen Riffs, überdrehten Gitarrensoli und Justin Hawkins’ markantem Falsettgesang – der allerdings zu wild sind. Die Songs wie „I Believe in a Thing Called Love“ und „Growing on Me“ sind zweifellos Ohrwürmer, doch die übertriebene Theatralik und der bewusst schrille Humor machen das Album stellenweise schwer verdaulich. Es wirkt manchmal eher wie eine Parodie auf das Genre als eine ernsthafte Hommage B.
OK but really not something I would come back to
Opening the album in Spotify, I noticed I already had I Believe in a Thing Called Love on my Liked Songs playlist. I couldn't remember when I added it or what the song even sounded like, until I got that track. Oh yeah, that song! LOL The rest of the album is okay but I didn't add anymore to my liked songs.
fav song: givin up (4/5)
I’ve only heard this album from them, and I was just as thrilled as anybody when “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” came out, but this just feels very “wow they’re committed to the bit.”
Some catchy pop rock that is actually better than I was expecting but the vocals tend towards annoying and keep me from really enjoying The Darkness. The lyrics were perhaps written as a 14 year old so I'm forgiving how young they may have been but they are pretty lame.
It's a pastiche Starts off at 11, seems to be front loaded with all the singles (i.e.the sings i recognise without checking their discography) and calms down a bit in the 2nd half Enjoyable if you don't take it too seriously
Better than expected. This is a pretty good record. But it doesn’t kick ass enough to be remembered as as good as queen or kiss. But the potential was there.
Чизовенькая вторичка, хотя не без удачных треков, звонких рифов и метких вокальных партий.
Love that this brings me back to college but not sure I'll be listening to it on the reg
This album from a band I had only ever heard one song was fine. That one song, excellent
I owned this CD when it came out and listened to Growing on Me (a highly underrated classic) and I Believe in a Thing Called Love a lot, and then tried to force myself to listen to the rest, and typically failed. Those two songs are five-star bangers. The rest is commendable but generic.
Really just the one song that I knew and the Cure tribute were good listens. Good riffs but not really memorable songs. Just makes you wish you were listening to the music this is referencing. Prefer Wolfmother to this.
Generic rock album, but done very well. High 3. Fave song: Love Is Only a Feeling Honorable mention: I Believe In a Thing Called Love
Fun enough. I think the lead singer wants to be Freddie Mercury, but he’ll never be Freddie!
Imagine a very mediocre 80s hairband they couldn’t be bothered to find a half decent lead singer
not my favorite sound, especially the vocals, but was pretty catchy at times!
It's got all the expected tongue in cheek/cliche/irony from Justin & Co. It's pretty good for what it is, but the one mega single was probably the reason for it being here. 2.5 rounded up to 3
better and worse than i remembered
Kind of a fun rock album. Vocals were sometimes annoying, but also fit fairly well. Kind of reminds me of Franz Feredinand or The Killers in a way, but a bit more frantic. 3/5
me, opening the 1001 album generator website this morning and getting my album for the day: ............................ the DARKNESS????????????? i have literally not thought about The Darkness for at least 15 years. they just deleted themselves from my memory completely. this is truly a throwback thursday. before listening to the album in full i went straight to I Believe In A Thing Called Love and suddenly i was in year 9 again. completely, COMPLETELY forgot about the existence of Friday Night as well. anyway the rest of it... idk if im a bit clouded by nostalgia here but im having a good time?? its just fun and bits of it are not that great but its just BIG AND SILLY and tbh im remembering how at age 14 i'd be reading the NME and there'd be all these bands taking themselves really seriously and then there was just the darkness doing this kind of thing, and i don't think i really appreciated this at the time but it was good to have this kind of silliness alongside everything else.
Pre-listening thoughts: I’m a little nervous to listen to this one bc Adam Lambert did I Believe in a Thing Called Love on glee and I worry they can’t actually top his cover of it Post/during listening thoughts: I kind of enjoyed this! It was a fun listen but I’m not sure I’d ever revisit it. I think it was a nice modern take on glam rock/metal but also to me serves as why we should never bring that genre back. It’s just a little too much yelling in the falsetto range and sometimes the instrumentals feel like they’re fighting with the vocals instead of complementing them. Anyways this wasn’t bad though, but still a 6/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: no Fav tracks: I Believe in a Thing Called Love, Love is Only a Feeling, Friday Night Least fav tracks: Get Your Hands Off of My Woman, Stuck in a Rut
The kind of music I picture in my mind when I imagine “classic rock”. Best song: I Believe in a Thing Called Love Notable(s): Givin’ Up, Love on the Rocks with No Ice
A Sort of guilty pleasure I won't intentionally revisit.
