DARKEST HOUR will release their eleventh studio album, "Suffer Divine", on October 30. Mark Lewis — WHITECHAPEL, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, CANNIBAL CORPSE — produced the eleven tracks. The title song is out now.
Vocalist John Henry was direct about what it is aimed at. "Our first single and title track of the new album 'Suffer Divine' is about justice and accountability," he said. "This one goes out to anyone who chooses to push and peddle hatred and division, to anyone who would break down others to feed their sadistic, insatiable ego."
{{youtube:wb3cAMPkOkI}}
Guitarist Mike Schleibaum framed the record as something the band had to get through rather than simply write. "This album is so special to us. We've had the support of an amazing team at the label, the incredibly talented Mark Lewis, and each other as we have navigated the process that gave birth to 'Suffer Divine'. The result is one blistering album. It's full of rage, thrash, and aggression but also feels musically dense. Sonically, this is an album born out of love for things like melodic death metal."
The concept follows from that. "The album touches on the idea that you can derive self-worth — and some value — from your own suffering," Schleibaum said. "In fact, the creation of this album was the personification of that actual act. There is so much rage, anger, and pain put into this record, yet at the same time it holds in itself so much hope. It's equal parts hope, rage, and empathy."
The tracklist runs "All Cruelty Springs From Weakness", "Gods Of Decay", "No Conquered Hearts", "Salvation", "Suffer Divine", "Warrior", "Vile Angel", "The Unforgiving Hand", "Tribalist", "Everyday Horrors" and "A Story Of Redemption".
DARKEST HOUR came out of the DMV — the sprawl around Washington, D.C. taking in the District, parts of Maryland and Virginia — in 1995, and have spent three decades working the seam between melodic death metal and hardcore. Hardcore supplies the urgency and the pressure; the metal side supplies twin-guitar harmonies, death metal stomp and speed. They have played every continent except Antarctica and put five albums into the Top 3 of Billboard's Heatseekers chart, with 2017's "Godless Prophets & The Migrant Flora" taking a third No. 1 there and cracking the Top 10 of the vinyl chart.
The band are John Henry on lead vocals, Mike Schleibaum on rhythm guitar, Nico Santora on lead guitar, Aaron Deal on bass and Travis Orbin on drums.
They will play direct support to FEAR FACTORY on US dates this autumn, opening on November 12 in Springfield, Missouri and closing with two nights at the Whisky A Go Go in Los Angeles on November 28 and 29.