Reviews (page 5 of 7)
Heavy rock with a poodle vocal. Not my favorite combo, but there are feel good “radio hits” in there like I Believe in a Thing Called Love and Love is Only a Feeling.
Okey
Album is not bad. Kind of single toned. Not a very serious album, but it is pretty fun. 3/5 Might listen again
So I like The Darkness (I Believe in a Thing Called Love is one of my FAVORITE songs!) but I always thought they were an 80's hair band, so when I originally found out the album was released in the early 2000's I was shocked. Everything about them screams 80's hair band, doing their rock and roll thing. So when it comes to be influential I am not sure I can really consider them that, because they really just bought into something that was already there. Now they did it well...its a fun album and they don't take themselves seriously. They seem like some guys that liked 80's music and said f@ck let's just have fun, make some music and add a 2000's flamboyantness to it. New to me favs were Givin' Up, Stuck in a Rut and Holding My Own (classic 80's ballad). I waiver between a 3 and 4, because I really like the music, I like the album but is it influential, I don't think so.
Spotify mentions "Hawkins' iconic falsetto, often compared to Freddie Mercury." Hold up. Not even in the same league as Freddie. At first listen I was super annoyed by his singing style. It's sort of grating and just "too much" for me. Second listen I got a little more used to it. The song writing and music is pretty rawk'n. Not a big fan of the vocals.
A classic
Did it take a few decades to obtain the permission to land?
2,5
This sounds much older than it actually is. Some good songs and some bad songs.
a perfectly fun time at the squealing factory 6/10
A Queen clone. Not bad but why listen to a clone when you can hear the real thing? Well executed but not much original here.
It's a little scary that this album came out over 20 years ago now, when I still think of it as being relatively recent. Ignoring the fact that it belongs a further 20 years into the past, it's a fairly generic hard rock sound that I would expect to find a decent pub band performing.
3.5
A fun moment of time in the early 2000s. Still has bangers but the charm doesn't stick around
Not bad, not great either. The two hit songs are amazing
1. "Black Shuck" 3,4 2. "Get Your Hands off My Woman" 3,1 3. "Growing on Me" 3 4. "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" 3,9 5. "Love Is Only a Feeling" 3,2 6. "Givin' Up" 2,8 7. "Stuck in a Rut" 2,7 8. "Friday Night" 3 9. "Love on the Rocks with No Ice" 3,5 10. "Holding My Own" 2,8 11. "Makin' Out" 2,3 Average 3,06
There's more to like here than I find with a lot of glam rock bands. I don't think that there is anything too unique about anything that they're doing other than the vocals quality. Everything else is pretty standard rock music especially for what you expect by 2003. You could have told me this came out in the 80s and I wouldn't bat an eye. That being said, I really dig the vocals, very unique voice and they lean heavily on it. It's got its hits, its got its duds, enjoyable album but nothing that's really going to blow anyone away.
A success of Hype over Content. OK, it's a decent album, distilling a thousand hair-metal albums into one pastiche, with an OTT vocal performance... but I couldn't wait for the album to end. Once was enough.
Totally fun, and the singles where huge back in the day. its unapologetically cheesy as it embraces all of the clichés the band members felt were unfairly erased by the grunge era.
"Permission to Land" is the debut studio album by British glam rock band the Darkness. The Darkness included Justin Hawkins (vocals, lead and rhythm guitar, synth, piano), Dan Hawkins (lead and rhythm guitar), Frankie Poullain (bass) and Ed Graham (drums). The album had wide-spread acclaim, won several awards and was on a number of year-end best-of lists especially in the metal community. Commercially, it reached #1 in the UK and #36 in the US. "Black Shuck" opens the album. Loud, forward guitars with a rock beat...sounding like an AC/DC tribute band. Justin Hawkins sings in a heavy metal style and loves his falsetto. Swirling guitars and a prominent bass kick off the first single "Get Your Hands Off My Girl." Driving rock. The song speeds up. I'm hearing Urge Overkill now. It's based on Hawkins' personal experiences. "Growing on Me" is more melodic as they enter power pop and glam territory. I think his falsetto best matches this style. Goo Goo Dolls? They take the glam up a notch in "I Believe in a Thing Called Love." Ah, the one song that I've heard before. Power chords. "Touching you, touching me." He kind of sounds like Tiny Tim but it works. Nice guitar solo. The last single "Love is Only a Feeling" is softer with an acoustic guitar. Melodic guitar chords. A heavy metal hair band guitar solo. The album closes with "Holding My Own." They are firmly in heavy metal hair band ballad territory. This was not needed. This album is power pop/rock and most often a fun listen. This reminded me of a number of bands. Hawkins' falsetto can be annoying but sometimes it fits the song perfectly. The songs are generally melodic and catchy. For the most part, their music exists in the glam rock or hair metal (essentially glam rock a decade later) genre and if you like that style, you'll enjoy this.
Endlich mal wieder was rockigeres, aber kein Album was mich vom Hocker gerissen hat
ganz okaye musik eigentlich, believe in a thing called love natürlich oberbanger
Interesting. Lots of 70s vibes.
I shouldn’t like this but I have a soft spot for old sounds with modern production.
reminded me of AC/DC soundwise with Heart or Bad company vocally. Interesting sound, nothing too groundbreaking, sounds like the 80's re-packaged.
The guitars are amazing… the voice takes some getting used to, especially early on. If you can power through you are in for a bit of a treat. Pop rock. High 3
This album was... interesting. Musically it was very good and up my alley. On the other hand, the vocals did not do this album any justice. I found them extremely annoying and cheesy. They were way too over the top for the music.
A fun listen for sure, but I don’t really like the vocals, especially the high notes
Cut-price Queen
Raucous fun
I hated the Darkness when they hit the scene at the time. I was a little too entrenched in my "death to false metal" phase. I've since softened my stance and in retrospect this is actually a surprisingly well crafted piece of work. It's as good or better than a lot of the stuff it's paying homage to and you can tell they absolutely love this stuff and it's not just a gimmick. If we could just do something about those vocals i might actually want to listen to this again. Those falsetto "oooOOOOoooo"'s are killing me.
