Reviews (page 6 of 7)
Te veel gitaar
Tedious
Joyful, knowing, rifferama with some catchy tunes, although the Queen-style vocal moments are a little wearing. A little Big Country mixed in with the AC/DC and Thin Lizzy guitars. The album is front-loaded, for sure - the songs with tunes all happen early, and the second half is a bit stodgy. 2 stars, because there are a couple of bangers amongst the stodge.
This one is not totally for me but I appreciate the energy. And I believe in a thing called love. I feel how much the darkness wants it which makes me like it more. Favorite track: Friday night
Light 2
Not my thinggg
Not my style of music at all. The single most clichéd album I've gotten so far. But I respect it at least. It's melodic and catchy.
A record even the most glam rock of bands would say is on the nose. It's a lot of fun if you take it for what it is - a group of guys just having fun with some big riffs and silly lyrics. Does it need to be on this list? Probably not.
permission to land?? u gone need permission 2 get the fuck on outta my face first
Big rock sounds on this album, but I’m not a real fan of the falsetto screaming that has a standing reservation on most of these songs. The tracks would be better received (by me and I assume by lots of others) if the vocals were delivered in a more tolerable manner. Get Your Hands Off Of My Woman was the only track that those vocal stylings really worked well for me as it’s more of screaming statement than the other songs. The lyrics were also pretty weak on a number of songs which didn’t help the screaming delivery either. Not a great album but worth a listen once….once.
I always liked I Believe in a Thing Called love, fun throwback to hair metal. I never listened to anything else by the Darkness until yesterday, and now a bit sorry that I have. The shtick is fun for a song or two, but an entire album of this is a bit much,I can't handle that much falsetto. They should have gone full old school and just released a cassingle.
I like the beat and guitar to it… kinda gives an ac/dc vibe but i’m not a fan of the singer
Glam rock is not for me
Corny and derivative. Listenable but not good
I BELIEVE IN A THING CALLED LOVE (just listen to the rhythm of my heart).
3/10
His vocals are horrible beo. Instrumentation is good but i literally hust cannot listen to this man hooting and hollering in my ear
Great, but something doesn't work for me
Sometimes on vet shows they have to castrate farm animals by putting an extremely tight band around their testicles. The lead singer of the Darkness sings like he has one of those bands on him
похожи на мотли крю, прикольные рифы и соляки местами, но вокал прям не понравился
That is some lame goofy shit
Hair metal belongs in the 80s.
Blegh
Its pretty unremarkable, except for the absolutely annoying lead singer voice.
Ludicrous but not much fun. Silliness may be the intended outcome, but if it isn't, they need a different singer.
Falsetten är ju hela grejen. Utan den är det bara ännu ett rockalbum i mängden. Den är kul men räcker väl inte riktigt för att kompensera för resten. Tapping i tersstämma i ’Making out’ var i för sig också lite kul. Kul är nog rätt ord för plattan. Stark 2a.
Ledsen blir man inte! Men det är också outhärdligt haha. Tvåa för I Belive in a Thing Called Love.
I get that it’s “fun” and they don’t take themselves all that seriously, I just don’t enjoy this type of music at all and would never listen again.
This album seems to nail the sound it’s aiming for. Unfortunately, that sound isn’t something that fits with my taste. Justin Hawkins is clearly a very talented singer, but the falsetto flourishes are too pervasive. This has always been an album that feels so close to a good fit and yet so far away.
Black Shuck: 6/10 Get Your Hands Off My Woman: 6/10 Growing on me: 6/10 I Believe In A Thing Called Love: 6/10 Love Is Only A Feeling: 5.8/10 Givin Up: 6.2/10 Stuck In A Rut: 5/10 Friday Night: 5.8/10 Love On The Rocks With No Ice: 5/10 Holding My Own:
Sorry...I can't take those vocals serious. The rest of the band was great though.
Plenty of falsetto over very pedestrian late 70s style hair metal music. The instrumental side is unoriginal, the lyrics are weak, but it’s the vocals that really drag it down. It ALMOST sounds like a parody band from a movie, like Spinal Tap, but from what I read they were actually serious when they put this out. 1.5 stars
2. fun musically and gets my head moving but vocally, i'm annoyed and tired.
For me, this was a case where the whole was worse than the sum of its parts. The guitarist had some interesting ideas, but it wasn’t until the third song that they actually lined up with the drums. And the singer’s very shrill vocals mostly didn’t fit the music. It was almost as if they all recorded their parts without hearing the others, and then just threw them together. Maybe that’s what they were going for, but if it was, it didn’t work for me. I didn’t think it was horrible, but definitely below average
No es mi tipo dijo aquella
seemed like a very generic album didnt care to listen to all of it
I used to hate them when I was 13 but I went in with an open mind and disregarded my younger self because I had just discovered Radiohead and the Mars Volta and therefore was insufferable. My teenage self may have been pretentious but he was still insightful. Shite. An extra point since it was quite short.
Rocking but not for me. First song vs the rest are two different worlds
I liked 2 of the songs. That's it
This is far more falsetto than anyone could possibly need to hear before they die.
Other than thing called love it's not very good
Expected to hate this and I didn't hate it. I didn't really love it either. The singer is irritating. Every guitar part sounds like it was already played by either Angus Young or CC Deville. I don't mind a revival or tribute but this is just hair metal cosplay. They bring nothing new to the party, but they execute it well. Mainly, I'm wondering why this was included. Nothing here hasn't been done 100 times before in a better format
Not really. Rush meets Aerosmith meets Tiny Tim.
it's fine i guess. the singer is noteworthy for having a nice voice but broadly speaking it's forgettable muddy 00s glam rock before they invented parametric eq and mixing. it's really rough. i can't tell if it's the mixing or if the vocalist is just british but i could scarce make out more than a line here or there. the whole aesthetic and vibe of this album is "protagonist band in a high school movie who save the school from a nebulous outside bureaucratic force through the power of song". does that make sense? it kinda makes sense to me. tracks like "friday night" are toe-tappers that i'd hear at 20% volume on the store radio while standing in line at a coffee shop that charged me $7 for a basic latte. your dad probably swears this band is underrated for some reason.
