DARKEST HOUR’S LEGACY TOUR CONTEST: WIN ONE T-SHIRT FROM EVERY BAND ON THE TOUR!

Monday, November 1st, 2010 at 4:00pm by

darkest hour admat updated

As you should well know by now Darkest Hour are headlining the MetalSucks-sponsored Legacy Tour, on which they’ll be playing a “best of” set highlighting their 15-year career and bringing Veil of Maya, Periphery and Revocation along for the ride. That tour kicks off next week, and you can grab dates here.

To celebrate the Legacy Tour, we’re giving a prize package of four t-shirts — that’s one t-shirt from every band on the tour! — to one lucky MetalSucks reader. Simply comment below — remember to fill-in a valid email address in the appropriate field, or include it in your comment if you’re using FB Connect – telling us which Darkest Hour song is your favorite of all-time, and why you like it so much. Axl and Vince will pick their favorite answer at the end of the tour and the winner will be contacted by email.

  • Sambo

    Well I really don’t have an all-time favorite song from Darkest Hour because ALL their songs are amazing at all times! But the only reason why I’m actually responding to this blog is that I will be seeing this show on my 19th birthday November 24 in Las Vegas. It would be nice if you could hook me up with something. That would be nice! :)

    • brill

      a thousand words to say but one. because it reminds of braveheart or a movie like that. it syncs up. the epic melodic buildup like 2 minutes in is the two generals giving their “do you want to live forever” type speach, and then the part afterwards (sort of a breakdown in the older sense) is the two armys running through the plains ready to fight for glory, then the end of the songs is just the blood shed filled rediculous battle scene. next time you either watch braveheart or play some dynasty warriors/rpg type game think about it. you know im right.

  • http://sebastian.linnet@gmail.com NIgguh

    Do this contest with Meshuggah!

  • http://www.schenkeltown.com Schenkeltown

    my favorite darkest hour song is ” Convalescence ” I know it’s not cool to like a song by a band if more than four people have heard it, but ya know what..it’s a great song. The lyrics are honest, and I’m pretty sure there is not bullshit autotuned vocals.. I don’t have anything witty to say but, I just love the fuckin song. T-shirts or no T-shirts, everyone give it a listen

  • Colin

    An Epitaph cuz it pounds hole

  • http://bloodandthumbsticks.blogspot.com/ The Overmatt

    My favourite Darkest Hour song is Demon(s), not because of the song itself, but rather because when we first saw the video for it, my best friend and I couldn’t stop laughing at the title and now continuously refer to it as “One or possibly multiple demons.” The song is pretty damn good though.

  • needly needly doo

    with a thousand words to say but one because it is a great trasition forward from all the songs on a sadist nation. It also has the nastiest buildup and just climaxes into an orgasm of emotion.

  • drunk with power

    Doomsayer, because once I ran five miles listening to the song on repeat. It was the fastest five miles I ever ran. I think I listened to the song again when I got home.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Alex-Hocken/682500211 Alex Hocken

    “Tunguska” is my favourite song by Darkest Hour, and here is why; Whenever I listen to this song the intro reminds me of like a fucking King being showered by fanfare as he enters his kingdom, and then there is like a “chuga chuga chuga” part, and the King is like “Holy Shit, there is someone attacking me!” So he summons his army and there is like a badass war and they fight and shit. And then there is like a nice acoustic part, and the King is crying cause his Queen died or something. And he SCREAMS LIKE THE GUITAR SOLO. HE WILL AVENGE HIS WIFE’S DEATH! WEEDLY WEEDLY GUITAR SOLO. WEEEEEDLY. Then there is more acoustic, and he realizes that his destiny is to avenge his wife’s death or some shit.. there is some more chuga chuga. And then it fucking ends with some bad ass slaughter music, or something.

    Smoke a bowl, close your eyes. Tell me you don’t see what I just wrote.

    email – adhocken@gmail.com

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Alex-Hocken/682500211 Alex Hocken

      Oh, and this tour isn’t coming up to where I live so I won’t get to see this fuckin masterpiece of a lineup.

  • Perpetual Black Screen Name

    My favorite Darkest Hour song is ‘An Ethereal Drain’ off of Deliver Us. Such an awesome CD full of fucking fantastic songs but, that one (for me) takes the cake. The opening guitar riff never ceases to make my hair stand up on end. Just something about it.

    The fact is though, Darkest Hour is fuckin’ amazing. And a band doesn’t make it for 15 years for no reason. Those guys bust their asses for their success and deserve everything that comes their way. Here’s to 15 years and many more to come! I will be hitting the San Francisco date of the Legacy Tour.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Gabriel-Orwig/1344939887 Gabriel Orwig

    Tranquil because nearly everything about it epitomizes all that WAS good about metalcore. The bridge before the solo is perfect and the solo has those two nasty back to back squeals that I always have to play air guitar and make a face to. The solo is incredible and opens up into a melodic soundscape kicks your ass again then goes into the outro that is such simple but beautiful music I almost consider introspective.

