The Darkness (Hawk the Slayer)

Hawk the Slayer is still the finest fantasy tale put to film, and I'm always looking for any chance to bring it up. Apparently, the Darkness feel the same way.

The lead single from their 2012 album (Hot Cakes) starts off with a sound bite from the movie (from Voltan's son).


To top that, the best song on their new album is about Hawk the Slayer, including many lines from the film as lyrics.
(sorry, but I can't find the single on youtube, so you'll have to search it out with whatever avenue you prefer)
loudwire.com/the-darkness-last-of-our-ki...-by-track-breakdown/

"“Last of Our Kind”

DH: I guess that’s probably not one of the most ’80s song on the record; possibly one of the most ’80s songs ever made. [Laughs]

JH: The lyric of it is inspired by that film Hawk the Slayer. It’s kind of a swords and sorcery thing. Anyway, Hawk the Slayer, there’s this bit where it’s a little bit like The Hobbit, he’s got a few friends around him; one is a giant, one is an elf, one of them is a dwarf with a hearty appetite and he’s really handy with a whip and there’s a guy who has lost half his hand and is a great crossbow enthusiast.

It’s just about going to battle with the baddie and the elf is lamenting the fact that when they go into this battle, if he is killed, that’s the end of his entire civilization. These baddies have wiped out his whole family and it’s just him, he’s the last of his kind. So, it’s kind of inspired by that.

When you finish an album and you’re sort of getting ready to show it to the press, it does feel like you’re about to pop your head up and charge into battle. I was trying to make it into a song that’s about being an elf that’s going into battle and releasing an album.

DH: It’s got a great guitar solo on it. I haven’t heard a solo like that on a record in a long time.

JH: Since the Top Gun soundtrack! [Laughs] There’s a couple Kenny Loggins guitar solos on the album."

Anyway, it's a shame what happened to this band. Permission to Land is an outstanding album. It's too bad drugs and egos pretty much derailed them. It's hard to feel sorry for rock stars, but this frank interview has me hoping they do alright.

How funny, I was listening to Permission to Land last week and remembering how good it was- such a fun pop record. I actually never listened to anything past it but I knew that they had kind of disintegrated.

I saw them on that tour, it was so good...lots of David Lee Roth antics, spandex, dual neck guitars...total rock excess. They kind of ended the only way that was appropriate for them with the drugs and egos.

Ended? They just put out a new album in March!

Here's how the albums came out (and my rankings)

Permission to Land (2003) - Nothing really to say here. Probably one of the best pure rock albums of the 00's if not the past 15 years. (1st)

One Way Ticket... (2005) - Frankie (the bassist) was kicked out and a stage hand (Richie) was brought in. He did a fine job, but I think there was probably so much cocaine (or whatever) going around that they were working from an unfocused haze. An odd album. Some tracks reminded me more of 90s era Blur or Oasis. I dunno. Overall pretty disappointing. (4th)

Hot Cakes (2012) - Frankie's back (this dude with his afro, headband, and horseshoe mustache feels like the heart of the band) Original line-up. Great album, but probably a decade too late. Had this come out right after Permission to Land the Darkness would have been fine. Overlooked gem. (2nd)

Last of Our Kind (2015) - Uh-oh, Ed (the drummer) is out. In is Emily Davies (?), but wait, she's out now as well after completing the album. Who's the drummer? I dunno, but line-up changes seem to impact this band in a bad way. The changes don't seem to be as graceful as say an Iron Maiden. Despite about three great tracks, I'm having a hard time warming up to this album, but hey it was just released and the summer is long...maybe I'll get into it. (3rd - bonus points for the Hawk the Slayer song)

I saw this band live on both their Permission to Land and Hot Cakes tour and both times were a lot of fun. Like I mentioned above, had they been able to pull of the one two of Permission and Hot Cakes I think they could have carried their momentum fairly far. But that wasn't to be. One Way Ticket...and a decade long blow-up pretty much did them in as far as the mainstream public is concerned.

Their new drummer is Rufus Taylor, son of Roger Taylor from Queen. Kind of fitting.

I will say this new album lacks the impact of the earlier ones.

I'd still love to go see them.

I thought the singer left at some point, no?

He did, and while he was out the rest of the band formed Stone Gods which is pretty solid. If you like The Darkness, check out their album.