My immediate reaction to seeing this album was "Wait didn't these guys sing that one song?". Why yes, yes they did. I saw a Todd in the Shadows video about this band once. The first immediate thing I noticed when listening to this is that the mastering of this album is god awful. It sounds like the music is playing on an MP3 player at the opposite side of a really echo-y hallway. Luckily, this can SORT of be fixed by listening to the 20th anniversary version. This was fun, mostly. The first few songs kinda suck, but the one hit wonder "I believe in a Thing Called Love" is pretty good. It's goofy and an earworm. I don't really get why this is on this list though? It's a very early 2000s rock album that doesn't really feel very special, except maybe the singers voice. I feel like they should have committed more to the comedic and absurd elements, but it doesn't and so it feels trapped between goofball anthems and semi-sincere love songs. It's like they can't work out if they want to be Electric Six or The-Killers-does-glam-rock.
dadrock core
A bland British hard rock/metal album. It’s nice to hear it in the morning to warm up. But actually, it isn’t a really good one. It feels like an imitation of great albums. Nothing extraordinary. I don’t wanna relisten to any songs. 2/5 —————————————— No liked songs
Not a fan. The falsetto and silliness of it all is a turn off.
oh it's the guy with the shiddy youtube reaction channel. Has the occasional good riff but not often Will I listen to again: 1%
Decent rock, but the falsetto vocals get a little annoying after a fashion. A good choice if you want to hear some classic rock but don’t want to take the time to seek out AC/DC or Deep Purple.
Excellent example of the need for vocals to blend with the instruments. This shrill, thin voice does not work with the thick sound of glam rock.
More epicslop.
That singer hits high notes that no human or dog should hear. I definitely hear the Rush influence here...but not in a good way.
Wow, the falsetto is unbelievable! So much falsetto, it's like opera rock with way over the top vocals. Pretty amazing that the guy can hit these super high notes. The music is good but nothing that really blew me away, the think that struck me is, like I said, the vocals. It's really crazy stuff. Never heard of them before and I'm not sure it's something I would ever listen to again but I won't forget it anytime soon.
Suscribo todos los comentarios de la crítica del libro. Muy acertados. Los referentes son evidentes e indisimulados: AC/DC y Boston con esos riffs de guitaras pesados. También The Cars cuando se acercan al pop y un poco de Queen por algunos tonos y cambios de voz de Justin. Sin embargo, a pesar del trallazo inicial de I Believe in a Thing Called Love, las comparaciones con Queen eran y son absurdas. Por calidad, por longevidad (aunque han segudio publicando hasta este mismo 2025) y por imposible. También hay ecos de Aerosmith o Kiss. De este debut, destacan la comentada I Believe in a Thing Called Love, Get Your Hands Off My Woman, Stuck In A Rut o la simpática y chispeante Friday Night. A mi por ejemplo Black Shuck me parece bastante floja, pero en menos de 40 minutos pasas un buen rato, que es lo que pretendían. Para otras cosas te pones la música de sus referentes. No entiendo que esté en la lista de 1001 discos, no aporta nada. Bueno, se escucha fácil y puedes hacer el chorras, pero eso es mejor en concierto donde seguro que ganaban aún más.
so annoying but i like that one song
My face dropped when the singing started
I dig that these are a bunch of guys who grew up listening to hair metal / glam rock and said “fuck it, I want to do that”, then they actually went and did it! It’s admittedly not my preferred genre at all, but there’s tons of passion and enthusiasm in this album and it’s undeniably fun. That said, holy hell I cannot stand his singing. It’s like nails on a chalkboard after a couple songs. By the end of the album, the novelty had worn off, so I just wanted it to end.
Never really did understand why The Darkness were so highly regarded. Listening again with more critical ears (and equipment) hasn’t inspired any more than before - but now the production and sound both seem dated and flat.
that one song is alright
Absolutely not. This sucks.
Not for me.
Eh
I very much dislike falsetto singers on metal music. I will never “get it”. Perhaps it’s because I’ll never be able to sing like them. For example, I really enjoyed “Growing On Me” Justin Hawkins went there. If it weren’t for this project, I would’ve stopped listening right then and there. This album seems like a nostalgia grab for people in 2003 that wished it was still 1983.
CRINGE. Or is it just a bit of fun? Nah, get to fuck. Sorry Dan, I just can't stand Justin.
I might have liked this album better with a different singer. When he moved into his upper register/falsetto it made me cringe.
Most of the music comes in at a 3 for me, though some of the riffs seems like complete take offs from other more popular rock songs. Most of the vocals land at 2 for me, being too high pitched and shrieky, with some cheesy hooks.
That one song is ok but a whole album of it is a bit much
I'd never heard of this band before but I recognized one of the songs. Seems like maybe a one-hit wonder, but the album wasn't bad.
I was never into hair rock, so no reason I would be into this either
The Darkness's debut album was really weird for me. You have this He-man-styled singing with screaming and power metal vocals on the side. The vocals were just all over the place, it just gives the album no direction. Unlike the vocals, I liked majority of the backing tracks. ESPECIALLY Love on the Rock with No Ice; solid groove metal-like song. And now about my least favourite song on the album: Black Shuck is so obnoxious. It's trying to be 3 different things at the same time, going nowhere fast in the process.
Removed
Not in my edition of the book! 2003. 2 stars. Generic and faintly ridiculous Brit glam rock. Justin Hawkins may become a good singer once his balls drop.
I Believe in a Thing Called Love is fun. The rest of this record doesn’t work out as well. It feels like there are moments in all these songs that work - but then the rest of the song is either too kitsch or not kitsch enough.
These guys seriously know how to rock but man I can’t get past that voice - annoying as h*ll
That voice!!
meh
Little more than a one-hit wonder.
