Darkest Hour Join the Sumerian Records Roster
I’m a couple of days late on reporting this, but: Darkest Hour “have signed a worldwide deal with Sumerian Records and are hard at work on their much anticipated new full-length album,” according to a press release.
Although Sumerian has been known for signing and nurturing new talent in the past (The Faceless, Born of Osiris, etc.), Darkest Hour are the second veteran band to join the label, after The Dillinger Escape Plan signed with them this past November. That worked out incredibly well for both parties: One of Us is the Killer, Dillinger’s first album on Sumerian, posted the band’s biggest first-week sales ever.
Hopefully the same will be true for Darkest Hour, an awesome band to whom 99.5% of all American metalcore acts owe their careers. In fact, Sumerian head honcho Ash Avildsen pretty much vows to increase the wattage of Darkest Hour’s spotlight in the signing announcement, stating that “[Darkest Hour are] one of the most underrated bands in metal and Sumerian is here to change that.” I’m pulling for him to make good on that vow. Darkest Hour deserve it.
Their debut album, The Mark of the Judas, will be reissued in the fall, along with their new studio album. While we wait patiently, here’s the band’s statement on the matter:
“To say that Sumerian Records and label owner Ash Avildsen are big supporters of this band would be a huge understatement. We have been proud to call Ash our friend since our early years and this friendship has flourished greatly since then via our relationship with his sister company, The Pantheon Booking Agency.
“When you start a band you dream that one day you can do what you love with great friends and family around you. Now it all seems to have come full circle. With the good people at Outerloop Management, Sumerian Records and the Pantheon Agency we finally feel right at home. Every aspect of the group is being handled by long-time trusted friends and is in reliable hands. This safe haven has given us the shelter we need to put together a life-changing new album.
“Before we could see it coming, we’ve been thrust out of Oceanic Studios (where we’ve been working with producer Taylor Larson) and back out on the road. Please come see us live with Killswitch Engage if we’re coming to your city and it will also be our first tour with new drummer Travis Orbin. As soon as we get home we’ll be back to the hermit life in the studio where we can finish up this album. To our brother Ash, Sumerian and all of you out there here’s a huge cheers to 2014, a new DARKEST HOUR album and the future.”
Here are the remaining dates for Darkest Hour’s ongoing tour with Killswitch Engage. Vince and I got to see them last week and they continue to sound awesome and put one of the most energetic and entertaining shows in all of metaldom. Don’t miss it, fuckers!
06/21 Salt Lake City, UT – The Great Salt Air
06/22 Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues
06/23 Phoenix, AZ – Marquee
06/25 San Francisco, CA – Regency Ballroom
06/27 Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom
06/28 Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory
06/29 Billings, MT – Shrine Auditorium
07/01 Fargo, ND – The Venue
07/02 Omaha, NE – Sokol Auditorium
07/03 Wichita, KS – The Cottilion
07/05 Milwaukee, WI – The Rave
07/06 Cleveland, OH – House of Blues
07/07 Detroit, MI – Crofoot Ballroom
07/08 Joliet, IL – Mojoes
