Darkest Hour – Perpetual | Terminal (Review)

The metaphor of an old wine getting better with age is boring and overused and in the case of Darkest Hour not fitting. Darkest Hour are more like a hot sauce that’s been sitting in your cupboard that is getting more and more vile over time. Godless Prophets & the Migrant Flora was already a stellar comeback-album (I’d like to call it that way) and it is a delight to see that Darkest Hour still have the fire inside them to release another astounding record.

The title track “Perpetual|Terminal” is Darkest Hour by the book in the best way possible. As vital as ever, thick and threatening armed with a soaring chorus. The following “Societal Bile” channels even more energy in less time and thematically nods its head to old-school Hidden Hands of a sadist Nation-times.

What really stands out here is the variety of the whole album, sometimes even within single tracks. “Mausoleum” starts as an acoustic track, with an almost bonfire like atmosphere. Then it dives into a majestic metal-overture. Which will bring a big smile unto the faces of Darkest Hour fans of all eras. Speaking of all eras, “A Prayer to the Holy Death” sends warm nostalgia shivers down the Undoing Ruin spine.

“Goddess of War, Give Me Something to Die For” is like a big battle mural with everything you need: pathos and BIG riffs. While listening to this song the inner urge rises to go to a battle with biblical proportions. With every passing minute you think “It can’t get more epic than this” and then it gets even more epic. A definite highlight in Darkest Hour‘s entire discography.

It is very seldom that a band running this long can still provide so much shredding and head-banging without showing ANY signs of slowing down or getting comfortable. Darkest Hour maintain their position as one of the most consistent and best bands in the Melodic Death Metal genre, Perpetual|Terminal is the very proof of this!