A bit of restrain on the falsetto heroics would do some good. I feel like The Darkness are in a damned if you do damned if you dont position, they were a breath of fresh air for those jaded by Nu-metal that weren't into the garage rock revival of the early milenium. I can only take them on small dosages. 2/5 I believe in a thing called love is a masterpiece, but the rest? meh
A small part of the first two songs made me skip the rest of the album. Maybe if the guy wasn’t singing I would have given it a chance.
Na ja.
It's kinda fun? But also very derivative, and repetitive, and I have no idea why this is in the list.
This is the best possible execution of a genre I really, really don't like. It's really quite good for what it is, but I hate hair metal, fun and self-aware or not, so it's gonna be a 2.
Two stars for the two good songs. The lead singer has a great voice but their is not a lot of depth to their songs and that type of hair metal style rock, even though it’s from the 2000s just doesn’t jive with me
great musicians; lyrics point to some issues
The instrumentation on this is right up my alley if a bit simplistic, and I enjoyed bits - but, please someone, stop hurting that vocalist.
Whilst I believe the album comes from a good place, it’s just too cheesy and a pastiche of a genre that is already abit much.
2 fun but not essential .
Sounded like when Weezer got bad
This shit had me sleeping. Its just a bunch of clichés trying to be innovative with the singer being Axel Rose with none of the charisma accompanied by some basic and shitty lyrics. Only a couple decent songs and thats being generous
I'm not a fan of this kind of pastiche. It's fun, and this album is fun, but there's a layer of remove there. The riffs are catchy, and there's a ton of personality in all of these songs. There's real talent here, it's not just mimicry. It just doesn't connect with me. Weird to think that this album is now older than the hair metal they drew inspiration from was at the time of it's recording. Standout Track(s): I Believe in a Thing Called Love
Gotta appreciate their commitment to the bit. Young guys in 2000 channeling their favorite 80's metal dudes. It's fun in very small doses, but does wear thin. I love the genre and the originals theses guys are emulating, but I'd rather hear those originals. I can even get behind high, sometimes screechy vocals a la Geddy Lee, but Geddy brought more to the show. In an interview these guys were saying how anomalous the single "I believe in a thing..." was because they just think of themselves as a rock band and that was just an inch from parody. It almost didn't get onto the album. But I don't find it believable. Most of the songs lean that way - a blender full of glam metal tropes pushed to 11. (Although yes, in the video, they knew they were overdoing it on purpose.) I do kind of like "Friday Night" because there's less of the screechiness and he even sounds a little like... can I say this? Robert Smith. It's almost "Friday I'm in Love"! Gotta give this a two because truthfully the music is not bad. They're decent 80s-90s metal rockers. But it's gotta have more heart for me to want to listen again. There's no There there.
Great guitar intro to Black Shuck. Then the vocals started, whoa, bad. The falsetto, the screaming. Couldn’t get through the second song, not for me
Vocals are horrendous.
Ahh the darkness, man this record is not great. Too unfunny to be parody, too contrived to be sincere. Boo.
bad
Rock by numbers
A gloriously unselfconscious homage to glam and hair metal. I Believe in a Thing Called Love captures the essence in a single track beautifully, as a whole album it's a bit much though.
Hold on. The Darkness were a real band?! 🤪 Of course it's daft, cliché and silly, but you can tell they had good fun with it! 2.5
I have been putting off listening to this album. I HATED I Believe In A Thing Called Love in 2003 and was dreading listening to more of this silly-voiced novelty act. There were a few guitar riffs that I enjoyed, but overall, my original assessment was correct.
hm
There was nothing remarkable about this album. The songs were mediocre. If they were attempting an homage to hair metal, then they did a serviceable job.
First time I've ever heard the word "motherfucker" pronounced as nine syllables. Kitchy stuff. I mean, good on 'em -- they want to make glam rock. But they're stuck somewhere in a no-man's land between T.Rex and Queens of the Stone Age. It has its moments, but I'm not a big fan of the frontman's hooting falsetto. Solid riffage. Gets pretty boring in the back half, tbh.
It’s pretty dumb. For the first few tracks (especially the second), it’s also funny enough, tongue-in-cheek enough that the dumbness is forgivable, and even fun. The further in you get, though, the more tired and grating the joke gets. I’ll give them credit for making me completely forget this album came out in 2003. They found their genre and didn’t let time get in their way 2.5
One good track doesn't make a good album.
Arghhh. C'est pas bon pis c'est même pas drôle.
80's metal record from a 2000's band? Kinda fun I'll give it 2.5 stars
Obviously not the most serious album ever, but wow was this way worse than I remember.
➕ black shuck, get your hands off my woman. ➖love is only a feeling, stuck in a rut what the hell. sure. like a man who sounds like a woman. metal in the same way la croix is fruit.
glam rock should’ve died in 1979
Had some moments but overall didn't enjoy.
no
I think that falsetto voice worked for like one song and ruined the rest. The music was pretty good though
Just some old-fashion balls-to-the-wall fun.
I can’t get behind his voice. About 20% of the time they hit a good grove. Then he comes out of the mix
Not a bad sounding album (not great either, though), but a solid 30 years late to the British glam rock scene. I didn't hate this, but I don't think anyone needs to listen to it before they die.
Didn’t this joke wear think in 2005?
Queen for white people
Impossibly high notes vocally. Mainly listening as background to work but seems fun on the surface. It’s like Meatloaf/Queen/The Who had a baby.
Okay
borderline tacky copy cat?
4/10 - i started out really not liking it but it grew on me. Still not very good so
4/10
I can go for an high pitched Geddy Lee or King Diamond any day, but this is just plain ridiculous.
Basic rock album with 1 good song. The constant swing from regular to high falsetto was distracting me from the mediocre music
Quite different.
Didn’t do much for me.
Is it glam? Is it cock rock? Who cares. It's fun, fully committed, and way too much of a thing, good or not. Sounds like if John Fred were really into Def Leppard. I like I Believe in a Thing Called Love but since it's the fourth track, I'm finding the rest of the album increasingly trying.
it feels like vocals are by mickey mouse. music is bland.
