Review by Saxy S for Darko - Oni (2022)

The newest release from Darko US is an album that I have a hard time trying to figure out who is meant to enjoy it. The deathcore tag here is misleading as there is next to nothing death metal about it. It has Tom Barber's vocals as well as pick scrapes, but Oni does not have a single blast beat on the record. On the other hand, it isn't metalcore either, because the vocals can become overbearing at times and those instrumentals do not provide the listener with a sense of comfort that you might expect from a record from August Burns Red or Killiswitch Engage. No matter what side of the Revolution clan you're in, you're all losers here!

This record is heavily dependent on groove instead of melody and so you'll find many of its breakdowns dependent on djent foundations. And while many of this records breakdowns are satisfying, I also find myself getting very tired of hearing them repeated over and over again without any direction. Darko US try to provide a semblance of growth and a much needed diversion by having Loathe-esque shoegaze/post-metal interludes. The biggest issue is that they aren't fully formed ideas and instead just feel like...well, interludes. The only one that comes close to resembling a full formed song is "Come Home", which is immediately followed by the albums non-closer "Redo". I don't know where the hype surrounding this album comes from. It's too heavy for the metalcore crowd, not heavy enough for the deathcore crowd, and those of us just looking for good music will have to look elsewhere.

Best Songs: Come Home, Dragon Chaser, Gantz