    Gabriel
    gxorwig@gmail.com

  • http://mickmoart.deviantart.com Mickmo Studios

    REVOCATION!!!!!!! Just cause they are the only band I saw in this billing and they are really MUSICAL GENIUS! [I never heard the other ones, oddly enough!] Darkest Hour!? I guess track 4 on the first album! The name eludes me, at this point….but that is probably the one! :P

    • Perpetual Black Screen Name

      Pshhh, here’s your winner. haha

  • halloway

    Full Imperial Collapse because it fits perfectly with the Death Star explosion in Return of the Jedi (youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwz_fZPt6Ic&feature=related). Talk about “collossal upheaval.”

  • kylemurder

    Veritas, Aequitas particularly at the 10:00 minute mark. Because the solo makes me cream my pants, which is gonna be embarrassing on December 2nd, but not too bad if i was sporting a new DH shirt.

  • Avoid The Light

    Veritas, Aequitas is the finest instrumental metal song every written. I’m too impatient to get through most 7 minute songs, especially instrumental ones…. but Veritas, Aequitas is perfection.

  • esteban

    “Convalescence” by Darkest Hour is my favorite song by them. I use to listen to them many years but they had kinda slipped to the bottom of my music library for a few years. I attended a show a few months ago and they absolutely blew up the place with their energy and presence and when this song came on, it just reminded me how sick they are and I could tell the whole place knew it was time to mess shit up when it kicked in.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Nicholi-Stephaan-Cervantes/1281091549 Nicholi Stephaan Cervantes

    The Tides! When I listen to it, I picture a hellacious maelstrom of fire and debris destroying everything in its path with the band at its center. The solos remind me of a battle of good an evil; the first being proper and just with technique and phrasing (Good) and the second being less ‘by the book’ while showing attitude and flair like a good solo should (Evil). It gives me hope for the dying genre that they’re playing in and delivers everything I loved about the first Darkest Hour cd’s while keeping the ideas fresh and new which is what I think every band would like to accomplish in their careers.

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Nicholi-Stephaan-Cervantes/1281091549 Nicholi Stephaan Cervantes

      And by the way, I just saw this line up not even 12 hours ago. I was smashed up against a speaker getting ear-fucked by bass for all of Darkest Hour’s set and it’s been ringing like a bastard ever since, but it’s okay, because when they played “The Tides”, everything I described above happened at The Marquis. I’m surprised that place is still standing.

      All is right in the world.

      • http://www.facebook.com/people/Nicholi-Stephaan-Cervantes/1281091549 Nicholi Stephaan Cervantes
  • soy el niño más bonito

    Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation was a solid album. Full of aggression and sweet ATG-style riffs, it was pretty much a straightforward, no bullshit riff-fest full of punishing guitars, pounding drums, John Henry’s unique, throat-tearing rasp and Fredrik Nordström’s dark production.

    Then you put on Undoing Ruin, and the first thing you hear is some ambient guitars, a little bit of feedback, and immediately you know something’s different. There’s a new subtlety here, and when the main verse riff of With a Thousand Words to Say But One kicks you in the face, you think you’re back in familiar territory; ATG-style riff, pounding drums and John Henry’s signature scream. But as the song goes on, everything sounds newer, better; there’s the harmonized guitar flourishes right before the chorus, the circular guitar figure played during the chorus, and the rhythm tightens up and then drops out, letting an open chord ring out as Ryan Parrish’s drums follow, pushing and pulling on the feel, going balls-out, beating his drums into oblivion and then suddenly reining it in and creating space for the lead guitars to float over everything, triumphant harmonies and a shredding solo taking this song to heights previously unreached and places previously unexplored. You barely notice it at the time due to the dominance of the guitars, but by the second or third listen, but eventually you listen to John Henry’s lyrics, and they aren’t your run-of-the-mill, “FUCK THE GOVERNMENT FUCK SOCIETY FUCK RELIGION” metal lyrics; they’re uplifting. Spiritual, even. They speak of hope, of reawakening, of self-reflection and self-improvement. “We can keep healing. We can keep holding on.” After the second chorus, everything drops out, bringing a slightly modified version of the verse riff played by a clean guitar, which stays constant as the rest of the band builds around it, Ryan Parrish bringing everything to the point of climax with his pounding toms. And then the song explodes into a beautiful, blissful bridge with slightly mournful, huge-sounding guitars, cavernous, crashing drums, and John Henry screaming his lungs out, “let’s go out and let’s bask in the overcast, and walking through the rain we’ll see the beauty in life again.” And as an atmospheric guitar lead wails above it all, Ryan Parrish transitions back into the verse, and after the third chorus the song ends as it started, isolating the main riff before segueing into the next song.