It's crazy just how much better their hit is than the rest of the album. A few others are not bad but overall it's just fine. Maybe this should actually be 2 stars idk.
Pretty basic but fun glam-esque riff-driven rock album. There's nothing out of this world here, but catchy riffs are always good, and this album has a fair few. They kind of gave up in the second half, through, loosing a fair amount of energy. Still, overall, this is a pretty good album but not very memorable. 7/10
Kinda just wish they wrote songs for AC/DC and not these overly jokey pantomimes. There's some stuff which is as good in its mechanics as any of the greats but it's through so many layers of irony it can be difficult to stomach
Pas à mon goût, mais une cote de 2 serait chien, étant donné le talent et la proposition.
What a fun project! Nothing super special but it really nails the sounds it seeks to replicate/evolve. "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" is timeless and ripping it in Guitar Hero on the DS was my introduction. Unfortunately for The Darkness, my brain pictures the lead singer as Dennis Reynolds as the Dayman...
I was familiar with the Darkness mostly from "I believe in a thing called love". I was pleasantly surprised by this album- they have a more varied and complex sound than I anticipated. Still- not too many standouts, and the 80s-style falsetto singing did start to wear after a while. A lot of fun songs though. Overall- good album. 3.5/5
I really liked I believe in a thing called love and black shuck. But the rest I was meh about
meh mostly with some fun tracks. i know i believe in a thing called love and CANNOT remember what from
From who? Where?
It's a fun album. However it gets a little old as the album goes on. Still, not all that bad.
this needs some context. there was absolutely nothing like it when it came out. it was such a refreshing breath of fresh air back then, having a band sound completely different and just having fun. the rumor back then was that the band overheard the future lead singer in a karaoke bar and said - we gotta make an album with this dude.
5/10…glam metal / hard rock
The music sounds like some fun, energetic 2000s Rock Music, but the vocals don't match the music. The lead singer sounds like he belongs in the "High School Musical" series. It's okay, but the vocals held this album back. Favorite Track: "I Believe In A Thing Called Love".
Listenable but the novelty wears thin
I believe in a thing called love is a banger. But the singers voice gets so grating on the other tracks
A couple of absolutely cracking singles alongside fun album cuts. I love the vocals.
While “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” and the one about getting your hands off my woman are iconic, I don’t think hair metal is for. A bit too much falsetto.
Transitioning straight here from Aerosmith's Toys in the Attic, there is a lot of similarity in the tone. I'll say that I love I Believe in a Thing Called Love. Always have, always will. Love on the Rocks with No Ice is another standout to me. Otherwise this was perfectly okay, but I find myself with a bit of a headache following. Unsure how much of that can be attributed to the music. For me this is perfect middle ground territory. Wonderfully bombastic glam rock at times, but generally just fine.
An interesting blend of hair metal and a bit of punk. Pretty generic sounding all in all. No notes.
High energy, fun album. The theatrical vocals were kind of a turn off for me and kept me from loving it. If I would listen to just a couple songs I could handle it, but not the entire album. The instrumental side of this album is what makes it shine.
It was okay. I like I Believe in a Thing Called Love. The high pitched singing is hard for me to listen to over and over again.
Was excited to listen to this one. I enjoyed maybe 75% of the album. "I believe in a thing called love" will always be a masterpiece. Some other songs just didn't grab me but not too shabby overall.
Enjoyably silly - slightly over stays its welcome - but good memories of seeing them at Reading.
Low guitar with high pitched vocals. Interesting mix.
Band was OK - vocals had too much Patti LaBelle going on.
This is another album on here for one song. And it is a banger. Love is Only a Feeling was also good. You really get all you need from the first half though. Fun listen.
Never heard of this band. Sounds like a mix of Foreigner and Boston with a bit of power pop and grunge thrown in. The vocals are too screechy for me, but otherwise not bad. I would give it a 3.5
Fun and lively. Some really good tracks. Just on the three side of a 3.5.