I really want to like these guys but some songs just grate on my nerves. Others I really like
Old head arena rock from 2000, like Boston but way worse, they do it well but 0 originality
Yeah, nope. Almost grabbed me once or twice, but honestly, all of the f*$ks and moth@$^ckers were a turn off. I'm fine with cursing in lyrics, but this was over the top. Lots of music from this band, they're still recording, but it's all slipped by me. That must mean that the Venn diagram that includes this music does not intersect with my tastes. Another puzzler on the "1001 to hear before you die" list. I've heard it, but I'm not in a better place because I have. Fingers crossed for better things tomorrow, the last two have been duds.
Very corny 70's/80's Hair Metal / Glam Metal revivalism. No original Hair Metal albums appear on this list, which is the right call. But this begs the question: Why include this one then? It's certainly not better or worse than the genre's original run, it is funnier and self-aware, which is good I guess. Did critics at the time like this one a lot? Was the nostalgia cycle already at the point of giving this genre a critical reassessment? No need to do that, I think critics got it right the first time. Key tracks: I Believe in a Thing Called Love
Incredibly derivative - sounds like an 80s hair metal band, with a cheesy lead singer. The band itself plays well and generally rocks, but I really dislike the singer's voice. Rightly removed from the 1001. Songs I almost liked: Love is Only a Feeling, Love on the Rocks with no Ice. Moving on.
Det var virkelig ikke noget for mig, jeg lyttede ikke rigtig til det. Det var for rocket. Sikkert meget godt, hvis man er ude efter den vibe…
I liked this when it was released, partly because of the over the top approach. Nowadays I just find it okay. Has good songs but is not one of the best retro rock albums.
Meh, unoriginal guitar noise.
listened to the first three songs; noted my hatred of the falsetto; acquired headache; stop listening.
Confirms that I do not particularly like glam rock. They've got some excellent guitar work, but the voice is killing me...
The vocals are scathing. The music is recycled and unoriginal. This is...not good.
As a lover of weird vocal styles, this might grow on me but on first listen it was a swing and a miss.
It was good but not my thing.
Underwhelming and over indulgent. A very goofy and dated sound with shrieking vocals that sour a lot of songs. The mainstream hits are decent radioplay, but nothing I'd ever come back to. Top tracks: I Believe in a Thing Called Love, Love Is Only a Feeling
I rate I Believe In A Thing Called Love a 2 star because its kinda of like country and i don´t really like country but its like rook mixed with metalica and the drums are good ⭐⭐. I rate Get You´r Hand´s Off My Women a 2 star because its kinda of like country and i don´t really like country but its like rook mixed with metalica and the drums are good and it´s a little deep but its good ⭐⭐. I rate Stuck In A Rut a 2 star because its kinda of like country and i don´t really like country but its like rook mixed with metalica and the drums are good and it´s a little deep but its good ⭐⭐.
Do you want to listen to some music that has a lot of percussion? Well in I Believe in a Thing Called Love you can! I rate this song a ⭐⭐. I don't recommend this song. Do you want to listen to some music that has a lot of electric guitar? Well in Get Your Hands Off My Woman you can! I rate this song a ⭐⭐. I don't recommend this song. Do you want to listen to some music that has a lot of electric guitar? Well in Stuck in a Rut you can! I rate this song a ⭐⭐. I don't recommend this song.
I don't like this album because it's rock and because I don't like the lyrics. I would not recommend this to someone else because I don't think they would like it. I give this 2 stars.
i dont like this ablum very much the sounf is boring to me
I believe in a thing called love song I don't really like because its a lot of rock and then the drums are good the singer sings super good but the guitar I don't really like the noises Get your hand off my woman I don't like becuase the singer sings in a high pitch and the drums are very good and the guitar is too but over rall this song I don't like
Not quite
Musically this is ok for some sort of neo-glam rock thing. Then Justin opens his gob and it just becomes a parody of the genre which the world could have done without. That said it was fun in places.
Really this album???
This is a very strange album. I genuinely think the 80’s should be left in the 80’s, anything desperately trying to revive glam rock is really not for me. That said, the song “I believe in a thing called love” is a classic and I cannot find a single fault with it specifically. The rest of the album just doesn’t hit a single positive note for me. Gonna have to pass on this one. 2*
This album is… very… something. It’s clear, even from looking at the album cover, that they take a lot of inspiration from certain kinds of 70s-80s bands and it seems they just wanna rock. Which I guess they do. It’s just… so much. This falls into the same niche as Queen or Meatloaf for me in terms of gaudy, over-the-top nonsense that technical prowess doesn’t redeem for me. There was one song I thought was alright. I think it might have been “Love Is Only A Feeling”, or maybe “Holding My Own”. I dunno. Not worth finding out.
Cool album art that's about it didn't like I believe in a thing called love that much really
Unmemorable hard rock
You could say this album "landed" on my recommendations. I'm not keen on the style of "Permission to Land". The frequent falsettos honestly suck. I did like the rest of the Darkness performing. This week's a dud. 2 stars for "Permission to Land".
I Believe in a Thing Called Love //
Yeah. Here in 2025 we’re as far removed in time from this album as it was from the music it was in conversation with. This thing was so out of place in 2003. It’s a novelty, and that one track is a banger. But, man I dunno, not sure you needed to hear this before you died.
Kudos for being a very very very talented tribute band. I'm sure if you miss the days of hair metal then this would be right up your alley. As much originality as the weetbix I ate this morning. Permission denied.
I hate his voice. Band plays well and is well produced. I like pastiche when it rises above the style it's copying... this is not that. This is cosplay. Some decent tunes and some hits. Otherwise, hard pass.
Not much more than the one hit, which I'd put up against just about any song.
I really don't have the ability to appreciate most of the Hard Rock, Metal albums, to me they all sounds the same. To be honest, this might be a good hard rock revival album but hard rock is not my thing in general.
Competent, yet generic buttrock, only with an annoyingly over-the-top opera singer. It’s great you’ve got such a vocal range, but you probably shouldn’t build a whole band around it.