Ooh, I have a sweet spot for this kinda fun, almost trashy metal. When this came out - It was a little like hearing a good Cheap Trick song for the first time!
I'd like to be The Queen
I'll take getting cut from the list for 300
A little cheesy, and I dislike the singer's falsetto, but it's still a fun album if you don't take it too seriously.
Serious talent Rocking guitar, vaulting voice Slapped with silliness
Fair
Well I was expecting to not like this album…and after the first two songs, I was thinking I was right. However, it grew on me and I think the album got better with each passing song. I liked this more than I wanted to and will listen again.
I don’t hate hair metal. I think it’s perfectly acceptable to a certain extent. But it’s pretty rough when pushed too far. And honestly, grunge killing hair metal was probably the best thing for music in the 90s. I would have thought before today that by the time 1995 rolled around, hair metal had mostly been killed off. And yet, a band like The Darkness released Permission to Land in 2003. And it might be the most unapologetically 2000s sounding album I’ve ever heard in my life. Even down to the cover art. But it also seems like they were trying to merge the ideas of the 2000s with the late 80s and early 90s metal music. And the one thing you will consistently find during this listening experience is utter excess. This a flaming glam fireball of rock and metal that screams “Look how crazy we can get!”. But I honestly that excessiveness admirable. The performances here are pretty strong, and that definitely allows for them to get pretty wild. There is even some nepotism at play. This group’s drummer is the son of Queen’s Roger Taylor. He isn’t the one recording here though. The most abnormal and confusing part about all of this is the vocalist. I had a really hard time deciding whether I actually liked the way he sang or not. And I’m still not totally sure. I’ve listened to bands, like The Mars Volta or Protest the Hero, whose vocalists lie in the same range. But I feel like they balance a little better. Hawkins’ voice soars so high above everything else, and it feels the most egregious when it comes to that excess I was speaking of. He has some pretty solid moments, but others like the chorus on I Believe in a Thing Called Love where I questioned what I was listening to. But I don’t dislike this nearly as much as I imagined I would. Rating: 6/10
Yea, it’s fine, there are a few jams for sure but the formula runs stale. 3 stars
Unlistenable but also good hahaha
Music from a bygone era retreaded. Its fine, but definitely nothing new and exciting.
I'm super picky with glam and this barely gets a pass from my annoyance meter. I remember when "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" came out. I've never really liked it but didn't mind it today, in the context of the rest of the album. "Makin' Out" was a strong song as well. Overall, not for me, but if you like this sort of thing, it seems like a well-made album from the top to bottom.
I mean it's *fine*, but not too groundbreaking. The leads voice is genuinely impressive, and I had a good time with a lot of the guitar riffs, but there're a few tracks that blend into the canvas. This would have broke records about 10 years earlier. Favorites are I Believe in a Thing Called Love, Stuck in a Rut, and Friday Night
These guys have their schtick and sell the hell out of it. Who cares that they are 15 years too late. The music is fun. An entire album however can be a little draining. Favorite songs were I Believe In A Thing Called Love, Love Is Only A Feeling, and Friday Night.
That’s some big fat guitar. Falsetto vocals not my favorite. Meh.
Campy nonsense, extraordinary functionality, 80s era hair metal from middle England. Exciting when it came out (I was about 11) and completely pleasant now. Unfortunately, never quite leaves a mark.
I'm struggling to rate this one. I didn't like listening to it really, but the more I hear "Get Your Hands off My Woman" the more amused I have gotten. I'm thinking I missed something the first time through this weird 70s-80s hard-glam-rock revival.
This one does not tickle my fancy much. I guess I can appreciate how it is a throwback to a different era, but I didn't really love the sound back then either.
I BELIEVE IN A THING CALLED LOOOOOOVVVVVVEEEEE! the rest was fine.
i want to love this purely for how insane it is, because i understand the joke, and i get it - and honestly, in a bunch of places it's pretty damn good musically...but i just can't. i also really can't watch the office, and for the same reason: i get that it's a joke, but it still makes me super uncomfortable, cringing that much.
It’s good but something about Justin Hawkins
Rating: 7/10 Very good album overall. A light-hearted album that is fun to listen to. The instrumentation is great throughout, inspired by glam and hard rock of the 80s but done with the band's own twist. The biggest drawback of the album is the vocals, the falsettos the singers does can be annoying and are quite frequent. Can easily be 4 stars if the vocals grow on me. Favorite songs: Black Shuck, Growing on Me, I Believe in a Thing Called Love, Givin' Up, Love on the Rocks with No Ice. Worst song: Love is Only a Feeling.
Banger rock record, yeah it’s over the top but that’s the point lol
I Believe In A Thing Called Love is definitely the most recognizable song on the album. The rest of the songs were fine, but nothing that really stood out.
This is a fun take on hard rock with that doesn't seem to take itself too seriously despite its intense tone. I'm not a fan of high singing voices but this one just about gets away with it. It's very AC/DC-esque so if you're a fan then you'll probably enjoy this a lot. "Love Is Only A Feeling" stood out as a banger and I had to rewind the solo at the end just to fully take it in.
auditory tillamook
It's fun and fine. 3.
There’s definitely a seat at the table for glam rock with 2000s sensibilities. The falsetto vocals and campiness poke fun, but there’s still enough energy and ability to work as an homage to the genre.