    With a Thousand Words to Say But One marked the maturation of the band’s style from a mostly derivative, Americanized version of melodic death to a unique, more progressive and cerebral Americanized version of melodic death, utilizing more positive lyrics, a more developed sense of dynamics, and catchy, blistering harmonized guitars that put Darkest Hour about two levels above most other modern metal bands. And all that is why it is the best Darkest Hour song ever.

  • cxj

    well its probably cliche at this point, but ‘veritas, aequitas’ is a sprawling 13 minute epic of pure bitch, and undoubtedly, my favorite darkest hour song. i am first and foremost a fan of progressive wankery, and even though darkest hour is a more direct, in-your-face, no bullshit band, the synapses and connections in this song are polished and beautiful. a fantastically structured composition.

    i hosted a weekly metal radio show in college. the last song of the night we would play was the ‘epic of the week’ (i.e. the aforementioned long sprawling tunes). among ‘white walls’, ‘to live is to die’, ‘blackwater park’, ‘ontogeny of behavior’ and dozens of other prog sagas, you best believe that ‘veritas, aequitas’ earned its keep amongst its brethren. i cant wait to bear witness on december 3rd in wonderful austin, tx.

  • Logan

    “Blessed Infection,” because it contains all of the elements that Darkest Hour is worshipped for; sick riffs, speedy drums, brutal vocals and inspiring lyrics. This song slams….and the production is perfect.

  • Dingas McCloud

    “Low” gets me all fired up, it sounds like the soundtrack to a circle pit of greek gods. Zeus always wins.

  • Erik

    Tranquil. This song has special meaning to me because it helped introduce me to the world of metal. The year is 2007 and I’m a sophomore in college. My roommate was huge into music and played metal all the time. I’ve always loved guitar from the time my dad bought me my first guitar when I was 13. Back in 2007, my idea o badass guitar was Metallica. Then one day my roommate played tranquil and it literally melted my face off. The solo section is amazing, with amazing tapping and sweep picking techniques. A fan of killer guitar playing has got to be a darkest hour fan IMO.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Dakota-West-Foss/1377605651 Dakota West Foss

    Doomsayer (the Beginning of the End). They were the only band I wasn’t familiar with when they played with At the Gates and they totally blew me away. I’m pretty sure they opened with this one and it really needs no explanation. The song is fast, urgent, shredtastic; basically everything you could possibly ask for in a melodic death metal song. This song stands out in particular because of the awesome verse riffs and absolutely killer solo. If I win, I will revoke my ways and start using my periphs. However, I might VoMit in my Darkest Hour. Make sure I win so I have at least three other layers to wear

  • Mr. J

    District Divided

    Because I know your plans don’t include me, I’ve made my own.
    (I’ma gonna buy a Darkest Hour t-shirt myself if and when I lose…)

    All lyric related references aside, the song (and Darkest Hour in general) flat-out whip the goddamn donkey piss out of almost all other Metalcore/Melodeath.

  • Sonsterpe

    2006 I started to get into heavier forms of music and I found Darkest Hour’s “The Patriot Virus” Why? I won’t lie and say it was the first song to get me into heavier music but it was at the beginning of my plunge into more extreme forms of metal. I started looking into some heavier forms of music because when I moved to Utah I was being picked on by the typical american boy because for who knows why me being 14 at the time I really felt connected to the song because even though thats not what it’s about I kinda listened to it as an anti good ol’ american boy/anti bully song.

  • Alex_P

    Does it have to be Darkest Hour? Because I haven’t listened to them much, but I do know what my favourite Revocation song is: Pestilence Reigns. The first time I heard David’s solo in that song, I smiled knowing that the art of soloing was alive and well. I think it’s quite possible that that’s the best thrash song of the last ten years.

  • Justin Maggi

    I really love These Fevered Times from Undoing Ruin. The lyrics to this song really relate to several moments in my life. The line “you know the feeling when down feels up to
    it’s old tricks again so misleading when it hits like a ton of bricks to the chest” thats a hard hitting line for me, because there have been several moments in my life where, yes, down has hit hard…very hard. I would rather not share what these moments were in my life, but I have always been able to relate to that one particular line along with several others in this song. On top of having a great connection to the lyrics of this song, I also love the riffs to this song and the fast paced feel to it, just like the feeling of being “down” can hit you very fast. Yes the opportunity to win these shirts is great, but i really just wanted to share how i feel about one of my favorite songs by Darkest Hour.

  • Matt S

    An Epitaph – because IVE GOT TO FIND A LIIIIIME

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Richard-Labranche/1106303437 Richard Labranche

    Well, my favorite song was “Stand and receive your Judgement,” because of how fucking brutal it is and shit. However, after taking that guy from the eighth comments advice, it is no longer. Yeah, I smoked a bowl, closed my eyes, and was shocked when I saw EXACTLY what he was talking about. There was definitely kings and war and shit. “Tunguska” is my new favorite.
    Thanks, guy from the eighth comment!

    rcl5628@louisiana.edu

  • Thrillhouse

    My favorite DH tune is definitely Pathos. Why an acoustic instrumental interlude, you ask? Because I drunkenly told my liberal, PC girlfriend that said song reminded me of our relationship, and the ups and downs and hopes and fears we’ve experienced, to which she responded, “That’s just… really, really gay.”

