The Darkness - Permission To Land
After seeing The Darkness return to Manchester last night, we can't resist featuring them in this week's Classic Cuts.
Permission To Land launched the quartet into the mainstream, cementing itself as a highlight for music in 2003.
Before fame got the better of Justin Hawkins and his drug problems resulted in their demise, a lot of people forget that The Darkness were (at one point) the biggest band in the UK.
As much as quality should never be measured solely by awards, it's still noteworthy and admirable that they picked up three BRIT Awards in 2004.
The reason for that was this record, packing in 10 fantastic tracks ranging from tender ballads ('Love Is Only A Feeling') to gritty, punk-inspired hard rockers ('Get Your Hands Off My Woman').
Throughout the record, brothers Dan and Justin Hawkins bounce off each other well on an album full of heavy riffs and wailing guitar solos.
Just as 'I Believe In A Thing Called Love' and 'Growing On Me' meant the nation's mainstream fanbase warmed to them, 'Get Your Hands Off My Woman' and 'Stuck In A Rut' meant more "serious" critics paid them the attention they deserved.
Lyrically, The Darkness cover a lot of ground on Permission To Land, although some people read into some songs more than they should.
Whilst heavy opener 'Black Shuck' tells the tale of a huge dog terrorising a village, the album ends with a song about masturbation under the guise of a love ballad.
It's not just limited to the extremes, with the likes of drug abuse ('Givin' Up') and school boy nostalgia ('Friday Night') also present on a somewhat diverse record.
Listening to Permission To Land is possibly the best way to appreciate The Darkness - without the catsuits, the rock n' roll stories and the huge stage shows, you're left with one hell of a hard rock record.
Judging from the material they've been debuting recently, it looks like album number three will be a return for these roots, and we couldn't be happier.
Female First - Alistair McGeorge (Follow me on Twitter @AlistairMcG)
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