OMG! As the first chords played, I was transported back in time to the mid 80's. I had just bought an album by an unknown artist and was enraptured by the music. Carried aloft on the chords, anticipating each new twist in the music, the lead singer opened his mouth and brought the whole experience crashing to the ground. WTF?? Change out the lead singer and this albums rates high, if only because it plays to the nostalgia of an old man. With the lead singer, it becomes a bad, unfunny joke about 80's hard rock.
I can only think of this band as a meme. They could have been as good as queen but they didn’t do much with it
Wimpy theatre kid rock
Way too gimmicky. Why is this on this list?
Mostly didn't care for this. It's too AC/DC-ish. I did like one song, but that's not enough to save it. 2/5
Didn't need to listen, what are we even doing here, waste of a day
Glam rock revival.
1001? Really? The shrieking shtick got old really quickly.
Now I know why they are a one-hit wonder.
I can forgive the man for thinking the darkness could pull it off more than once. Truthfully a more complete album than i was expecting due to the smash hit of IBIATCL and complete silence of the rest. At the time I couldn't believe this was a modern band, it sounded so 80s. I don't feel like that anymore, it sounds so much more 2000s. 2/5
A couple songs were good. Not my cup of tea.
Bored off mate
it was aight I like a couple songs. I think I’m more of a pop punk girlie myself (blink 182 is my SHIT)
--5/10
The falsetto. Just no.
I thought this album was a joke until I realized the joke was on this having to listen to it. This album was not enjoyable at all.
Very high pitch and shrill. I didn’t like it and found it a bit annoying
This should not be on this list. Bleh. Sometimes I like some glam rock but this was trash. Musically it was fine but that was it. The vocals were awful, so shrill and so, so much unnecessary falsetto. Could barely understand the dude most of the time. Just trashy vocals.
are they trying for a Spinal Tap type parody? if so, they nailed it. or are they just too pretentious to notice they missed the mark? over the top repeated falsetto & lyrics of 80's glam rock. nope
Meh
I’m afraid I cannot get over the fact that this lot are arrogant, self-aggrandising bell-ends. Hate their attitude and sound - they try to do fun but in such a smug way, it’s revolting. Permission to land - no, please divert to another destination.
Revivalist, parody, homage, piss-take? I still have no idea really. Think they have their influences that they obviously honour, a genre that should always not be taken too seriously, but then try to be so tongue in cheek with the humour that it starts to grate really quickly. Which sums up their careers, they being the poster boys in Britain for a shooting star rise and abrupt fall. They are competent, the production is decades developed from the music they ape, Hawkins has the skill to do that vocal (though whether he should is another thing). Just surprised this is on the list, it’s so inessential, someone else in their review mentioned quotas for genre and decades and it just feels like that, are the acts they copy on the list, I would presume so but have a feeling they may not and this is all very post modern. Most acts, especially at the beginning show their influences, but take it on to something else. This just feels too much like a jokey parody, or worst for all involved that by 2003 if this was all, then hard rock had just run it’s course and nothing new or relevant was left in the cupboard.
My first thought seeing this... really? Well, okay. See what this is about. Good start, but the vocal cadence of the singer? I think I don't like it. He just tries to squeeze in too many words in the verses. The songwriting is there. I don't mind the falsetto. It's just that syncopation, The hit single "Get Your Hands Off of My Woman" is indeed a hit single. I'm not much of a glam guy but this is ok. I don't know that it necessarily qualifies for top-1001 necessary listens before you die, but I didn't write this book. Maybe I'll do my own so RONNIE JAMES DIO gets some recognition, you plebs. I don't think I can give "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" a fair assessment. I've heard it way, way too much. That and I don't believe in it. Embrace nihilism because it's the only thing that will meaningfully embrace you back. "Givin' Up" fits this dark mold except it's upbeat. Small steps. The cover artwork elicits Boston's self-titled. To truly embrace nihilism, I would recommend Dystopia's album "Human=Garbage."
Theres something campy about singing "get your hands of my woman mf" with the highest voice you can muster Got bored and didnt listen all the way through
I ain't gonna lie when I heard that falsetto singing I started skimming through this album. I'll will say, Love Is Only A Feeling and Holding My Own are absolute bangers as for the rest of this album word to my mother I could not care less. Yeah a few were good but the majority is mediocre. Such a shame. Top 2 Favorites: Love Is A Only Feeling and Holding My Own Top 3 Worst: Givin' Up, Stuck In A Rut, and Makin' Out 2.50/5
It's fine. Definitely one note band. Like I guess it's fun but it's not doing a ton for me
Don't think i love the big drums big guitar classic rock vibe. This is the sound I think of when the school of rock goes against the other bands in battle of the bands
Not only are they one-hit-wonders who shouldn't have an entire album on a list of must-hear albums, but they really shouldn't have more than a song or two. Come to find out, they have several albums and are still playing, recording, and touring. The joke that went too far, the dead horse that was beaten beyond recognition, the point that they beat you over the head with over and over for two decades. Maybe I'm just no fun, but their only good song is the one you think it is. Again, I'll say: where is Built To Spill? No one can possibly think this is more worth listening to than Perfect From Now On.
i didn’t like the original shit this shit is based on, it’s mostly the dude’s voice though
I believe in a thing called Love was a great throwback. The rest was better than expected, given my disdain for harder rock. Falsetto was cool, to a point. 3* is a bit too high, so high 2* instead.
I honestly thought I’d be all about this as I was very familiar with their hit when it came out. It was a sweet throwback sound. However, the same vocals that made “I believe in a thing called love,” didn’t lend itself to the rest of the album. I wanted to love it but but like TV’s Rosanne, it was just ok.
What if Robert Smith was the lead singer of Spinal Tap but he insisted on doing a Mickey Mouse impression for two thirds of the album? What the fuck is this. This is not a real album. Who makes this and why.
This is ridiculous…and I’m picking up what they are putting down…falsetto and all.
Great riffs and solos and some good tunes but the vocals at times are ridiculous !
Each track starts out ok with some great percussion and guitar riffs, and then the singer opens their mouth and I cringe. They sing like a parody of a hair metal rocker. I Believe in a Thing Called Love I’ve heard before and has never been a favorite song. It’s okay at best. This is a 2 only because I’ve heard worse on this list.