Not bad but not my thing either
I BELIEVE IN A THING CALLED LOVE is just an absolutely fabulous song. Listening to 1st cut, BLACK SHUCK, not so sure the campy vocals can be carried across an entire album. The band rocks its socks off, is very tight, but when the bizarro vocals come in they detract from what's going on. This would be so so so much better if Justin Hawkins simply sang it straight (see GROWING ON ME). I'm trying to figure out who they remind me of and it suddenly dawned on me - they've synthesized the best sounds and musical tricks of EVERY HARD ROCK BAND THERE EVER WAS. You want driving bass, screaming guitar leads, and power chords? Voila. Things kind of go downhill after BELIEVE, especially the lyrics. First half of the album rates ⭐⭐⭐⭐, but because it all gets boring in the second half, it gets a ⭐⭐⭐. ________________________________ 🎧 LPs reviewed: 61 🎧 LPs left to review: 940 🎧 LPs I found great/relevant enough to be mandatory listens (5): 13 🎧 LPs I *might* include in my own list (4): 17 🎧 LPs I will certainly *not* include in mine (1-2): 17
Why is this band named The Darkness with this upbeat cheery rock. This kind of wild and loose falsetto singing is not what I like. It definitely works and I'm sure plenty of people love to sing or dance along, but I'm not the type to pull my broom out and play it like an air guitar while hopping around the house. I can accept and enjoy the style for about 4 minutes before wanting to move on, so I'll stick with I Believe in a Thing Called Love and leave the rest of the album for the fans.
too much changing emotion like diaper
I vaguely remember this band when they came out. Lots of high voiced stuff and for one reason or another I remember getting a copy of metal edge magazine that had a poster of them. I don't really think this is metal, bland for whatever artists they may have been compared to, all I hear is Tiny Tim. Luckily the vocals chill out a bit in the later half and actually is a pretty good rock album. Their single is fun enough with the vocal antics, but the first couple tracks were a bit too much. All in all, for a meme band I had all but forgotten about, this was a decent blast from the past, even if it was only about 20 years ago. Favorite track "I believe in a thing called love" 3/5
Ha. This album is over the top and so ridiculous, but I have nothing but fondness for it. We used to listen to this a ton in the pizzeria I worked at in high school the year it was released. Some bangers for sure. Nice to revisit.
Kind of interesting. Has it’s moments and made me smile.
This was really good, but lost a star for unnecessary falsetto in a few songs (in my opinion).
It’s fun. But they sort of fade after this. It’s a good representation of that early 2000s. One does wonder what they’d do if they’d never heard a Queen album. But yes I can accept this.
This was a more enjoyable and fun listen than many on this list.
CHEESE on cheese on top of more cheese. If you're not into very tongue in cheek cheese (or heard the singles on repeat when living abroad) this wears thin over the course of what felt like a looong album. Still enjoyed I Believe in a Thing Called Love & Love is Only a Feeling - but not enough to listen again.
The album is pretty solid, except for the vocals. Nails on a chalkboard, and the chalkboard is on fire.
Good light hearted fun with some very good tracks. But it loses it's way a bit in the second half and I don't see me choosing to listen to it as a whole album.
Another album i always felt was overrated
Fun in parts, doesn't take itself seriously
This was a fun listen, I'd probably revisit them again. Could see them really growing on me but for now they are about middle of the road as far as this list is concerned. Some great songs, and some missable ones. There are times they feel really of their era, and times they feel like a throwback to eras past. Above all else they sound like they are having fun which makes me feel that way too.
The Darkness basically sounds like a throwback to the sound of its clear inspirations such as Led Zeppelin, Boston, and AC/DC, and while it definitely works on songs such as "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" and "Love on the Rocks with No Ice," there's definitely some cheesy lyrical content and the hooks can feel a bit repetitive after a bit. Also, did there really have to be three songs with the word love in them?
Love I believe in a thing called love, but generally not really the sound for me, decent tho
Du glam rock légèrement anachronique mais totalement assumé et engagé. Un bon plaisir, mais je n’ai pas l’impression que toutes les pièces sont d’une portée égale
Fun rock, not disappointed when it ended.
Good rock album
3.5/5
Probably doesn’t deserve to be here, but it was a fun enough listen for 40 minutes.
If you’re gonna do something that’s so derivative, this is the way to do it. ‘Permission To Land’ is big, dumb, silly fun and I had a blast listening to it.
I mean, on principle, I want to like any album with a track title "Black Shuck." But this is, you know, just okay.
OK in an ACDC sort of way
Day117 - i don’t know if this album belongs on this list but it was a bold album in the early 00’s to try to bring back glam rock.
Kind of an interesting one. Must have started out as a pastiche pisstake (albeit from a place of affection and knowledge) then morphed into a legitimate and pretty strong album in its own right. Genuinely funny in places (a love ballad to an STD? I mean, come on) and actually winds up almost as good as the AC/DC or Maiden records it emulates.
It was alright. Simpsons: No
I guess i'll commend them for realising that 38 mins is about the limit on how much someone would want to hear this, I would've removed a star for every 10 mins it continued. This kind of rock is a little more bearable when it's somewhat tongue-in-cheek like this, but I was still losing my patience about halfway through (ironically around the song 'Givin' Up'). The big single is fun, maybe that's just nostalgia, but the rest does very little for me. It's not bad, but it definitely isn't good.
A record that both real rockers and theater kids can agree on
Solid over the top rock album. Vocals get a little annoying at times but there are some great guitar parts. Favourite song for sure is “Love is only a feeling”.
I really enjoyed the album. I wish I could give this a 3 1/2. I was familiar with this bands radio hits, but never listened to an album. Great rock band. A lot of fun.
This was pretty hard, which I liked, but the singer's voice was distracting. Stand-out: Love Is Only A Feeling
Solid glam rock, men også lidt forglemmeligt
Cool angsty rock album. I liked it. 6/10
Hmmm…The Darkness. Rang a distant bell. Gave this a listen, wasn’t bad, wasn’t great. These funny guys were just too late. This is a solid 2.5…I’ll round up to 3 for their nostalgia.
Sounds is perfect of course, but the song material is al little weak overall.
Not something I would revisit but it was fun to listen to.
The Darkness... der Name ist Programm
Know this well. Great album. Not listended to for a while
“I Believe in a Thing Called Love” is a f’n fantastic song and I will absolutely die on this hill. The rest of the album is a great glam-rock throwback but doesn’t quite live up to that standard, although still pretty enjoyable.
The album started and I thought, oh no, this is not going to go well! Gives off strong Spinal Tap vibes…”Big Bottom” would fit right in on this album. It did win me over as the album progressed as a fun, guitar driven glam rock album which really surprised me. A few songs I would play again.
Wait, The Darkness didn't form in a haze of cocaine in the 70s?
The Darkness’ music is at times as hollow and inane as a lot of hard rock; but they have their secret weapon in lead singer Justin Hawkins. The singles have become classics and if you just let go and indulge yourself in the over the top vocals, most of the album is actually quite fun. The first side is definitely stronger than the second, but I never find myself truly bored.