Interesting retro rock album but nothing amazing here
Always loved I Believe In A Thing Called Love. These guys had fun with it, bringing that 70s/80s rock star style back to life. Fun time
Don’t want to admit it, but this thing rocks. Worth taking a bit more seriously than the Spinal Tap parody I was expecting.
The singer's voice is too high for me to enjoy this. Sounds like Kiss at times. Also why was this released in 2003.
Listened to this right after faith no more and i didn’t like that so this sounded good in comparison. There were a few songs I didn’t I didn’t mind. It was fine
Not actually that good but still pretty entertaining. Don’t think I’d want to listen more than once though
I had only ever heard the big single. I assumed the whole album would be good and it was.
low 3
wdym this album didn't come out in the 80's during peak glam rock era?? good for them tho, respect
Could be a solid 3.5 if 1/2 stars permitted. Decent rock album aside from/in addition to some of the falsetto-heavy vocals.
I might believe in a thing called love, but I also believe in a thing called one hit wonders.
Decent
Glam rock, está bien pero no es mi género favorito
Good 3/5
2.9 2x nothing to write home about
I like some of the songs but for me it's not really an album for this list.
I BELIEVE IN A THING CALLED LOOOOVE
I remember liking this album. Not so much anymore.
Not their best, but some good ol OG glam with big guitars, big drums and soaring vocals. Justin Hawkins has some raaaaaange, though on the album seem to live in the high vocal register for a bit more than I like
Kinda gave like 80’s rock album but done in the 2000’s lmao. Cool stuff esp that hit song haha
Respect for these guys to make a glam rock album in the 2003 and make it work. Love seeing guys do what they do best. Anyways not my type of tea.
Hadn't heard this before. Not one for me but decently done.
A little off beat but I still liked it!
Excellent British rock. Over the top fun.
The band is pretty good. I just wish the singer would not use his falsetto voice on EVERY. DAMN. SONG. "I Believe In A Thing Called Love" is typical of the fare of this album, and even in this big song I don't think the singer is keeping up with the band. He is trying to sing faster to the point he is out of breath. I can't imagine how he does it live. I would like the album more, but the singer is just... gah. Top tracks: "Friday Night," "Givin' Up," "I Believe In A Thing Called Love"
Very of its times I think. Not a big fan unfortunately. Not a huge fan of the vocalist. Specific rating - 3.1 Fav song- love is only a feeling Least fav- love on the rocks with no ice
An album made to be sung in the shower. Bit too screamy for me at points. Favourite: Friday Night Least: Stuck in a Rut
Not interested.
🎧It’s fine. I don’t love it, I don’t hate it.
I vaguely recall my brother mentioning The Darkness as a fun hair-metal-esque band for the 21st century. And while he might have even given me one of their albums, I think this is the first time I've listened to them, and I can definitely see what he meant now, especially with the opening track "Black shuck" storming out of the gates and never looking back (and very cool that the song was based on a legend of a dog that haunts a church near the band's hometown). Screaming falsettos, power chords aplenty, blistering guitar licks and a veritable wall of distortion; this one has it all, down to the somewhat embarrassingly adolescent titles and lyrics. It's not really the type of album to have too many highlights, only because they're probably 20 years too late to get the kind of airplay they'd have deserved in the 80s, but I'd say that they had a few perfectly tuned tracks in "Growing on me", "I believe in a thing called love", "Stuck in a rut", and the epic "Love on the rocks with no ice". Not the best album ever (by a long shot), but definitely fun, and I can see why they're compared to the likes of Queen,as they have the same kind of energy and over the top commitment that's not quite camp.
Not bad for a “joke band”! IBIATCL is a classic tune
Mer mues säge dass ehre Frontsinger e beidrockendi Stemm hed, vorallem met sim Falsetto. Vorallem im "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" zeigt är sie rächt guet. Au "Love is only a Feeling" esch e rächte Banger. Sie hend debi e ganz eigete Stil. Dä esch zwar eigentlech no geil, aber werd ergendeinisch no relativ Langwiilig. Au setzed sie extrem of Rockgitarre ond Schlagzüg-Kombo was mer cha mache, mer aber schnell z repetitiv werd.