..
My heart only has limited room for theatrical rock falsetto and this record isn't going to knock anyone out of their spot. It's perfectly fine, the lyrics are not significantly worse than other records but they're certainly not better either. The jams are competent if a little lacking in gusto at times but there are enough head turning hooks that I can see why they have an audience. Many people probably like this record. It's a strong 2 stars, but still only 2 from me.
If you thought Glam rock died in the 80s, it didn’t, it had one last spurt of life in 2003 before fading away. I believe in a thing called love was a massive song when it came out and I think people still know about it. The rest of the album, I can’t attest to the fame but they are no where near as catchy. Not my thing in the first place so still not my thing with the attempted revival. 4/10
Fun and melodic enough in places, but not something I really love and certainly not something I'll ever revisit. 2.5/5
would have been your stereotypical hair metal album if he didn't do that high pitched voice thing
Paar Songs ganz nett, paar songs nicht so nett. Viel songs gut angefangen und wurd mir zu nervig. Seine Stimmlage nicht mein Fall. Besonders nicht als ganzes Album
Album 544 of 1001 The Darkness - Permission to Land (2003) Rating : 2 / 5 British Glam Rock band yet it is classified as Metal/Rock. Instrumentation isn't bad but the vocals quite underwhelming, in my opinion. I'd hear a good minute and then it was ruined by the next 30 seconds.
❤️❤️/5
Voice gave me a migraine but the instrumental is decent
Over the top. (not in the good way)
Fun, nonsense and annoying. I wanted to hate this album and did in parts but overall, it’s a nice listen. The album is an easy listen and has some enjoyable tracks, but it begins to get annoying as you go through the album. There are no deep and meaningful lyrics and songs on the album, just fun and cheesy rock songs with catch riffs and titles, get your hands off my woman is a great example of this!! Favourite song: I believe in a thing called love, Friday night and growing on me Least favourite: Giving up and stuck in a rut. They are songs in the second half of the album and by this time I was giving up!! Album artwork: It’s a cool cover
AI generated rock, quite boring, not fussed. 2.1
Why would anyone make music like this in 2003. I mean it's fine, especially I Believe in a Thing Called Love, but let the genre die already
This album certainly has a fun spirit. Reminds me a little of Tenacious D. Hard to tell if they are sincere or mocking. One thing for sure though, I don't like listening to the lead singer.
-first of all i highly commend these guys for reproducing such classic sounds. i could probably be made to believe this came out in the 80s. has some cool arena rock vibes. that being said a lot of it was corny and repetitive imo. Maybe like 2.5 stars -Favorites are Black Shuck, Get Your Hands Off My Woman, and Love Is Only a Feeling
Recognized ‘I Believe in a thing called love’
Found this to be a very odd amalgamation of sounds and eras that never really connected with me, with some mildly off-putting vocals (that admittedly made me laugh a respectful, “gotta give it up” kinda laugh at times)… sorta like C-grade movie montage soundtrack songs….
Found this incredibly grating but mostly inoffensive.
almost sounds like a parody
I have to admit, I was surprisingly disappointed by Permission to Land. Vocally Hawkins is talented and unique, as heard on I Believe in a Thing Called Love but the rest isn’t as exciting as hoped. Love is Only a Feeling is actually the best song on the album 5.7/10
Tunes not bad, falsetto shouting yes bad. Other than Friday Night which was good
We’re all in agreement that this is a bit shite, right? *subconsciously banged my head to a few tracks which saves this from being a 1/5.* 3/10
alkoi hyvin ja alamäki alkoi... jarruja ei löydetty... alas alas ja alas... nopeammin... kovempaa... vauhdikkaammin... lisää... lisää... mutta HAHA ne pitävät vain HAUSKAA.. HAHA... paskaa musiikkia HAHA tehdään huonolta kuulostavaa musiikkia HAHAHAHA!!!! voi näitä höpönassuja miten ei kukaan voisi tykätä näistä hahaha... naurattaa 41 minuutin ja 58 sekunnin ajan naureskellen hekotellen hahahahah... ainakin yritettiin parhaani.. ei se haittaa kuhan yrittää parhaansa... upea suoritus.. hieno albumi... kotiin voi mennä hymyillen, ylpeillen... annetaan 2 tähteä kun yritettiin niiiiiiiiiiiin kovaa <33333 inspiration. black shrcuck
Good for being a glam-rock album I FUCKING HATE GLAM ROCK 🔥🔥🔥🔥
This is really cheesy Van Halen knock off music. But weren’t Van Halen a bunch of knock-offs? So what is this really?
The voice is occasionally annoying
Permission to Land is the debut studio album by The Darkness, originally released in 2003. This could've easily been released in 1987. It is such a product of its time... only 15 years later? The Darkness are obviously great appreciators of the 80s glam genre. I even here some 70s hard rock and glam in here. The songs themselves aren't bad. The vocals are a little wacky though. That falsetto made me laugh on multiple occasions. Maybe that's what they were going for. It's just so funny to hear those huge and heavy guitar riffs juxtaposed with that voice. Not really something I'd be blasting in public. Maybe if I was wasted in a Glasgow pub I'd vibe with it more.
They're good at what they do. I just don't like it. Will listen to Thing Called Love but hopefully never hear the rest of the album again.
Nostalgia for this album did not make it more enjoyable. Personal enjoyment 2/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5
It has a couple of tunes buts peters out pretty badly.
I believe in a thing called love is a catchy song that I like. The rest of the album not so much, this one was not very good at all. The singer’s voice is annoying.
weird british shit
Not sure if I really want to listen. I did not like their hit single "thing called love". I'll give it a listen. Not my style of rock. I get the classic/hair metal vibe they are going for. Not for me
I think of The Darkness as a gimmick band but you can't deny 'I believe in a thing called love' is a classic
Back in the day, I saw these guys a lot on Rage.They did nothing for me then & nothing’s changed. They’re not horrible. They’re just notkicking any goals that I can applaud.
The background sound was promising but ultimately spoiled by constant high pitched caterwauling. Only a 2* I’m afraid.