This was an interesting album. 80s hair metal but written in the oughts. Super campy but honestly not too bad. A lot of the album made me laugh with the funny lyrics being sung in the super high falsetto voice. Not really my vibe but it was fun.
Today I learned that The Darkness was in fact, NOT an 80s Hair Metal Band. And when I was riding around in my sister's car in 2004, listening to “Growing on Me” and “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” we were actually listening to very modern and recent music. I had no idea. This album is fun! Its pretty camp and very over the top. Even though its a 2000s album, they're very much going for that 80s butt rock vibe. And.. it kind of works. Its fun.
I enjoyed the music, but his voice is just too much. It works on a handful of the songs really well and they are great. I am guessing it would also be fine if I was only listening to one or two of these songs at a time, but a whole album of that voice was just not as enjoyable.
These guys are like a serious version of Ninja Sex Party. But the lead singer is doing an Elmo impression. It is NOT a good falsetto.
so on the fence abt this. his voice is annoying af and catchy at the same time
Gimmicky and gets old really fast.
Big showy rick elements and impressive vocals. Very upbeat album, although it does get tiring for me listening to the whole album. Pretty interesting though
3.2 rounded down. Funny and engaging, and they clearly love hair metal, though it does feel like one long winking joke.
A fun love letter to glam with more virtuosic vocals than some of the bands it so clearly reveres, but on the whole the songs just aren’t too memorable (bar the obvious mega single)
it's ok. not a fan of the singing
Reasonably entertaining.
Just as absurdly fun as it was 20 years ago.
This was better than I expected, but I gotta say - the falsetto voice is annoying. I heard I believe in a thing called love when it first came out and thought it was very effectively used in that song, but he sings in that falsetto voice every chance he gets in spots that make no sense. It’s like he found out he could do that and sees himself as the next Freddie Mercury. I believe in a thing called love and Friday night are legitimately good songs.
Tons of fun. Channelling the more optimistic seventies classic rock sound, all duelling guitars, falsettos and killer choruses. Amazing they got a whole career out of pastiche Lizzy/Aerosmith/Queen etc.
It was alright
Good
🤘 I go back-and-forth on the voice. Opening track black shuck really hits. I had a great workout to this 20th anniversary of the album this year, they’re touring it, maybe want to see them
Thing called Love is one of my favorite tunes. The rest of the album was pretty good not great. can’t tell if it’s a parody album just a modern day take on screaming metal either way it’s fun
These guys come storming in with the first songs. Musically pretty good, but nothing that's been done better elsewhere. It's nice music when it drops on, but I don't think I'd became a big fan of their output. The lyrics are super cheesy, and I can't really dig Justin Hawkins singing. Just fun music with a dumbed down feel to it. Standout tracks: Black Shuck, I Believe In A Thing Called Love, Love Is Only A Feeling, Friday Night, Love On The Rocks With No Ice 7 out of 10
I actually did enjoy this album. I need to get used to the style of singing as I wasn't the biggest fan of it, but I thought the music by the band was really cool and musically interesting which I liked.
I've never heard of this band but I like it.
Better than I expected for the whole album. Fun.
indifferent towards this.
Fun listen :) A convincing homage to 70s glam rock, for better or for worse. The overuse of guitar solos may also be wank but despite that the guitarist is quite good
Dehä va nå bullshit
Music history is full of meteoric rises and steep falls from grace, but the speed at which the entire country became obsessed with The Darkness and then completely and totally lost any interest whatsoever has never come close to being replicated by any other artist. Jobbing club band to festival headlining biggest band in Britain and back again in all of what felt like 10 minutes. And you know what? Both are probably deserved. Hats off for a fun, funny and popular debut album, that captured the imagination of the public, but this was never going to be anything more than a one hit wonder throw back to novelty retro 70s glam rock. Rating: 3/5 Playlist track: I Believe in a Thing Called Love Date listened: 23/01/24
Aikoinaan ajanjakson yksi pahmmista inhokeista oli The Darkness. Sotakirves on kyllä haudattu jo kauan sitten ja nykyään tätä voi kuunnella ilman ylimääräisiä tunnelatauksia, mutta eipä musiikki silti loista kovinkaan erikoisena. Yläkanttiin 3*
The album is, good rock but not really my cup of tea. Maybe if I'd have the patience to listen to the album a few more times I'd like it. But I rather want to turn to the next album.
They know how to make music, just not my kind of music
3.6 - Some intense rockers. The guitar solos are "Love on the Rocks with No Ice" and "Love Is Only a Feeling" are scintillating. But too much falsetto and unneeded cursing for my taste.
mira, este disco se me pasó en esa época, salvo por el inescapable single que ya todos escuchamos. Me gustó, la voz del cantante es especial y característica como para llamar la atención y diferenciarse del resto de lo que estaba sonando en esa época. En todo caso, para mí no deja de ser una buena copia o mezcla de lo que ya sonaba dos décadas atrás.
6/10 du hard rock des plus normales. monotone.
Just fun
2003 pop hard rock.. ei mitään pielessä tässä.. Tuotos vastaa kuitenkin sitä mitä "The Darkness" tuottaisi vuonna 2003.... Tuottaisi juuri tämän commercial ass levyn... Hyvä presentaatio ajasta kuitenkin.. tälläistä se oli.. Oli erilaista 2000 luku alku.. En itse päässyt kokemaan.. Tämä jauhanta kuullosti niin futuurilta vaan eiköhän siinä käynitkin niin että tätä ajanjaksoa koittaa ennenaikainen vanhuus, vaan ei kuolema. Eloisat 3 tähteä täältä hrlta 11 viikkoa sairaana.. Early 2000s.. joku paikka sillekkin on sydämmessä liekö syy vanhat dvd:t joita ei köyhälistössä kovin nopeasti kierrätykseen viety
Rather jolly. No real duds but no standouts either.
Started off strong then really took a dive. Almost unlistenable by the end
I want to hate this more than I actually do. There is just so much energy in the playing it's hard not to have it "grow on you" (like their song lolololol). Honestly this gets 3 stars just for I believe in a thing called love anyway. Just some power rock/80's nostalgia with some decent tunes and a lot of nostalgia.