  • Gavin

    “District Divided” cause it seriously has the most intense, thrashiest intro I’ve heard in a while. Real churchburner.

    • Gavin

      fuck me, I actually meant “This Will Outlive Us”

  • Double D

    ‘Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation’ is my favorite song because when I saw Darkest Hour at Backbooth in Orlando 4 years ago, I hopped up on stage and walked over to Schleibaum. I screamed at him and threw up a claw hand in his face during ‘Hidden Hands’, he proceeded to sling the guitar around my body and solo’ed with me betwixt him and the guitar. It was crazy fun and I will never forget it. A little gay? Maybe. But it was a great time and I’ll happily take a little homo-eroticism along with a great time with my favorite band.

  • silentkerm

    If I had to pick one…it would be Demon(s) because I heard it on one of those higher up Music Choice channels a few years ago and said …”shit that’s good” – I then proceeded to listen to their back catalog with baby wipes in hand. That was my first time hearing Darkest Hour…and I’d say it’s my gateway song. Little did I know they were a WHOLE lot better than that track.

  • Darvin7

    My favorite Darkest Hour song would have to be “sound the surrender”. When I first listened to the song on tv just to check them out I was immediately blown away by how awesome the song was! It was so much fun to listen to and still is i love every second of it from the thrashy verse to the face melting guitar solo and the piano in the chorus that is implanted in my brain for 4 years now. I love that song!

  • M’kay

    To be honest, I never really gave Darkest Hour a good listen, I’ve tried to get into them, but they just never interested me. Once I found out about this tour (already loving Periphery, Veil of Maya, and Revocation), I decided to give them another chance, and still, did could not get into them. It is not like they sounded bad, it just was not what I was looking for (it did not help that the new Intronaut, Orbs, Contortionist, and Daath albums were taking up most of my ear canal space).

    Yet, to win the shirts of three of my top bands, I figured that it would only be fair to give Darkest Hour one last chance instead of just writing down a BS song and hoping to win (after all, it took me about four listens to get into BTBAM, and now they are my favorite band). Utilizing the comments already posted, I began listening to Darkest Hour songs that other people said were their best, and I have decided on my favorite.

    My favorite Darkest Hour song as of right now is “Tranquil”, for it spans a few different styles, from the August Burns Red style opening, to the Trivium-esque main riff, to a finger-licking solo that fits the song (a rarity in metal), to the building interlude, to the ending drum-fill, to the whole feel of the song, I thoroughly enjoyed all six minutes.

    Though I would not say I’ve been converted, I am more open to their work and will continue to look into their discovery and hopefully will eventually find a glimmer of light in the Darkest Hour.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Jonathan-Fuentes/504424253 Jonathan Fuentes

    I can’t say it as well as niño up there, but it definitely has to be With a Thousand Words to Say but One.

  • James King

    I love all darkest hour songs and I’m from the D.C. area so its just an added bonus that I get to say we share the same hometown. The one song that stands out to me the most is With A Thousand Words To Say But One. This is the song that really got me into Darkest Hour. The fade into the song is amazing and then it goes straight into one of the catchiest riffs I’ve ever heard. The song shows you everything that is good about metalcore while also making me happy in the pants.

  • redcloudrising

    the patriot virus, great midtempo and heavy as shit riff. really sums up the bush years (and maybe the obama years too) and the message stays true to DH’s DIY/punk roots. sadist nation is still their artistic peak.

  • Malt Sootane

    i nominate “Fire in the Skies” by darkest hour because solely for the 1:13 mark in its song.FANTASTIC song that captures everything great about DH. Its sooo catchy without sounding pop or mainstream wHatsoever. whether it be the quick riffs/ intense drumming/ guitar virtuosity/ vox/ kris norris/ bass/ SICK guitar playing .

    sorry got carried away there but really i would jizz in each of there mouths if kris norris returned!!!!!! :’( thats not to say the kris norris projekt(?) is no good, cause it is. but his textbook precision and technicality made darkest hours near perfect style ABSOLUTELY amazing.

    if i win this contest im also gonna smoke a blunt with Mike after watchin that recent periphery/dh video and tell them “METALSUCKS SENT ME”

    • Malt Sootane

      PS. The show comin near me is nov 17th and my winter coat is lacking.