The music is good but the vocals bring it back to average. 3 stars or C+.
Meh! The Sweet do stadium rock. It's Ok, but not great.
only ever heard I Believe in a Thing Called Love in the past, and i don't recall any other major hits from this group since. hopefully the rest of the album is decent Black Shuck - 3/5 Get Your Hands off My Woman - 1/5 Growing on Me - 3/5 I Believe in a Thing Called Love - 4/5 Love Is Only a Feeling - 5/5 Givin' Up - 2/5 Stuck in a Rut - 2/5 Friday Night - 3/5 Love on the Rocks with No Ice - 3/5 Holding My Own - 3/5 Makin' Out - 2/5 Average score: 2.8/5 (rounding up) two songs in and it's abundantly clear to me that this is gimmicky glam rock. not that there's anything wrong with that i guess my enjoyment of the vocalist's performance overall is like 50/50. i feel like he was overdoing it at times, particularly on Get Your Hands off My Woman. like we get it man, you can hit high notes after listening in full, i guess i can say this was okay for what it is; it's camp, it's tongue-in-cheek, and obviously not trying to be taken seriously. this isn't an album i'm likely to return to in full though
Meh still think of them as one hit wonders. But that hit does enough to bring it to 3 stars
A good rock record and a notable level of production that goes into a compilation of fun songs to listen to. A different style than the rest of the bands at the time.
Song: i believe in a thing called love this song is good but not a song i usually listen to but it is good for some reason when he says the ooh- hoo it reminds me of the movie lorax Song: get your hands of my women this song is good but i really dont like it because there are a lot of bad words which i dont like Song: Stuck in a rut this song is good but i really do not like the bad words. It could be without bad words
The album cover is pretty cool. I like the music, just not the singer's voice. Overall, the album is fire.
Not particularly deep by any means, but a hell of a lot of fun. An unabashed homage to the 1980s hair and glam bands (that I love) with only a little in updated production values as a clue that this is actually an album from 2003. 3⭐️
I kind of dig the music - great guitar work on here but that singer is hard to suffer. I’ll average the 4 for music and the 2 for vocals.
They were always a gimmick. Maybe more of a parody then a tribute. All that being said Thing Called Love is a pretty good song. The rest of the album was fine.
Unserious (but not insincere), catchy, sturdy rock music. It's kinda fun that a band was making glam rock like this in 2003. It didn't move me, but I had a good time listening to it. "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" is a crazy banger, which helps.
not for me
"I Believe In A Thing Called Love" is such an undeniable top hit. Yeah, it was absolutely everywhere when it came out, but it's a fun earworm and I'll sing along with those high notes anytime it's on. The rest of the album sounds like any other glam/hair/rock, but I guess the interesting thing about The Darkness is they were doing this a good 20? 30? years after it's prime. Good for them, I'm sure they had fun making the album.
Not too bad, could be worse. I did not mind listening to this, but I would not choose to put this on.
Good album but not great. They are like a mix between Queen, Kiss, and AC/DC… all rock. Just not quite memorable enough to move them into the “great” category.
yeah this kinda stuff just ain’t rlly my thing lol
Great single, had awesome time watching a clip to this song on MTV back in the day (it was 20 years ago?!). Never listened to the album, but remembering I Believe In A Thing Called Love I had a high hopes. Turns out the whole record, all 30 minutes is the same song over and over again, just woth slightly different riff and new, but thematically same lyrics. The main vocal is pretty good in a sample size of 3 minutes, but 10x more classifies as a torture in Guantanamo. Once again, cool songs, but take a break of few weeks to few months before listening to another one.
A fun album bringing back glam rock to mainstream charts. But I don’t think it’s groundbreaking enough to be on this list. Anyway the second half isn’t as good as the first.
Much respect to a band who can hit a grand slam like this. This is an album that accomplishes all it set out to be and more. At a time when ricknom general was dying, this reanimated corpse of hair metal rigged supreme
Ist das noch Glam Rock oder doch schon Metal? So richtig ernst sollte man die Musik nicht nehmen. Aber sie nimmt einen mit positiven Gefühlen mit, auch wenn für mich einmal hören reicht. 3/5
Well this is a weird one, the singing is odd, especially in the first few tracks. It's got a cartoony style to it which is reflected in the cover, and music. But I'm not really sure how I feel about it, there were a few good tracks but most of it was just "okay". I may change my rating in the future since I want to give it another listen, but for now I think this is just middle of the road, not good, not bad. Rating: Mid (Decent ☆☆☆) Favorite Tracks: Givin' Up, Stuck In A Rut, Love On The Rocks With No Ice, and Holding My Own.