Good!
Black Shuck - 8.5/10 Get Your Hands Off My Woman - 8.5/10 Growing on Me - 8/10 I Believe in a Thing Called Love - 8.5/10 Love Is Only a Feeling - 7.5/10 Givin' Up - 7.5/10 Stuck In A Rut - 8/10 Friday Night - 8/10 Love on the Rocks With No Ice - 8/10 Holding My Own - 8/10 Makin Out - /10 TOTAL - 80.5/110
Kikkeli hevi men helt solid
Fine. This would be fun playing in the background of a bar or video game or whatnot, but I don’t see myself seeking this out.
This was fine. I kind of feel like if I want to listen to this kind of thing I’ll put on Queen or Boston or Journey or AC/DC. It is pretty impressive how they can mash up those different bands but instead of feeling inspired by them, it feels like they’re “inspired” by them, which is less fun. But still a little fun, admittedly. What I’m trying to say is, essential listening, 12 stars.
Not my thing. I’m not a fan of glam rock vocals, usually, and this wasn’t the exception. Nothing else about this made me overlook that, but this wasn’t bad.
Nice rocker.... Above average guitar licks and solid drums
Pretty good. Pretty fun. Semi Camp.
Classic rock revivalists. Gotta love ‘em. Taking us back to a time where music was just all around better. It seems that since grunge died a new band will form and try and play the sounds of the 70s and 80s. They’re fun and rock out but if anything they’re just a mirror of the sound back then. Hardly do they have their own image. Same goes with the darkness. Fun hard rocking band but just a general hair metal arena rock combo of sound. I enjoyed most of this album and believe it is overall pretty good. It’s just upsetting that the classic rock sound hardly exists anymore. This album will be replayed until the singer becomes annoying but it’s always a good listen. 7.0/10
Very much playing off the classic 70s/80s rock of Def Leppard or Boston, but does a good job of bringing it’s our campy, theatrical flair to each song. 6/10
Gotta give it up for The Darkness. They have a schtick they’re schticking to and it’s fun
State of the art rock circa...1986? The vocals sometimes seemed to be intentionally verging on satire. Perfectly content to listen to a bit of retro hair rock but I'm not sure it brought anything new or distinct to the table.
Hahaha yeah I remember this. Didn't last, did it?
Pretty good. The instrumentals are basic but charming. The lead singer’s voice, though, can get really annoying at some moments. This album does not feel like a 2003 release a lot of the time though, it definitely has a more 80’s rock sound a lot of the time.
Hard rock, et par bangers, rigtig pub-musik
Par hitova, malo cudan vokal, al nije lose.
good hard pop. groovy. Interesting singer
Tää on kyl varsin hauska rokkilevy. Pastissia tietysti mutta kyllä mä nautin ja tää saa ihan hyvälle tuulelle. 3/5
Varsinaista iloittelua! Ei todellakaan taiteellista ja kysymys herää että miksi listalle, mut hymy tulee huulille. 3/5
Better than I was expecting, actually. The singers voice isn’t my cup of tea though.
I liked the hits. I have issues with Falsetto.
In een vorig leven stond Xander in onze tourbus dit keihard, staand mee te schreeuwen: Get your hands of my woohoooman motherfuckehhheeeerr! Toch een speciaal plaatje daardoor voor mij, hoewel het verder weinig boeiend is.
Haha nice! Dit was toch wel een heerlijke gimmick toen het uitkwam. Mooie herinneringen aan. En dat is waarschijnlijk de hoofdreden waarom ik het nog steeds wel kan waarderen, want eigenlijk is het natuurlijk gewoon een soort over-de-top persiflage van Queen-meets-ACDC.
It was easy for me to slag this off since the music is a couple of generations out of time, and the first song backed that up, but "Get your hands off my Woman" caught my attention. Overall the guitar licks and compositions are fun and the falsetto vocals are amusing.
In the 00s we were dredging up the worst impulses of 70s and 80s rock and pretending they were charming if prefaced by a wink to the camera. There's a reason this is on spotify's "Kegstand" playlist, and based on all the "me and my mates" nostalgia in these reviews, "Kegstand playlist" sums up my feelings about this record.
Standouts: I Believe in a Thing Called Love Others: Growing on Me, Get Your Hands Off My Woman Singles: Get Your Hands off My Woman #43, UK Growing on Me #11, UK I Believe in a Thing Called Love #2, UK Christmas Time #2, UK Love is Only a Feeling #5, UK
Seemed pretty bog standard to me. The singer's gimmick was old after the first few songs. Not really my bag.
Great guitars and drums, but wtf is up with that lead singer's voice? Its like Tiny Tim did a metal album. 3/5
I love everything about this band, but I'm not sure this album belongs with some of the others in this list. The hits are FANTASTIC, the nots are just sorta there.
That shrieky falsetto the singer loves to use got on my nerves kinda fast. That aside, it's a solid album. Very 70s with the bright crunchy guitars and big dramatic vocals. Best song: Friday Night
I believe in a thing called lunch.
De rocknummers zijn verrassend aangenaam, de metalnummers niet. Vooral de nummers met schreeuwende zang zijn niet mijn ding.
I Believe in Thing called love was amazing. I just always thought this band was mocking 80s hair. Never thought to listen to the whole album
Track 5 🔥 Would listen to again.
#15. This is exactly the amount of cheesy over the top bullshit I had hoped for and expected going into this album. Did not disappoint. Not something I plan on listening to a lot, but decent overall. 3/5: acceptable
based on their big song off this album, i always kind of thought that their style was kind of ironic, distilling the most over the top parts of 80s rock to it's most brash and flamboyant, much like their delivery on 'i believe in a thing called love' with big wailing guitars and soaring falsetto. in listening to the album, this came across less ironic, more like an actual, genuine tribute to this sound. it's a lot less goofy than i was anticipating, something i've always sort of felt about 'thing called love.' that's not necessarily a bad thing, just not what i was expecting. that being said, the big song is the best song on the album by a long shot, the rest are alright but really just come across in a 'get born - jet' kind of way, that early 00s retro fetishism sound. which, as i've said, is fine, but just purely fine in this instance.
