Guitarist Nico Santora (Fallujah, ex-The Faceless) Joins Darkest Hour
With a handful of shows scheduled for the coming months and a heart-sized vacancy left by longtime lead shredder Michael “Lonestar” Carrigan, Darkest Hour have announced that guitarist Nico Santora will become the latest talented axeman to play alongside co-founder/guitarist Mike Schleibaum.
You might know Santora from his time in The Faceless or Suicidal Tendencies, his own band, Lillake, or, most recently, Fallujah. If that resume doesn’t already sell you, I’m not sure what will!
Carrigan left the band last summer amidst what appeared to be quite amicable circumstances. He served over a decade of loyal duty in the band, performed on four albums, and provided innumerable laughs and good times along the way.
Announcing Santora’s addition on social media, the band explained, “Longtime fan and friend of the band, Nico Santora will be joining us stage left on lead guitar for our shows this fall!” They added, “Trust us when we tell you he has the skills to shred the thrills!”
Nico himself commented, “I have been listening to DH since I started playing guitar, and I remember trying (and failing) to learn their songs when I was 16. The band has my utmost respect for withstanding the test of time and staying active for all these years, and I’m honored to jump into the fold and shred alongside them!”
The band’s first show with Nico comes tonight, September 22, on a double bill in their native Washington D.C. with Zealot R.I.P. — Schleibaum’s new grind-punk band — and then they’ll head to Furnace Fest in Alabama for a metal reunion of biblical proportions.
In December they’ll trek up to Worcester, MA for the Shadows Fall reunion show… and then who knows? Darkest Hour haven’t said Santora will be their permanent guitarist yet — just “joining us” for “our shows this fall” — so presumably they’ll see how the chemistry jives and then takes things from there.
Wishing luck to Nico and the boys on these shows… and your MetalSucks Editors-in-Chief be there in Worcester with a bottle of whiskey per tradition to welcome him!