Shite. Fuck off Wiggins
Heavy metal falsetto cannot be pulled off by eveyone, and unfortunately, The Darkness isn't that great at it.
Another highly questionable selection for this 1001 list. It sounds like ~80’s rock (Kiss, Scorpions, etc) seemingly with nothing new to add. And the lead singer is…not my favorite. Very operatic and irritating.
I know the Darkness is winking to the audience with this love letter/send-up of 80's hair metal. And they more than ably ape the sound. But, that still doesn't make me want to listen to it more.
This album was kind of fun when it first came out. It has lost a lot of it's appeal over the last 20-ish years. I think people thought they were going to help usher in a return of classic rock to the mainstream but I always saw this album as just a novelty that would fade away. There's a couple of good songs here but overall it's just not anything special at all. You're really just better off listening to the bands being emulated.
Wow, the falsetto singing is absolutely brutal. It's almost comically bad. Just altogether pretty lifeless and bland rock with very few redeemable qualities. I'll round up to two stars just because some of the guitar didn't make me want to kill myself (like everything else did). 3/10 (1.5/5)
Of all the 20th century’s many failings, the inability to expunge from the culture such idiotic and baroque armadillos-in-our-trousers-cum-castrato-pyrotechnics acts such as this is an insufficiently acknowledged shortcoming. The showoffy, even trolling Farinelli-ing ( vocally and with the guitars too) is no doubt the point of the entire exercise, all of which grows presently tiresome (at least for those of us who outgrew the Kiss-is-the-best-band-ever phase on an age-appropriate timeline) and without which we really might have done. All that plus a treacly power ballad.
Parts of this album really rip. It’s definitely a fun vibe/take. Vocals are impressive. Ultimately, I kind of feel like it’s a rehash of peak Aerosmith, with a dash of AC/DC and Zeppelin, which I’m fine with. Decently palatable, but nothing I’ll be coming back to.
The music here is a little more intense than I'd prefer. The lead singer's voice frequently gets a bit screechy, which I am not a fan of. Each song tends to follow a predictable formula, too. What this album needs most is a slow/quiet moment or two to let the listener (me) breathe.
Okay this is too rowdy and silly for my liking.. glad I got to hear it, once, but that is enough. 2 stars.
A perfectly acceptable album by a band I don't like. Somewhere between Led Zeppelin and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Most of this album is least less obnoxious than "I believe in a thing called love".
Remember when the brothers from The Darkness were on CBeebies show Zingzillas, when they helped that annoying monkey bloke do something with his band. It was no more or less silly than this album, which I probably infected my mum's computer with Limewire to download and burn to CD, and I listened to it a fair bit. I cannot remember the last track at all, so I guess I must have turned it off before the end most times. The Darkness were a fun breath of fresh air back in 2003 amongst a slew of overly serious bands. Growing on Me, which preceded the mania which greeted Thing Called Love, is almost definitely the best song here, and holds up. Fantastic central driving guitar/bass riff. I Believe is still lots of fun, probably helps that I've now not heard it in years as it was definitely massively overplayed. Is there much else worth writing about? Not really, they're one step away from Tenacious D, and as with all gimmick bands it grows thin fairly quickly. On this listen I was ready for it to finish after 6 tracks. Midway through 9 I was practically begging. I see it's been judiciously, quietly removed from the book. Worth listening if you weren't around at the time to get the joke, however the chances of me sticking this on again in the future are basically zero. Apart from Growing on Me. Added that back to my likes. Banger. The thing I dislike most about this is it's incorrectly classified as metal, which is going to further dint my average ratings for metal albums in this list, despite me liking metal, just not most of the shite that I'm being served here.
The vocals crack me up
An album that tries too hard. It would be lower if it weren't for a couple bearable songs in the second half
Not surprising to see why they were a one hit wonder, the album has the few enjoyable songs but otherwise isn't too memorable
Overall, this was just an average rock album and isn't for me. Thankfully though, it did manage to surprise me a bit with its variety, and there were some songs I liked musically, although not much I liked lyrically. "Friday Night" was really cheesy but it just worked. Not my first choice but I could appreciate it. Were this band really influential enough to make it on the list? I've never heard of them and they don't seem to be doing anything new.
Cringed when I seen this Album today. If I want to listen to this style of music I’ll stick to the 70s, not a tribute band from the 00’s. To be fair though it is a good fun listen if you just accept it for what it is. But not an album you need to listen to before you die.
Naff. Definately the band loses a lot of its effect by it not being the live performances and the look of ‘I cannot believe this is a success’ that drove those appearances.
I enjoyed this at the time but listening to it now it sounds really tired and forced. Too tongue in cheek and winking to be judged for itself but played too straight to say anything clever about what it's aping. Surely a better inclusion would have been one of the hair metal bands from the time rather than a reheated copy from 20 years later. Anything post 2000 on this list is a bit hit and miss.
First things first, how the fuck is this pile of shit 20 years old? Retro glam rock wankery thats good for 1 song and they somehow made a career out of it. Where's the justice in THAT? I mean, sure, it was probably better than the sludge that was bubbling around in 2003, but let's be honest, if Justin Hawkins didn't have a glammed up onesie split down to his taint in the video for "I Believe In A Thing Called Love", would anyone really care?
I've listened to "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" since it came out, but I never took it seriously. That continues to be the case on this mid-tier 80s resurgence album. Other than a few standout tracks, not impressed. 2/5.
Best song: I believe in a thing called love Vibes: Glam brit rock, unserious spectacle, corny but fun Themes: Love
Not really my groove.
I bit too much. They sound like a mashup of many older rock bands but with bad lyrics.
grating vocals
3/4 of this band blows the roof off. While I admire the singers bravado and moxie its pretty hard to listen to his screaming for 45 minutes. I do think this record does belong on the list.