Glam rock in 2003? I rolled my eyes. But to my surprise, this is actually so fun!
Contemporary hard rock somewhere between rock'n'roll and emo with really dramatic singing. Fun! But annoying! But fun!
I was just starting high school in 2003, so this album made me feel like I was going to a school reunion. Mixed memories made for an okay listening experience. It's a fine rock album, not my taste anymore, but fine.
Better than i had expected. A bit to much falsetto but the guitar riffs are really nice!
I really didn’t like the falsetto before and this is still a bit much but the music is very strong.
- Legit shocked this is on the 1001 Albums list. That's not a criticism, I'm just surprised. - What a fun album. Never listened to The Darkness beyond "I Believe In A Thing Called Love" (which slaps), but this is able to maintain a surprising level of quality for its whole run time. - They handle the requisite ballad (Holding My Own) shockingly well. - Love on the Rocks with No Ice is such a deliriously stupid song title and I love it. - Probably a 3.5 if I'm being honest, but I'm rounding it to a 3 for this rating system. I could see this improving a lot in my mind, though, with further listens.
Не для меня
As an American, I'd never heard of these guys. Heavy metal-infused hard rock like AC/DC or Journey that turns into straight glam rock in the second half. It's cheesy, fun, and stupid, and he has a hell of a voice modeled after Freddy Mercury. It's relatively simple, with catchy riffs, but none of the guitar solos will blow you away. They're just good vibes. There're a ton of fun moments, with the campy cliches cranked to the max. Even "Friday Night" was edging toward power pop territory, with a sound reminiscent of a modern Big Star. The arrangements overall aren't that interesting, and I did find a lot of the second half to be weaker. I guess the energy and power of the first half was essential, or maybe the gimmick just got too tiring. It does feel like a parody that lives up to what it's trying to be, but not much more than that.
This album was a great listen, really capitalizing on the return of glam and hair rock complete with chugging guitars, soring vocals, and fun effects.
first listen definitely rockin but a bit too much cheese
I had more fun with this album than I thought I would have when I was 5 seconds in. I was thinking, oh no, not another "The Hives." This was way less annoyingly polished (like the Hives), way more explosive, and just fun and silly. I ended up kind of coming around to it! This is pretty much on the opposite pole of my normal home turf, music-wise. I really don't love Queen or most glam rock stuff, and the lead singer is sometimes super eye-rolly in what he does. Why is this working for me? Well it's honestly that they just sound like they're having an insanely fun time! So you can't be super grumpy at them for too long. And they just go all-in, 100%, on every record. Reminds me a tiny bit of why I liked the past Def Leppard albums. 3/5
Shuddered when I saw this was a glam rock album, but actually maybe enjoyed (?) this one a bit. It leans so far into the bit that it escapes draining pomposity and lands at the far edge of total cheese, and the vocalist's absolutely insane takes and range led to some good laughs. Not sure I would listen to this on the regular, but definitely happy to have my expectations subverted.
You can tell they’re influenced by a lot of 80’s bands. His voice is interesting in the first few songs. Good instruments. Ex 3.5
Some good parts but kind of annoying. Felt like they were trying too hard to not take themselves seriously.
Above average. 3/5
The Darkness's whole gimmick has always been so tacky to me and I don't really care for their big hit, but this album was actually more likable than I expected. I think viewing it more as an product of its time than as an 80s throwback piece actually makes it more interesting and likable. The band has a good ear for hooks and the performances are good, even if the campy high pitch vocals do come across more annoying than anything at times. Still, like, it's not bad.
Interesting without being fantastic
I still don't really like this. But I really like Justin and I have to admit it is catchy and fine really well. It's just too silly.
This album rocks way more than I remember.
-love some yelly scream singing -feels very hard rock and i dig it -DAMNNN those high notes -singer has got PIPESSSS bro it makes the songs that much better -idk if i would listen to this again but its cool -overall this is a 3 star album for me
is ganz okay/nice, aber the darkness halt. würd nit regelmäßig dazu greifen
There’s some standout songs, but it doesn’t remain as strong throughout.
Man, when that guitar is going and he is wailing,I am all over that. But too many songs depart from this formula
hm, the album art is deceiving. It looks like 70s art. Not sure what to expect here. Metal, rock, indie? Didn't get through it all at work, maybe I'll finish it up at the gym. Their voice reminds me of Counting Crows. It was alright. I liked the nostalgia feeling. 3⭐️
I'm not one for hair metal, so I'm probably in the wrong category for this. Technically speaking, it's impressive: Justin Hawkins' melismatic-slash-gymnastic runs sound difficult to pull off, and the backing music has some killer headbanging solos. That being said, I feel like I enjoyed parts of this album more than I enjoyed whole songs, and I'm not particularly sure why it's here. Didn't set off a huge hair metal revival or anything. Call it a generous 2.5. Favorite tracks: "I Believe In a Thing Called Love", "Growing On Me"
Ummm
Odd album, but I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
Best Song: I Believe in a Thing Called Love. Absolutely dripping in cheese. Decadent. Boisterous. Doesn't take itself seriously but still manages to rock pretty hard. The definition of a fun song. Worst Song: Holding My Own. No one's here to hear the Darkness sing slow songs. Overall: Hard not to like the glitz and glamour of it all. Nothing else reaches the stratospheric heights of "I Believe in a Thing Called Love", but it's still entertaining enough to keep you mostly interested for its full duration.
Podeira ser um pouco mais conciso. Com oito faixas seria a síntese de toda diversão que o glam pode se caracterizar. Sendo que I Believe in a Thing Called Love é a receita mais bem acabada do glam rock.