      3 METAL shirts may keep me warm :)

  • Cameron Almasi

    Hmm hard to say man.
    I’d honestly say Either say “Doomsayer”, or “Demon(s)”. Cause when I first got into Darkest Hour, it was a really sad time in my life, a friend of mine had just passed away, and my girlfriend broke up with me, but somehow those songs helped me cope out of the misery I was in.
    But then theres the song “The Sadist Nation” which back when i first heard it, I was still in my Suicide Silence stage, but hearing that, it kinda got me into fast music, cause the way the song started, it just had a lot of energy. Darkest hour is a band i really like and got sentimental value for.

  • UnrealInsanityX

    “Oklahoma”, Why? Well, basically it reminds why that state always has like a hundred tornadoes each year. And because it fuckin’ kicks ass!

  • Lorenzo Von Matterhorn

    my fav. darkest hour song is definately “With A Thousand Words To Say But One”..

    not only is it one of the most epic songs ever written, it was also the first song my band played on our very first gig.. we needed a song to fill our stagetime, and we agreed on a song that will melt as many faces as possible.. so we took that, covered it on stage and it worked :)

  • wilson

    ‘The TIdes’ due to the awesome multiple solos, which are interspersed with the ridiculously catchy verses and choruses.

  • yzermantiis

    The Last Dance Massacre, I learned how to play the song on my drums. Ryan’s style in the early years really helped my endurance on the double bass pedals

    Mingstein365@gmail.com

  • Ziltoid is a Pussy

    Pay Phones and Pills – Nothing exciting here: Worked college radio and it was the first song I ever heard by them. Seen the band 4-5 times and haven’t heard em play it yet. I got a free copy of the cd, so I enjoy free shit. How about giving me the shirts too?

  • 4:38

    Demon(s) because it’s melodic and true. It’s a feel-good song, word for word, to be honest. It all runs together so smoothly and sweetly. I’m not sure if anyone else looks at this song the way I do, but it remains one of my favorites because it’s just a landmark for DH.I love Darkest hour for their unique sound, t-shirt or no t-shirt.

  • victor figueroa

    Darkest hour-A Distorted Utopia
    -In uncertain times, like the ones we are currently live in it is nice to be able to hear a song match the level of frustration and helpless anger that i feel when i hear shit eating politicians and megalomaniacs say how they have the solution or answer to all our country’s problems. When all they really are is promoting their own fucked up distorted idea of utopia.

  • Leviathan696

    Darkest hour-A Distorted Utopia
    -In uncertain times, like the ones we are currently live in it is nice to be able to hear a song match the level of frustration and helpless anger that i feel when i hear shit eating politicians and megalomaniacs say how they have the solution or answer to all our country’s problems. When all they really are is promoting their own fucked up distorted idea of utopia.

    victorf890@gmail.com

  • http://alternateworld.tumblr.com/ Zakk

    My favorite Darkest Hour song is Doomsayer. When I first saw them live I was blown away by the energy in the song it made me jump in the pit right away. It has that amazing melody as well.

  • Jack ATTACK

    My personal favorite is “Deliver Us” because not only does it have some seriously unstoppable riffs but the solo showcases everything that’s great about Kris Norris’s playing. I think it’s a perfect example of how American melodeath should sound.

  • Matt

    My personal favorite it “The Tides”. The song is just fucking amazing. So amazing I consider it my national anthem. The solo makes me feel proud and just when you think it’s over it comes back for round two of cock rocking awesomeness.

  • Chee Kam

    ‘With A Thousand Words To Say But One’
    It is a great first song that the beginning leaves you waiting and then all of a sudden the actual song starts and its all “wooo DARKEST HOUR”. The instrumentals are great, especially the harmonization of the guitars. Even the mid song build up just gets you anticipating the rest of the song. This to me is the high point of DH’s career. They really found their sound on “Undoing Ruin” and this song just trumps everything they did prior and after.

  • h3

    definately sadist nation. it’s the song that made my jaw hit the floor when i saw them play in orlando on plea for peace tour. i had shown up to see mike park and cursive and inbetween the two i found my new favorite band in darkest hour. literally my friends said i just stood there watching for a few minutes then started thrashing around. this wasn’t my into to metal, only to darkest hour, and since then i think i may have grown fonder of other songs, but that pick slide into sadist nation changed my life. dh was already my favorite new band when i left the show that night and i had to spend the next year or so explaining to my friends that no, it’s not just noise, listen to the amazing symphony of amazingness going on here! before undoing ruin came out you would see someone in a dh shirt and know you were going to be friends… even went to a tattoo shop with a friend who joked with the artist that “darkest hour is herb’s new favorite band” so the artist cranked the album and we thrashed in our seats for a few hours gettin ink. my friend was converted soon thereafter.

