Darko – Sea Of Trees

The technical wizards in Darko are at it again, delivering their fourth(ish) EP, Sea Of Trees, to their slowly amassing body of work.  Why the UK technical punk act avoids the full length format in favour of shorter, self contained bursts of calamity we may never know, but the presentation hardly seems to affect what awaits fans inside.  This time around, the band has opted to merge their metal-tinged riffs even closer to the realm of hardcore than in past outings, and while the change admittedly takes an adjustment period, there’s no question that Darko remains committed to pushing their limits.

Marking the biggest leap forward with Darko’s sound, the Sea Of Trees’ harder edge should translate into instant appeal with the Bridge Nine Records crowd.  Vocalist Dan Smith pushes himself harder and faster than ever before, belting with an unparalleled fury leading up to throat-ruining vocal climax of “Hanging Of A Memory” and “Seaward.”  Riffs crunch harshly and chug caustically amidst the blistering technical dynamism that originally put Darko on the map.  It’s uncharted territory for the band and comes and goes in short bursts much like primary influence Propagandhi.  As previously mentioned, the addition might take existing fans some time to warm up to (it’s a little less melodic than past works), but Darko treads new ground tactfully, exhibiting ingenuity alongside more well established hallmarks.  

In particular, “Time Pieces & Lock Shaped Hearts” safely bridges the stylistic gap with one of their most iconic executions to date.  Harnessing speedy Heartsounds-style riff sequences and snapping 90’s punk drumming, guitarists Rob Piper and Chris Brown let their fingers fly for one of Sea Of Trees’ sharpest and most technical performances.  The A Wilhelm Scream parallels remain as strong as ever as Darko roars onwards, never hesitating to stop on a dime, switch direction to some crazy new tangent and back again (i.e. “Atlas To Atlantis”).  As always, even with so many concurrent vectors of sound, Darko manages to tie the chaos together with unrivaled expertise.

Sea Of Trees is a gutsy step forward for Darko.  The disc blurs competing genres more than ever, with buzzing vocals that more often trade crispness for primal intensity, and features striking guitar work that rips fiercely like a buzzsaw through bone with a surgeon’s precision.  Why Darko has yet to amalgamate their ambitions into a single defining full-length remains a mystery; in the mean time, ready yourself for yet another rock solid chapter in their ongoing anthology of killer EPs.