5/10. Sounded a little bad at times, but never that bad. Lyrics were okay at times, but generally not spectacular
Better then expected
I remember when this came out I was desperate for it. Had a tenner left in my bank account and ended up bottling it out of guilt, as my mam drilled it into me to save and I’d gradually fluttered my money away on CDs. Not sure what that tenner wouldve done but at least I wasnt at 0. Anyway, 20 years later I’m finally living my teenage dream of listening to this (a different type of teenage dream than the one that involved Britney Spears and Hilary Duff, I can assure you). Anyway, its a pretty fun 70s, tongue in cheek throwback without all the noncing that the 70s brought. In fact I prefer it to most of the 70s rock records that have cropped up so far which obviously influenced this. Recognised most of the songs, and ‘I believe in a thing called love’ brought back a wave of nostalgia trying to learn the riff on guitar in me garage. In short, enjoyed this but cant see myself returning. 15 year old me wouldve fucking loved this though, so in hindsight I wish I’d spent that tenner and experienced the wrath of Linda.
Had not really listened to much from The Darkness but this album was a pleasant surprise. Really enjoyed the singing and guitar work here. I think the first half of the album is the better half. Highlights: Black Shuck Get Your Hands off My Woman Growing on Me I Believe in a Thing Called Love
50/50
Sounds good. Hair band all the way!
Pour ceux qui n'auraient pas eu l'info, Robert a d'ores et déjà annulé le dîner prévu pour les 900 albums en raison de la perte totale d'engouement pour le générateur. Celui des 1001 albums ne sera maintenu que si la situation s'améliore.
Les gâteaux d'annviersaire ne sont même plus sortis pour célébrer ce 800ème album, on a hâte que tout cela termine.
This album is a fairly decent glam/ hard rock album that stands in stark contrast to what was a pretty awful time for mainstream rock. I’m not sure how earnest this album is, but I’d like to believe the band has some semblance of self-awareness. It is over the top, campy, and brings in a lot of rock cliches without seeming like they’re trying to imitate any one artist in particular. The worst part was the weakness of the falsetto vocals most times it was used. Other than that, the album was a nice short fun listen. Nothing too special, but enjoyable
I am impressed that it is a debut album, because the sound is so developed and consistent. I know "Thing Called Love" but not any of the others so I was surprised to hear that there were 5 singles. In the end, I don't really like this, it has that glam goofiness and showoffiness that turns me off. But I can't deny the skill on display here, particularly from the lead singer.
I think people shit on The Darkness more than they deserve? Is it goofy? Yeah for sure, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's definitely a 2000s glam-rock revival band that isn't compromising in its vision. Do I enjoy it? Not really, but I bet I'd absolutely have a fun time at a show. Respect but it ain't generally my thing.
Just fun
I kind of get what they’re about but I don’t know if we’re beyond tribute pastiche in the world of heavy metal. Wasn’t it always thus? A band out of time with an unusual hit in a non metal era.
One famous song that doesn't really hold the album together.
There's some of this that I love so much but I've never been able to really get into The Darkness. The lead singer's voice is just a little too much. It's like he's shooting for opera or something. They're good but it doesn't quite hit the mark for me.
3.5
Fun and campy, but the lead vocalist is far too grating for a long listen the full way through.
Interesting take to bring back classic rock, songs inspired by classic themes as well. 3/5
That was a pretty weird listen. I don't think there was anything bad on here, but I feel like I should have hated it. Lots of annoying antics, but somehow they didn't make me want to stop listening. Some songs were hilarious even though I hated myself for thinking so afterwards. Glad I listened but probably won't give it another try. 3.5 stars.
Glam rock is never going to be one of my favorite genres, but I do appreciate the audacity of it and the fact that it doesn't take itself too seriously (most of the time). This album seems to be from that weird era in the early 00s when bands were just trying to straight up copy 70s rock (looking at you, Wolfmother). It's overall a pretty fun album 3/5
Good rock but the singer was annoying
Not bad - 3
Didn’t do anything for me.
This one was weird and fun. Not something I’ll be coming back to often, but I was at least excited to see what each track would be as I listened.
Had some charm. Hair metal revival somewhat more enjoyable than expected
The vocals are a touch grating at times. Otherwise classic rock init
Silly goofy glam rock. Style over substance personified.
Started off questioning why this album was on the list beyond it being UK Rock, but once I Believe in a Thing Called Love came on I understood. That song is one of the classics and met with a one two punch of Love is Only A Feeling which was another favorite of mine. Then they started growing on me but still beyond those songs there wasn't much that was unique. Also I laughed at this cover thinking this is what UK bands think is an American Style album. Get a naked lady on there and a space ship a la Boston. People will love that!
Need to listen again, was in deep focus and feel like I missed out on a great rock album
Ah man. "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" was a really important song for me in my guitar playing / music learning journey. Looking up some dates, I started playing guitar on Dec 8 2003. This record came out July 7 2003, and I'm assuming it didn't take too long for that single to be all over the airwaves. That summer I was hanging out with friends and talking about learning guitar so I could make a band with them on what was probably a daily basis. I absolutely adore that song and that guitar riff. It's so fun and catchy and exciting and yet it also seemed so approachable to learn. I do remember trying to learn it in my first few months of guitar playing and really failing at it as it was just too fast and too much to take on. I actually never tried again to learn that riff so I think I'm going to do that asap because it's really really great. Despite that song, I kind of question whether this album should be on this list. That's a really great song, and is such a fun throwback to classic rock but with a sweet modern feel. The rest of the album is good but not great, and while there have been other albums on this list that have had 1 real show-stopper track, I'm not sure if that's really enough to bring up the rest. "Get Your Hands off My Woman" (motherfucker) is funny as hell. "Growing on Me" was pretty good. The production and mix on "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" is really really great.
really campy but honestly kinda boring rock it has "I Believe in a thing called love"
Album amusant, son qui fait vraiment penser au hard/glam rock des années 80 mais au goût du jour. C'est un peu over the top mais on dirait que le band est très self aware. Pas détesté mais les compositions devenaient un peu fade vers la fin de l'album. 7/10
Extra star because it had solo guitars at a time no one would do them, otherwise the music is not that good...
Decent
I'll always have a soft spot for this one. At the time it came out, it did a good job at what it was doing, which was threading a needle between parody of and love letter to glam/classic rock. The songs aren't half bad at all. I mean, 'Love On The Rock With No Ice' is a pretty sweaty title, but mostly it rides a fine line and comes down on the right side of it.