  • B-dizzle

    The Sadist Nation because it’s nothing but pure aggression, it’s got Tomas Lindberg from At The Gates on it, and it brings on the biggest circle pits

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Daniel-Goldwater/33612828 Daniel Goldwater

    My favorite DH song is Deliver Us-it is the song I used to perfect performing vocals and drums at the same time, and it is fun as hell doing either independently of each other. Also, blah blah blah lyrics are nice and I connect with them and other sappy cliche things.

    d.auh2o@gmail.com

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Lance-Zeran/100000142665110 Lance Zeran

    My favorite song by Darkest Hour is Convalescence because it spawned my love for this gritty, sweaty, pseudo-intellectual genre: metal. This song basically ruined my life, and if it wasn’t for Darkest Hour, I wouldn’t be kissing their ass right now to win four t-shirts. Oh, and I like the part where it goes dun-dun doo doo duh dah. You know what i’m talking about, hell, you wrote the song.

    Zeraninator@gmail.com

  • Brian \m/(-_-)\m/

    fave song is demon(s) for 2 reasons:
    1) it was the first song i heard from them and based on that one song i went out and get their entire discography (didnt disappoint btw)
    2) the solo is one of my favorites. even tho the end bit is pretty much ur standard fare dual harmonized arpeggiated sweep picking, it fucking rocks.

  • Andrew Bukovac

    Anthem of the Betrayed, by far. Oh Fuck never mind that’s a Revocation song, geuss I don’t really have a favorite Darkest Hour…

  • hogan

    Veritas, Aequitas, by far. i was lucky enough to see them when they played that song in its entirety. it was one of the best shows I’ve ever been to, and one of the last shows i saw at the closed/great venue called “The Pound” in San Fransisco.

  • ECDEU

    “This Will Outlive Us” is my favorite Darkest Hour song because that intro solo evokes an emotion I can only describe as punching a baby in the tooth, right in the tooth. This is awesome for two major reasons: it’s an INTRO SOLO!!!!! How many times can you have an intro solo and not seem like a total pompous douche bag and then it isn’t a cop out solo or a solo for the sake of soloing, it is an actual really really good solo that has a lot of groove and style. Truly the epitome of a solo.

    Then the song takes a very huge left turn into trash land and hangs out with brosephs named Megadeth and Bison BC where they teach the art of having a catchy chorus, but the rebel rears its ugly head in Darkest Hour and it refuses to have singing in the catchy chorus and also refuses to play that chorus ever again. Oh, it reminds me of the good ole days of classic hardcore bands like Converge and Botch who were so ugly but somehow managed to always get the hot cheer leader, only to dump her for a case of beer, because they were just that cool.

    And finally, like a four year old after Halloween night, Darkest Hour hit a sugar crash and droop into doom mode and slow things way down for the last minute or so of the song. I can’t think of a way to describe this part of the song, because it truly melted my brain past any possible attempt at salvation so I can’t function too well right now.

    But I do know that this song is the epitome of a Darkest Hour song and has some really unique and interesting tidbits that are very rarely found in any songs, let alone a Darkest Hour song, and that’s why I think “This Will Outlive Us” is the best Darkest Hour song.

    • ECDEU

      Also, I’m the only one who has said this song at this point, with everyone else copying each other. I think that should give me bonus points.

  • Dustin Trent

    i dont listen to darkest hour. but i love all the three other bands extremely. fav songs by each: veil of maya: pillars, periphery: the walk, and revocation (my fav and unseen by me) suffer these wounds. please pick me! i love t-shirts

  • Mitch K

    best DH song for me is “No God”! fucking killer title and the song RIPS! full of riffy goodness. I DEMAND FREE TSHIRTS FROM THESE WICKED BANDS!

  • Adrien Aaron

    My favorite Darkest Hour song is Doomsayer. I really connect with a song whose lyrics say something that truly resonates with me, and this song does that masterfully. “You are the only one with the ability to turn this tide, with the capacity to learn the truth and burn the lies that signalize our disgust…and who can save you, not their gods and not their masters – and who will free you, look in the mirror.” Those are words that express the reality of our world so well – yes this world is broken and horrible in many ways, but it won’t be changed by a fictional god or many of the people currently in power. Real change of this world is done by individuals who take charge of their lives, set out to do something, and never rest until they have done it.

    Of course, powerful words without the music to match are simply poetry. The riffs are catchy as all get out and the song structure is great: powerful builds, suspense, and a dynamic between hard and soft. Oh, then there are the solos. Easily some of my favorite solos of all time, especially the part that begins at about 3:17 and is harmonized the second time around.

    Everything about this song is very powerful and meaningful to me. Not only is it wonderfully crafted, it’s also one of the first DH songs I heard and what drew me to them.

  • Dylan

    I’ve never listened to darkest hour before so I can’t tell you my favourite song by them, however I do wish to win this prize pack because I am desperately in need of some more t-shirts to wear. My wardrobe is like Narnia, if Narnia was completely absent of clothing.
    What? Nah, better give this to a proper fan.

