Darkfighter by Rival Sons

By Phil Hawkins

There is something about Darkfighter, the latest from Rival Sons, that creates an essence of mid/late nineties nostalgia while staying completely grounded in the present. Consisting of Jay Buchanan [vocals, harmonica, rhythm guitar], Scott Holiday [lead guitar], Mike Miley [drums], and Dave Beste [bass] – play rock ‘n’ roll in its purest form without apology or pretense. Instead, they simply plug in, turn up, and rip on a path of their own. For more than a decade the band have cultivated a well received and critically claimed catalog.

Darkfighter opens with “Mirrors” and wastes no time in showcasing a sound that is full and feels larger than life. There is a lot happening from an instrumental point of view filled with dynamics that waste no space in the overall soundscape. “Nobody Wants To Die” follows and continues to fill every square inch of musical space available. Again, there is a lot happening but it is so cohesive and tight that it is easy to get lost in it. There’s something about the overall dynamics of this track that feel like it was written with the live experience in mind and if they can transcend the studio recording to that venue it is sure to be a crowd mover. “Bird In The Hand” shifts things down a bit, but keeps a solid almost cadence like tempo. Musically, it has some elements that might be compared to Muse or maybe even The Killers, but it is those same elements that give the track a strong musical texture as Rival Sons inject their own flare in to the mix of it all.

“Bright Light” and “Rapture” fill in the middle of the album with their slowed down tempo yet still manage to encompass what the rest of the album hold creatively without sounding out of place. “Rapture” has some strong comparisons to Siamese Dream era The Smashing Pumpkins (which the band is touring with later this summer). “Guillotine” sounds like what a track by The White Stripes might sound like if The White Stripes were a five piece band instead of a two piece. However, this comparison is only on the musical front as the vocal approach is vastly different than what would have been offered by Jack White.

Darkfighter draws to a close with the combination of “Horses Breath” and “Darkside” which almost feels like two distinct bookends on an album. Therefore, their placement right next to one another at the end of the album seems like an odd choice. With each track clocking at over six minutes each it is a rather interesting choice. “Horses Breath” seems to not waste any time with much of a build while “Darkside” takes the first two minutes to build to a near musical onslaught before reverting back to its origin of sorts all before winding back to a full force cinematic climax. The tracks plays heavily on contrasts and dynamics that are strongly reminiscent of what is found on Superunknown by Soundgarden. It is the perfect closer to the album, but should be noted that Darkfighter is the first of two album with Lightbringer slated for later this year.

Overall, Darkfighter is a trip of almost epic proportions (and just might be full on epic when placed against Lightbringer later this year) from start to finish. The production quality is top notch which feels almost like an instrument all its own as it adds to the depth and textures of the album as a whole.

Darkfighter is out now via Atlantic Records and available on all major streaming and digital platforms or you can purchase directly from the band’s webstore.

Rival Sons recently wrapped The Darkfighter Tour and are taking a break before supporting The Smashing Pumpkins on The World Is A Vampire Tour in August through early September before doing some festival dates and then a European tour. Check out dates here.