ALBUM REVIEW: The Dark – Family Man
Southampton rock duo FAMILY MAN get spooky on their brand-new album The Dark. It’s heavy and filled with all the horror influence your dark little soul could hope for. The band are known for their bass-heavy riffs and their obsession with the subversive and the dark, and this album does not disappoint in that respect. Drawing inspiration from NINE INCH NAILS, THE SMASHING PUMPKINS and DEFTONES, to name just a few, they’ve teamed up with producer Neil Kennedy (CREEPER, PUPPY, MILK TEETH); when you have all of this rolled into one, you know you’re in for something special.
The album kicks off with Spooky Action At A Distance Part II, which sets up an unsettling distorted feel that persists throughout the entire record. It’s almost as if it is keeping you on edge and setting you up for the rest of the album. It’s filled with horror imagery and this is backed up by the claustrophobic solos and soaring vocals. An Ode To The Good Times follows and this one is more biblical with the lines like “sing a little song for Jesus.” They also talk about taking pills and we can hear that they’re not just a spooky rock band but can write songs about meaningful things too. This track is a lot of fun and it’s got an unrelenting guitar line that you have to nod along to. It’s a really infectious track and the guitar solo is something to be admired.
The Dark Has Something To Do With It is a punchy track with a very simple rhythm which is perfect as it feels like it’s driving this song forward. Something great about FAMILY MAN is that they don’t go over the top with complex solos or technical guitar or drum parts. They seem to try and keep it basic and go for a less is more approach which has really paid off for them. Not to say that they are not a hardworking band but that they know what to do and what works so that’s exactly what they do.
Dangerous Machines follows. This track goes back to the dark imagery and the heavy bass that these guys are known for and it’s a great track. It’s very rocky and the vocals cut through in the verses before pairing with the instrumentals in the chorus. Vincent Showbiz sings like a man possessed, and Cliff Blizzard’s backing vocals which make an appearance in the song’s middle-eight show how the two bounce off of each other so well. This track is not one to miss.
Recent single Wrapped In Magick really embodies what FAMILY MAN are all about. It tells you exactly what they’re doing and the kind of band they are. It’s a chaotic track that’s filled with monstrous riffs and heavy vocal parts. The chaos increases as it goes on, ensuring that listeners feel more and more immersed. After this, the album ends on Volt which feels maybe a little more subdued than the rest of the album. It’s still very rock-driven and heavy but it feels more stripped back with a simpler riff and thundering drum parts driving the song. It nicely rounds off the experience of The Dark and leaves on a high note as you are certainly left wanting more.
FAMILY MAN are one of those bands that don’t come along too often. They’ve got their own style of music which can be heard and seen through their high-energy live shows. Impressively, they’ve managed to capture all of that in The Dark for a strong debut offering.
Rating: 8/10
The Dark is set for release on November 5th via Ranch Records.
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