  • Josh Smith

    my personal favorite would probably be “with a thousand ways to say bu one” off of the undoing album. The song carries so much emotion and power it’s intense the ambient intro and middle part add a certain epicness you don’t see in many other bands besides darkest hour.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Matthew-Mitchell/727402512 Matthew Mitchell

    “An An Ethereal Drain” from Deliver Us.

    Devin Townsend’s influence on Kris Norris’ leads are felt all throughout this album , but especially on this song. As an up and coming guitar player , I was absolutely spellbound by the seamless flow of his fingers through a cascading barrage of notes ending in an epic run of arpeggios and finger taps that left me speechless. It was like the epicness of the solo to “Selkies: The Endless Obsession” by Between The Buried And Me , but in 1/4th of the time. Needless to say , I was hooked on virtuoso guitar playing every since.

    Now I listen to Portal and post on biased metal blogs. My life is fucking ruined.

    Thanks Darkest Hour!!

    bullets_of_bodom@hotmail.com

  • Baron

    “Tranquil” is my favorite Darkest Hour song. It has good, surprisingly uplifting lyrics, and killer guitar work from the always awesome Kris Norris. It’s a great way to close Undoing Ruin (Which was the best DH album in my opinion).

  • Vesticles

    My favorite DH song of all time is “How The Beautiful Decay”.

    Definitely not the most rifftastic song they’ve ever put out and its a bit repetitive but I think ending makes the song. Something about that break at the end, it puts you in a trance with those eerie yet melodic chords. It keeps building and building in classic DH fashion before it erupts in an onslaught of double bass ending with the notes coming together in harmony. A perfect ending to the CD; heavy as hell with a lot of atmosphere. They’ve since matured greatly in their song writing, but this song really got me into them and have allowed me to expect way more from DH than just epic mosh riffs.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Emmanuel-Quinones/100000463639580 Emmanuel Quinones

    my favorite DH song is The Tides
    The main riff is so DUDUD DUNDUNDUN DUDUDNDUN!!!!!
    but mostly just cause of that BANGING, SHREDDIN, DICK SLAPPIN SOLO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    i bust out the broom and do some legit air guitar, and some windmills( with my hair not my xARMZx)

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Adam-Dale-Pearson/660636208 Adam Dale Pearson

    These Fevered Times – The whole song is amazing but the riff with the sweep picking that starts at 1:23 is so fucking badass

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Adam-Dale-Pearson/660636208 Adam Dale Pearson

      see below for face shitting

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Adam-Dale-Pearson/660636208 Adam Dale Pearson

    THESE FEVERED TIMES
    the riff that starts at 1:23 will make you shit your face

  • Matias

    SEXY TOUR IS SEXY.

    The Tides because that’s probably the most amazing minute of guitar ever.

  • cgrind

    With A Thousand Words To Say But One. The song flawlessly keeps it’s triumphant vibes throughout the whole song, transitioning from one epic section to another starting with the very first riff. Even the soft interlude part of the song resonates with that heroic feeling you feel when hear ungodly music. Then all of the sudden….that very first riff that grabs the listener by their respective scrotum (or uterus) at the beginning of the song for a wild ride picks up again and carries you into the end of the song. On a personal note, this song got me back into DH, which I had forgotten for a while (I think I heard a part of it on a video on this website….thanks MS!)

  • poopy

    my favorite song by Darkest Hour is Bear Huntin’ USA. It always makes me laugh and can’t help but imagine them being drunk in the studio thinking that this song is going to be the best song on their album. plus touring with them is also a blast.

    rub a dub dub gonna shoot me a cub!

  • MikeMonacoBrah

    My favorite song by Darkest Hour is I don’t have one because I don’t like them at all. I’m going to see all the openers and then leave before they come on, so if I win the t shirts, I’ll keep all of the ones except the Darkest Hour one. I’m not really sure what I’d do with it.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/James-Butler/100000300276967 James Butler

    being a vocalist i would definitely say “this will outlive us” for the lyrics “my hell is a blank piece of paper staring back at me my hell is wasted potential haunting me”… theres been many a time when such words were never truer…

  • Kevin

    It has to be Demond(s), just because the first time i listen to that song i was going to a bad breakup and song just made forget about that person!, just amazing song and lyrics

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Shaun-Reeves/100000774753955 Shaun Reeves

    Convalescence. Sure it’s not their heaviest or most technical, but it was one of the first metal songs I had ever heard. The first time I heard it was when I saw the video for it on a victory records sampler. I straight up laughed the first time I saw it, I thought it was terrible, and the lead singer looked like an angry nerd who got beat up in high school too much. As I gradually started getting into heavier music, I watched it again, and it changed my life. It was the heaviest thing I had ever heard, yet it was so melodic. Kris Norris instantly became my icon, his solo was the greatest one I had ever heard. That song not only turned me into a metal head, it turned me into a metal guitarist.

  • pokesmo

    My favorite Darkest Hour song has to be “Convalescence” to put it plain and simple it’s just a freaking monster of a song.

