ALBUM REVIEW: The Darkest Place I’ve Ever Been – LANDMVRKS
Since their formation in 2014, Marseille metalcore outfit LANDMVRKS have built a name for themselves as one of the most exciting metalcore bands to see in the world today. If you were lucky enough to see them on the BEARTOOTH tour last year, you’ll know that they rivalled the headline act themselves in terms of sheer quality and showmanship. With their last album coming out in 2021, it has been a while since we have had any new music from them. This has now changed however with the release of their excellent fourth album, The Darkest Place I’ve Ever Been, which could very well be a career best for the band.
From start to finish, this record is a tour de force. Opening track, The Darkest Place I’ve Ever Been is one hell of an album opener. Pressing play feels like you’ve opened a Pandora’s box of metal music (and all for the better). It starts off slowly with a slow strumming of a guitar as frontman Florent Salfati sings over it as it evolves to an all out assault on the senses, well and truly introducing us to the new era of LANDMVRKS. The swirling guitars, blast beats and growling vocals of Salfati all combine and compliment each other perfectly, creating an opener that sets the standard for the rest of the record. It’s uncompromising and brutal but is truly exceptional. Almost instantly, LANDMVRKS shake everything up with second track, Creature as it opens with a cool hip-hop beat, allowing Salfati to flex his rapping muscles in French which he does expertly as he switches between rapping in French and singing in English, it makes you envious at how effortlessly he manages it as the song goes from hip-hop beats to metalcore at a moments notice.
A Line In The Dust follows and is a great track which allows all the band members to flex their skills musically with the guitars switching from fast paced tremolo picking before going into enormous sounding guitars so effortlessly, it makes you jealous even if you can’t play guitar. This is an album full of many highlights, yet it is Blood Red that is one of the main ones. A slow brooding track that switches once again into more French hip-hop sounds and huge stadium sized choruses. It’s a track packed full of emotion which will have you punching your fist in the air along with it.
Sulfur turns the album back towards its heavier roots with a wonderful bouncy guitar riff which is a sure fire way to have the crowds jumping and moshing about when this song is unleashed in a live setting. Whilst the heaviness is at the forefront of this track, it evolves into a more melodic sound by the time the song reaches its end. It shows that LANDMVRKS are currently at the top of their game as the sound is so fluid yet still feels a little rough around the edges which gives it a nice DIY feel. Sombre 16 follows and sees Salfati singing and rapping in his native French once more which is absolutely delightful to hear, you could listen to him speaking in his own language all day. The Great Unknown unashamedly has the same vibe as a LINKIN PARK track, the fast paced verses followed on from an enormous chorus with harsh vocals is a fitting tribute to Chester Bennington himself, with Salfati almost sounding like him in parts. La Valse du Temps is one of the longer tracks the album has to offer. It is an absolute wall of sound where Salfati allows his more vulnerable side to come through on the heavier moments and through the lyrics, it’s an incredibly cathartic track that will definitely relate to listeners in an empowering way.
If you thought The Great Unknown sounded like a LINKIN PARK tune, then Deep Inferno takes you straight back to Hybrid Theory. The rapping and the metalcore aspect all fit perfectly and once again, you find yourself questioning whether or not it is Florent Salfati or Chester Bennington you’re listening to. It’s a perfect tribute to the band whilst also maintaining the key LANDMVRKS sound that we have come to love. For a casual fan, it’s easily one of the most accessible songs in their discography, but also one of the best. If you’re looking for an outright heavy song, then look no further than Requiem, the album’s penultimate track. Despite it coming right at the back end of the album, it’s just as effective as any tracks that have come before it. Its enormous guitars and harsh vocals are a wonderful combination that create an outright metalcore anthem that just has to be played as loud as possible. After being an all out assault on the senses from the get go, Divergence ends on a softer note. Funeral brings the album to a finish with Salfati singing over a dream-like sounding piano that almost has a heavenly feel to it. It’s an emotional end to an excellent album as echoing vocals back up Salfati perfectly but almost bring an uneasy feeling to the heaven like feeling the song has as it slowly brings proceedings to an end.
For LANDMVRKS, this is the album that will easily give them the step up that their career needs. Bigger venues and stages beckon to them and it is very much deserved. This isn’t an album to sleep on, it’s a testament to LANDMVRKS themselves as they create an album that is sure to feature on any Album Of The Year list come December, metalcore is in a fantastic place right now, and LANDMVRKS are spearheading the movement.
Rating: 9/10
The Darkest Place I’ve Ever Been is out now via Arising Empire.
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