With a new rhythm section in the form of bassist Aaron Deal and drummer Travis Orbin, there seems to be no stopping Darkest Hour. Following their 2011 release “The Human Romance” on eOne, these dudes are now firing on all cylinders on their self-titled debut for Sumerian Records.

If you’re still into this kind of At The Gates-inspired melodic death metal, then there are plenty of opportunities on this one for you to bang your head like you’ve never heard of subdural haematoma. But this time around the band doesn’t seem to mind toning things down a notch or two. Or even three or four. Take “The Misery We Make” or “Futurist” for example… sure, it still comes with propulsive drums and blistering solos but John Henry’s clean vocals and the catchy chorus have more in common with the watered down crap you can hear on the radio than with older Darkest Hour albums. By the time the power ballad that is “By The Starlight” rolls around complete with dramatic female vocals, I remembered I had better things to do than listen to this dribble.