  • Brownsound

    The Sadist Nation – this is the BEST Darkest Hour song ever made. It’s got all the raw emotion from John Henry’s voice along with the absolutely brilliant lyrics from a time when most of us were pissed right the fuck off at all the shit our country was getting itself into. PLUS it has the most righteous gothenburg melody and thrash influence I just want to KILL EVERYONE IN A 10 MILE RADIUS. Ironically, of course.

  • Drew

    A Paradox With Flies is my favorite. It has the great energy that’s on the entire album, but the ending is so somber. I love it.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Steve-Briscoe/653665829 Steve Briscoe

    THERE’S NO SALVATION
    IN A WORLD WHERE YOU WORSHIP PROVEN FICTION
    AND NO REDEMPTION FOR A LIFE OF SERVITUDE

    darkest hour brings the atheist rage hard in this song. the anger is palpable- you can practically feel the spit hit your face as john henry condemns you through the speakers. i love that darkest hour has taken literally the most cliched subject in metal (anti-religion) and made it sound fresh n’ lively. and its right to the point. THERE’S NO GOD. its pretty empowering to scream along with it.

    it doesnt hurt that the song is dope as fuck. every riff is totally sweet and that bluesy solo, my (no) God, that bluesy solo.

    in conclusion, TAKE THAT PARENTS, AND YOUR FANCY “SUNDAY SCHOOL.” LOOK AT ME NOW.

    stevendb@umich.edu

  • Claytos

    The closest this tour is coming to me is San Fran on the 28th at the DNA Lounge which is cool in a way but also sucks because on the very same day (Nov 28th) the Dimmu Borgir Tour with Enslaved roles through and are playing at Regency Ballroom in San Fran. Son of a bitch!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Dan-Saltzman/1270542180 Dan Saltzman

    “A Cold Kiss” has been my favorite song of all time since the first time I heard it in 2006, no question. And that probably won’t ever change.
    Fuck all these dudes writing essays about their song choices… I am a die-hard DH fan and literally got a boner when I saw this post! (no joke! I’m jacking off as I type this!) I wouldn’t miss a Darkest Hour performance in SF for the world and I’m gonna fuck bitches up in the pit at the DNA Lounge on 11/28, new shirt or not. Although, a new one would be sick to replace that horrendously old and ripped red one I have (featured in FB Connect Default pic).
    Thanks for the consideration, MS administration.

  • ericlives

    Fire from the skies is by far their best song because i bathe in fire all day long! And its the first song by them that I learned on guitar…ms and dh aare sexy too. When chris was in the band anyways…

  • seanbob24

    Last Dance With Massacre. Ever wonder what danny carey of tool would sound like if he spent a few months living on grain alcohol and raw bear meat? Just listen to the intro drums ryan parrish jizzes from his body which sets the tone for the full on big black DH dicks that are about to rape your ears, but oh in the sweetest and most entrancing way. So I think Last Dance with Massacre is pretty good.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Jonathan-Perea/630827802 Jonathan Perea

    Shouldn’t EVERY Darkest Hour song be your favourite? They are what inspired The american wave of Melodic Death Metal. Personally Deliver Us is sooo good. The drumming is top notch and not to mention The ALMIGHTY Devin Townsend Produced that record. THAT’s why i love them so much.

  • steve

    my favorite darkest hour song is Blessed Infection. its sad but at the same time epic.

  • Justin

    Demon(s) is my favorite song, I love the lyrics and its fun to sing.

  • Dylan Lee

    My favourite Darkest Hour song is “The Sadist Nation”. Why? Because it triumphantly rips into pieces any other hardcore metal bands best work that feebly attempts to master the sheerly brutal, breathe taking sound of Darkest fucking Hour.

  • Johnny Varags

    With A Thousand Words to Say But One, has to be one of the most intense gorgeously constructed song by Darkest Hour. This song along with the rest of the album helped me through such a bullshit time in my life back in 2006. I first heard Convalescence on the Victory sampler that came with BTBAM’s Alaska album. I was hooked with that monster of a song enough to be a little more curious about the album it came from. When I popped Undoing Ruin into my cd player for the first time, HOLY SHIT. I was breath taken. I hope people can relate, this band is going to forever hold a place inside that not very many can do.

  • Mike LaFerney

    Bear Hunting -I got the joke!

  • Justin

    Demon(s), first time i herd it i got laid. Nuff said

  • Matt

    I used to listen to whatever popular garbage was on the local rock station.

    That was until my best friend showed me the song Demon(s).

    Demon(s) is the song that got me started listening to metal. It is what really made me interested in music. I was so glad when they played it! My friend and I were right up front dead center singing along the whole time. This tour was awesome, thanks for coming out to Vegas and we hope to see you all again soon. The crowd thinned out a lot after Veil of Maya but that just made it even better. We had a blast.