Musik: Ok! Stimme des Sängers: Gefällt mir nicht bei jedem Song.
Thoughts before listening: Hard rock/hair metal throwbacks whose songs are catchy enough to keep them from being a complete novelty act. Still though its hard to understand why they deserve to be on this list. Review: "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" is great, and the album as a whole is certainly fun. However, I do feel like the vocals come off as strained and fake more than they work. Some of these songs are tough to listen to because of the non-natural sounding high pitched shriek, even if the actual music is pretty enjoyable. I'm giving this 3-stars.
smell the glove, lads
Well that was something. Great rock guitars and interesting riffs. The singer sounds like Robert Smith, Geddy Lee and Jack Black were involved in a nuclear experiment and this guy popped out. A little too over the top most of the time, but on "Friday Night" he proves he can sing like a normal person, but he just doesn't want to.
Good album. Great crunchy power chords. Annoying falsetto vocals.
They took the 80's and turned it up to 11. Too bad the singer's voice is just so annoying. The music is corny, catchy, and fantastic - his voice just ruins it for me. 3/5 despite the singer's grating vocals. 3/5
I'd only heard I Believe in a Thing Called Love before. I didn't realise how similar Justin Hawkins' non-falsetto voice was to Robert Smith's. That was particularly clear and slightly unsettling on Friday Night. The album as a whole is pretty good if a bit one note, the guitar pyrotechnics do bring a smile to my face.
Epic falsetto over hard-ish rock
Glam rock fun!
Sure it's fun, and they were fun at the time, but that falsetto is a bit much.
Didn’t think I’d enjoy this one so much. Fun glam metal that somehow ruled the airways when I was in high school. Solid musicianship with a fair amount of talent on display. Not too shabby
Kind of split in my opinion on this one. I like it for it's no nonsense guitar rock style, but Justin Hawkins voice doesn't always do it for me. Sometimes his falsetto just kind of seems gimicky, while other times he absolutely sends it. This kind of just made me want to put on Cheap Trick instead. 2.5/3
Solid.
Un mélange de glam rock et de hard rock FM très cliché, avec voix suraiguë, envolées de guitares et décorum kitsch. Ça reste catchy, mais on a rarement été aussi proche de “The Spinal Tap”. Ils voulaient secouer leurs cheveux sur des riffs guitares alors ils y sont allés à fond mais ça reste assez générique. Le tube de l’album : “I Believe In A Thing Called Love”, “Growing on me” est sympa, “Friday Night” est cheesy as fuck. Toujours sur le fil entre l’hommage sincère et la parodie (sur “Get Your Hands Off My Woman (Motherfucker)” par exemple). C’est pas non plus indispensable.
This is a perfect rock record of the early 00's
It was kind of fun
Really enjoyed how this started out... I thought it was going to be enjoyable. Then the lead singer started to sing. Just not aesthetically pleasing to listen to for me. However, great band. Find a 20 something Sebastian Bach & let 'er rip!
Talented musicians. The repetitive screeching falsetto is insulting to glam rock, otherwise the album is a good time.
Without context, this album sounds like it came straight from the 70/80s. Then I see it was released in 2003! It is very faithful to the genre and takes the best parts of its predecessors. This is a fun, cheeky record. Would be grasping at straws to find a lot of deeper meaning but the album rocks and its an easy and fun listen.
Hard to believe this came out in 2003. I thought this kind of music was deader than dead by this point. Don't get me wrong, I did like it except for when the singer goes operatic. It just sounds...silly, like a parody, like Tiny Tim, whatever. I'm even OK with the higher pitched scream (when used sparingly), but that in between, goofy sounding stuff I'm not a fan of. It brings the entire album down. I really did like the rest with the exception of the f-bombs that I felt weren't necessary.
