Darko – Self Titled

Right from the start of Darko’s debut EP, you just know something is different about the UK quintet’s technical know how.  This is a group with a diverse yet focused preference pallet that knows how to express themselves as a unified assembly.  The band takes a nod from the somewhat opposed schools of gruff and technically precise punk.  For a band so young, Darko crosses bounds with a confidence and understanding that should have fans of both camps reeling in excitement.

First there’s the big, scratchy bellow of their lead vocalist.  Although “clean” occasionally comes to mind, his messy overtones stand above potential layers of polish.  I want to take the easy route and pull out aHot Water Music reference, but that would give the wrong impression.  These melodically harvested shouts live in the moment, rather than rooting themselves deep in the instrumentation.  Tracks like “Knives” throw in gruff gang vocals, and should probably take responsibility for my awkward descriptors.

But Darko marries those gruff overtones with crisp blasts of technical ambition. Combine the generally big tone of The Casting Out with Protagonist’s imminent sense of doom and you’ll get somewhat of an idea.  When the album opens with “We Are Here,” listeners are greeted by discordant riff sequences.  Often content to buck the overall tempo and speed well ahead of the lead vocals, notes fly and riffs surface unpredictably much in the vein of post-hardcore outfit A Wilhelm Scream.  On tracks like “Yet We Breathe” they shift between tempos as they slide into pseudo-choruses and a seemingly ever-evolving verse.  There’s also a light metal sprinkling for which part of me wants to make a Strung Out comparison – although I realize there isn’t enough consistent melody to go there.

Overall, Darko’s debut EP presents a new band with an underlying uniqueness.  The accompanying sound comes across as a combination of unlikely suspects, and easily fits into that family of frantic technical speed and gruff classics.  Now, I haven’t gone on about any one track in a great detail, but that’s because while Darko has solidified their sound, they still need to perfect the art of the individual track.  But let’s not dismiss what they’ve achieved – a great take on technical hardcore that feels like more than just an excuse to play fast notes.  An encouraging start to what will surely be a remarkable career.