I swear this is a parody band. But it was fun.
fun could i write poetry to this? y
Sure, The Darkness is a fun, 80's-Hair-Metal throwback band with one semi-hit song, but I'd hardly call this album a necessity. The music is typical for the genre and Justin Hawkins' Tiny Tim-like falsetto voice can be grating after a while. Let's face it...this only a bit better than contemporary flash-in-the-pan Hard Rock acts like Jet or Buckcherry. I do recommend Hawkins' podcast, "Justin Hawkins Rides Again". He's quite smart and incredibly funny. I doubt, however, that even he would include this album on this list. Two and one-half stars. The bonus half-star is for the naked female flight attendant on the album cover. Certainly better to look at than the actual band.
Although I enjoy much of this album, the singer’s voice is really grating. Don’t feel like this should be on the list.
I go back and forth between kinda liking The Darkness and being annoyed with them. Definitely more in the annoyed camp at the moment. Really good guitars, but everything else feels like it's kind of a put on.
The rock didn't achieve its potential
Largely derivative cock rock. The singer’s constant falsetto is impressive but (maybe not unintentionally) comical and obnoxious.
Man, I hated this album. And I'm mad about how much I hated it because the music is just SO SHARP. Every guitar lick is perfect, the drums are insanely good, the bass lines are thunderous, all the auxiliary instrumentation is gorgeous. But the vocals are effing atrocious. It feels like a single, unending, warbling wail from start to finish. It's not. But it FEELS like it because Justin Hawkins can't seem to just sing for more than half a bar before feeling the need to screech something unintelligible in an off-key, ear-splitting falsetto. And these lyrics - the ones I could understand through the screeching - are just dumb. Super shallow, rarely clever, and generally worthless. What you're left with is the impression of a frontman that doesn't care so much about being GOOD. He just cares about being SEEN. It's not "retro". It's not "meta". It's bad. This album may not have been meant as a joke but it is one.
39/100 Based on this scale: 1 star - 0 to 19 2 stars - 20 to 39 3 stars - 40 to 59 4 stars - 60 to 79 5 stars - 80 to 100 Generic, cliché glam rock with good guitar.
This didn't do it for me. Very bland and generic rock. 1.5/5
I remember seeing them play live on TV for the first time and thought, this band will bring back 80s rock and roll and will be legendary. Then I downloaded their album and felt it was very cliché and more of a one-hit wonder. Although there are some cool riffs and impressive vocals, it doesn't seem well utilized and very over the top.
5/10 - Singer has an annoying voice - cool guitar rifts - smooth rock sound - can’t understand lyrics
Never fell for this stupid cock rock. Is it supposed to be ironic? Ridiculous voice. Comedy value.
Love the old school rock vibe, but not a fan of the lead singer's voice.
I adore “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” - it’s an amazing karaoke song - but the rest of this album sounds like AC/DC for the new millennium, and while that’s nice…..just give me AC/DC?
At its best the songs sound like lost 80s classics, but mostly they sound like they are from the forgotten 80s bargain bin.
Until now I've never actually listened to this album but I've always liked Do You Believe In A Thing Called Love, it's fun. So when this popped up in my feed I was excited to check it out. Man, did this wear it out it's welcome fast. I love Queen, Def Leppard and AC/DC just not combined apparently.
The obvious talent might have been put to better use. And it likely woulda been a better record had they made their talent a little less obvious.
I would give this album a 3 but the singing is horrible. It ruins every song.
not for me
let this be a lesson to us all not to ignore the existence of 70s/80s hair metal/ cock rock. if you don't pay it attention a shitty tribute act will do a pastiche of it all and it'll all be ironically funny until its not and they haven't fucked off yet. in the 2000s it was the Darkness but be warned there are hundreds of these bands lurking in the shadows waiting for it to be ironic again. the cycle of times suggests once everyone gets sick of being woke and cancelling each other shit will get wild again, that's when they'll strike.
Sonically, this is not a bad album. I'm just really not a fan of harder rock music, and I don't see myself coming back to anything here.
You know in Vice City when they made that fake band "Love Fist" that was a pisstake of 80s hair metal that were funny because of the lyrics and how ridiculous was, but not something you would ever listen to outside of the game? That's how I view The Darkness, but without the funny lyrics. Some of the songs, particularly without the high octave voice, are bearable. The majority aren't.
Dit was een leuke hype. Maar niet meer dan dat.
If this album had been released in the 70s, I probably would’ve liked it. As it is it the few decades late and a few dollars short.
Still as exhausting and knowingly 'clever' 20 years later - as is Justin. One half decent song reminds you that the proper bands delivered four or five per album - and had more than just ironic fun as their selling point
skil ekki alveg að þessi plata komist á svona lista. er endurlífgun frekar slapprar tónlistarstefnu. er eiginlega grínplata. verkjaði ekki af leiðindum samt.
like Queen, but with all the genuine fun taken out very 2003 in a bad way. it's classic rock but he says motherfucker! ha! ha! imagine if Freddy Mercury said hands off my woman motherfucker. ha. I Believe In a Thing Called Love is a funny song to hear people do karaoke to. music: hated. (⌐■_■)
An sich ok aber Sänger absolut unpassend für Rock
Aluks oli iha ok, mutta sitten rupes ulina vituttamaan.
Butt rock for the soul
Crazy falsetto vocals, but I Believe in a Thing Called Love is kinda cool
Pretty screamy, not really my thing
In hindsight, the Darkness feels like a pretty regrettable cultural moment. Did we really need an (ironic?) throwback band for a genre that had only been out of the limelight for at most 15 years and still had plenty of radio play?
Putting this in a list of 1001 must-listen albums seems somewhat ridiculous, like putting in Ocean Colour Scene or the Bloodhound Gang. It seemed fun at the time, but has not stood the test of time.
Who gave Lil' Sweet a guitar
a bunch of songs i've never heard and one i never want to hear again
Very generic hard rock only interrupted by a very annoying singer. There really wasn’t much I found redeeming on this record
Usually, I like this kind of band that tries to rescue some "tradition" from the 70s or 80s and mix it with more modern stuff, but in this case, they won't be able to be so far from their inspiration. At the end of my listening session, just "It's a thing called love" was saved since it remembered me from MTV clips afternoons.
achava que seria mais divertido