As someone who has heard plenty of glam rock from the 80’s, this album is just fine. It’s not doing anything new or better in 2003, but they recaptured the sound well. It’s more baffling that this was even chosen for this list. When albums like this pop up, they feel like a wasted spot when they could have spent time finding better albums to showcase to be considered as must listens before you die.
Started off scared that this will be any other rock album, but it was a good album overall
If you let this stand alone on its music, it's ok. Vocally, it makes chalk screeching across a blackboard sound like fine opera.
Falsetto pissed me off
When this band is firing on all cylinders, that is really going for it tempo and performance wise and the singer is belting in his natural range, only dipping into the falsetto for a bit of range or effect, I actually think they’re killer. Unfortunately. Much of this album has the band coasting down a hill. Lots of tracks with little to no energy, the ballad was awful, when the singer spends too much time in falsetto it sounds a bit silly. And of course, the single, I believe in a thing called love is phenomenal l. It’s a love letter to glam.
Why does he sing like that?
It's wild that this isn't from the 80s. Clearly they were going for a style and they did a hell of a job with it. I believe in a thing called love is such a well built song to be a hit. This doesn't go anywhere new but it takes all these parts of earlier bands and does something fun and tight with it. Good to be on the list. Not a masterpiece but a nearly perfect execution of 80s glam/cheese rock.
They are doing this homage album really well. Sonically it's well sculpted, but I'm not sure that it elevated or improved on the original bands of the genre. It's fun music, I just find it hard to justify making it required listening. Decent album length for what they are bringing.
I Believe in a Thing Called Love was the only song I was familiar with, and truth be told I never knew what album it was off of, much less the band who made it, until today. Solid early 2000s hard rock, nothing I’d actively seek out but something I’d listen to in passing.
Pure, unapologetically in-your-face rock n roll! The instrumentation is fairly standard fare, but Justin Hawkins's lead vocals really kick this whole thing into the stratosphere - he really gives it 110%
I have to say I didn't expect a band called "The Darkness" to be singing in falsetto about someone they liked in high school.
I guess the '70s weren't quite done being the '70s, and I guess they left their hot album cover chick looking for work. They are unapologetically derivative, emphasis on not apologizing for the straight out over-the-top revisitation to the glorious past. They do their best being unafraid of asking kindly to be let into the club--they aren't imitating, after all, just deriving. Good for them.
This is certainly a lot of fun. It's over the top and often hilarious. A whole album of it is definitely too much, however. Cut it in half and I might could do 4 stars.
Vocals are a bit much but the music is strong
Generic metal
Decent for a band about 25 years late to the party.
Fun!
That was a fun air guitar album
The hits are good. It’ll you have to admire them for exploiting a niche that no longer existed.
Competent yet forgettable pop metal not much else.
This knows exactly what it is, and for that it goes all out. Lot's of energy, no holds barred hair-rock out of time.
Interesting lyrics. Catchy songs. A rock band not taking themselves seriously.
I thought I was going to hate this based off of their hit song since it's been overplayed to death but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be and I enjoyed it at times with some good guitar riffs. I don't know if it really belongs on the list though because the music isn't innovative, and sounds like B-Sides from various 80s rock bands. Makin' Out sounds like an AC/DC filler track from The Razor's Edge album.
It's hair/glam metal fun. Never did take themselves seriously but put out some decent bangers. This albums no exception, fun listen. Wouldn't be my choice of playthrough but can't say it wasn't enjoyable.
A bit of daft fun, hardly the most original thing in the world but nothing to take too seriously. Justin Hawkins' vocals can be pretty funny but I'm guessing that was intentional, the whole thing feels pretty tongue in cheek. I doubt I'll come back to this anytime soon and the more I think about it I don't really understand why it's even on the list, but there's nothing actually wrong with it Highlights: Stuck In a Rut, Get Your Hands Off My Woman, Love on the Rocks with No Ice
One really great song is carrying this 3
Great fun, but not really sure it belongs on the list
Once you accept the fact that that’s their sound, it’s actually a fun listen. Don’t take it too seriously and it’s absolutely fine.
It's not terrible but I don't understand how this is on the list and all those 1980s American bands who did it at least as good with a better singer aren't. Favorite song: growing on me
Pretty fun album overall which doesn't take itself seriously, but hard rock/glam from the 00s are not really my cup of tea, and his voice wasn't very good either.