Yeah, I liked this more than I expected. It all felt like one big gimmick when it came out and I still can't stand dude's falsetto. Buuut... I kind of feel about this the way I feel about Steel Panther and Tenacious D. You get that it's all sort of a joke, but when the songs are good then it becomes really fun to be in on the joke with them. And some of the songs here reach that level. Would I rather just listen to AC/DC or Cheap Trick? Sure, most of the time. But I'd visit this again and I wasn't sure I was going to come out of the listening experience with that as the takeaway, so I guess you could say I am stepping out of the light and into The Darkness. There's just no chance a major publication didn't use that last line in one of their reviews at the time of the album's release. Zero chance.
Meh rock album
Good album.
I fucking love the guitar on this. It's not neither creative nor interesting, but it's got that classic 90s crunch. But my god the rock-opera vocals ruin the entire vibe.
Some of this is ok (e.g., Friday Night), but the lead singer’s vocals got tiring real quick. 2.5 rounded down.
I like “I believe in a thing called love” for about a minute. Maybe two. This album dares to ask, what if that song were 42 minutes long? Sometimes the riffs hit right and sometimes the vibe/singing/sophomoric humor really didn’t.
OK. Couple be pretty good with different vocalist.
★★½
There are better, more original examples of this type of music out there. It’s fun but it is still derivative of things that came 10-30 years before without adding much to it.
I suppose this is sort of fun in a campy way, but that doesn't make it great. Most of the lyrics are just a big gooey cheeseball, and I genuinely cannot tell if I think the vocals are super impressive or super atrocious. This was a decent way to spend some time, but I can't say I loved it. Fave tracks: - Get Your Hands of My Woman - Givin' Up - Stuck in a Rut - Love on the Rocks with No Ice - Makin' Out
I made it halfway through this album before I realized it was just the same song repeated over and over again.
It was dark indeed-I felt I was taken to a place that was lacking.
Like Mariah Carey had AC/DC as her backing band. Thing is, I like AC/DC. 2*
THIS was critically acclaimed in 2003? I would hardly believe 1983... but 2003? Seriously? Is that a grand joke?
Holy shit this guy's voice is annoying
Not very good. Two stars. Thrash/speed metal. Head banging. Singer is not good. Loud guitar with a lot of hooks. Repetitious. Get your hands off my woman. That just about sums up their attitudes to women.
I was prepared to hate on this cause I detest those ironic rediscoveries / embraces of a genre ... but I have to admit these guys are doing their thing bery well and with love. The songs rock, the guitars sound tastefully crunchy ... but the singer's falsetto is just zoo over the top.
If you’ve heard their version of “I Believe In A Thing Called Love”, I think you can probably skip the rest of this album. It’s a fun romp, through the days of arena-era hair metal, but that’s all I can really say. Musically, it doesn’t feel like they’re doing anything extremely different than Buckcherry or a few other party rock bands at the time. It missed the hair metal era by a few decades, glam rock by at least one more, and it didn’t kickstart a new era of either. So, it’s just… a tribute act? It’s a good time, but not list-worthy.
I can take a song or two but really this just needed to stay as a quirky remnant of the 2000s, not an album for this list
eher einfach gestrickt - aber komplizierte texte, so dass der gesang etwas bemüht wirkt
Etwas konventioneller Rock.
lame!
Very below average. Just seemed like they weren’t trying
I liked black shuck, but nothing else stood out.
Greta Van Fleet should be compared more this band than Led Zeppelin 2.5
Horrible sleeve. Dreadfully retro. I doubt the world really needed a return to this kind of stuff in 2003, but bizarrely this was hugely popular in the UK. I don't see it myself.
I respect making glam in 2003. I didn't like it that much for whatever reason. I liked the opening guitar part before the vocals. Also the tapping at the opening to the bonus track Makin' Out
Other than the naked woman on the cover (which is actually a visual thing, and not auditory at all!), I'm at a complete loss in figuring out why I needed to "hear" this album before I die. Admittedly, 1001 is a LOT of albums, with room for a LOT of personal subjective choices. But while competently performed, nothing here offers anything that about a dozen hair bands from the 80s didn't do equally well. I guess maybe the album cashed in on nostalgia, and probably there are lots of people a generation younger than me that can sing along with these songs as effortlessly as I can still belt out "Wanted Dead of Alive," "Pour Some Sugar on Me," "Here I Go Again," and "November Rain." But Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Whitesnake, and Guns 'n Roses did it a decade and a half BEFORE these guys, and there's a reason that hair band sound became a joke in the 90s: it had pretty much been played out. There's nothing new here. Just nostalgia.
Okay enough
No, no, no. I don't like this at all. Puke emoji.
Barely listened.
No me gusto, not the kind of rock i like. nada me es pesado no lo puedo soportar mucho
Thought we had gone through all the Queen albums on this list.
Skimmed through after the first song. I like that thing he does with his voice sometimes. That’s it.
How is it that many popular and influential bands in this lane are not on the Dimery list and yet this 2003 revival album is here. If cliché, campy, tongue-in-cheek metal is something that is needed to be heard before we die, where is Spinal Tap?
Hard rock, glam rock.
Caterwauling. I thought System of the Down had terrible vocals. This was worse.
I’ve got really fond memories of this album, but even when it came out I felt like half the songs were filler. This album is carried by one amazing track and maybe two okay tracks. I found the entire thing really hard to get through.
Es una pavada este disco. Esta rama del rock onda Kiss, onda Bon Jovi, me parece la más verga de todas.
Why is this one hit wonder album here? I believe in a thing called love is pretty great, but the rest was really not up to snuff. 2
2.5
Honestly I think I could learn to love this album if it wasn't for his damn yelping (5.35) ★★½
Can't imagine I will be exploring this band further but it's so camp I kind of love it. "Love on the rocks with no ice" sounds like something by Tenacious D. If the singer wasn't screeching so much I might actually like the music
4.5 / 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.
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.
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
An amusing album but I hate it in a lot of ways
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
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.
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.
One hit wonders should stay that way
“I Believe in a Thing Called Love” is a fun song, the rest of the album is so so.
Unremarkable. 1.5 stars.
Queen after 10 years of meth abuse.