Review: Darkest Hour Absolutely Nail It with Perpetual | Terminal
After roughly seven years without new music from melodic death metal/metalcore lifers Darkest Hour, they burst back out onto the scene with today’s release of Perpetual | Terminal via MNRK Heavy. It marks a significant chapter in the band’s nearly 30-year career, as it’s both their 10th studio album and a return to form.
With so much time between releases, Perpetual | Terminal fittingly delves into themes of death, rebirth, and the ever-present cycle of change. That being said, the album stays true to the band’s signature sound, seamlessly blending elements of hardcore punk, thrash metal, and melodic death metal into something that’s supremely listenable and demanding of your attention.
While there are moments where it sounds almost a complete throwback to previous works, the album’s 11 new tracks are decidedly the product of a band that’s grown over the years. Never does it fall into the trap of completely relying on nostalgia, instead pulling in modern hardcore tropes and classic death metal to create something new.
Compared to their earlier works, Perpetual | Terminal boasts a cleaner, more modern production than some of their 2010s works, allowing each instrument and John Henry’s powerful vocals to shine through. That also helps with their newer, more polished sound and lends itself well to their plethora of riffs. The tunes are heavy as hell and uncompromising in all the right ways.
The title track sets the tone for the album, blending thrashy aggression with melodic death metal riffs and explosive vocals. It’s a strong opener that showcases the band’s musical diversity. “Societal Bile” leans heavily into the hardcore punk side of Darkest Hour’s sound, with fast tempos, mosh-inducing riffs, and scathing social commentary in the lyrics.
Meanwhile, the lyrics for tracks like “The Nihilist Undone” and “My Only Regret” offer introspective reflections that mirror the album’s overarching exploration of weighty themes of mortality, impermanence, and finding meaning in a seemingly meaningless world. Likewise, “Goddess of War, Give Me Something to Die For” channels raw desperation.
“A Prayer to the Holy Death” takes a more atmospheric turn, incorporating acoustic guitars and clean vocals alongside heavier sections. “One With the Void,” my favorite track on the album, combines melodic death metal riffs with clean vocals and spoken word passages, really leaning into the classic vibes present on the record but in a way that feels fresh and new.
Perpetual | Terminal is a compelling and thought-provoking album that showcases Darkest Hour’s evolution as musicians and storytellers. While some may miss the unbridled aggression of their earlier works, the album’s polished production, genre-bending sound, and introspective lyrics offer a unique and rewarding listening experience.
Darkest Hour’s Perpetual | Terminal is out now via MNRK Heavy
