If there were no vocals, there would only be just a few things that remind me that “The Darkest Hour” is American. Because from the sound of the album, the country that comes to mind is Sweden. But let’s put things in order.
“The Human Romance”, is the seventh album by the Americans and the second after the departure of their guitarist Kris Norris.
In this album, the influences of the band from bands like In Flames, Dark Tranquillity, Arch Enemy and At The Gates are getting more obvious. As soon as I heard the guitar in the first track, one thing came to mind and it was In Flames. There are tracks on the album like “The world Engulfed In Flames” and “Wound” that are really catchy but, personally, the album didn’t give me something new. The music reminded me of the Swedes who, lets face it, do this kind of music better. The only difference is in the vocals.
The production of the album was made from the guitarist of the (you’ve guessed correctly) Swedish Soilwork, Peter Wichers. This has helped further the “Swidishism” of the album.
In conclusion, if you prefer the American “screams” over “black” vocals from bands like In Flames and Dark Tranquility, you will find “The Human Romance” a very good cohesive album.
Highlight of the album: The song “Terra Solaris” which is a synthetic 9minute masterpiece.
