After a five year break, The Darkness is back with a brand new record, “Hot Cakes.” This is their first release since 2005’s “One Way Ticket to Hell…and Back” and is proof positive that glam metal is alive and well. After just a few minutes of listening, I checked to see if I was wearing bell-bottoms and platforms because I felt like I had traveled back in time to the seventies.
Recorded in guitarist Dan Hawkins’s studio, the band was able to put aside their differences over the last few years and come up with a fun, glamrock album. “Hot Cakes” features the wailing vocals of frontman Justin Hawkins and plenty of pop-metal riffs from his brother Dan. Backed by a solid rhythm section of Ed Graham on drums and Frankie Poullain on bass, The Darkness sounds as tight and polished as ever.
The new songs are fun, feel good music from the campy, sex romp of “Every Inch of You” to the pop hooks of “Everybody Have a Good Time.” You can hear the heavy influence of Queen throughout the record especially during “Pat Pong,” where Justin shows off his pipes in an attempt at channeling the late, great Freddie Mercury. Also included is a very different glam metal version of Radiohead’s “Street Spirit (Fade Out).” The new material will work well in a live setting when combined with the elaborate stage show and theatrics that The Darkness is known for. The recorded versions however are a little disappointing.
The best thing about “Hot Cakes” is also the worst thing about “Hot Cakes.” It has that real seventies, glam feel but lacks that special energy of bands like Queen and Sweet and winds up feeling a bit dated. My advice is save your money on the CD and buy a ticket to see The Darkness live when they roll through your town.
