EP REVIEW: Greyscale – Darko
Greyscale is the next part in an exciting new chapter for DARKO. The band had developed a worldwide fanbase over more than a decade of touring when longtime vocalist Dan Smith moved back to his native home of Australia in 2020, and they have since managed to maintain the momentum with new vocalist Tom West joining the rest of the band – guitarists Rob Piper and Chris Brown, bassist Karl Sursham and drummer Andy Borg – first on 2022’s SPARKLE EP, and now on its fantastic follow-up.
Opener What I Cannot Be is a fast-paced, guitar-driven song that leans into metal with some fantastic death growls in the mix. DARKO are unrelenting in the harshness and it is a glorious thing to hear. The drums in particular are fantastic in next track Built On Broken Backs, which has a focus on singing rather than screaming. The contrast between singing and heavy instruments works well, and the production means that the differences never overwhelm each other.
All five of the songs fit well together, whether that is the heaviness of Aggro and AUX II, which lean more into metal than punk, or the experimental synth start of closer Lowest Hanging Fruit. Whilst sonically this closing track is a bit on the softer side, it doesn’t affect the overall sound of the record because there are still fast-paced instruments, gang vocals and some screams. In fact, the pacing of the whole thing is great, with slower moments dotted throughout generally faster songs. This works well because the songs are long enough to make these two pacings sound natural. Even though the instrumental solo in closing song almost makes things fall apart, the band manage to reel it in before it does.
Overall, Greyscale is a brilliant introduction to the band and one that longtime fans will love as well. It offers a brilliant mix of fast and slow pacing, the vocals strike a great balance of singing and screaming, and the synths that are used during the final song give a fantastic hint at what the future could hold for DARKO. If you’re looking for a new punk band to listen to, then this is the EP for you.
Rating: 9/10
Greyscale is set for release on May 17th via Lockjaw Records.
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