DARKNESS

The Darkness: Justin Hawkins (vocals, guitar); Dale Hawkins (guitar); Richie Edwards (bass guitar); Edward Graham (drums).

Recording information: Rockfield Studios, Monmouth, England (2005).

On the Darkness's second full-length album, ONE WAY TICKET TO HELL. AND BACK, frontman Justin Hawkins brings back his trademark unitard and Wagnerian falsetto for another delicious pop-metal outing. Although the melodies aren't as immediately appealing as on PERMISSION TO LAND, the disc still boasts its share of air-guitar anthems, particularly the hard-rocking "Is It Just Me?" And while the six-string playing of Hawkins and his brother, Dan, still carries the record, the Darkness unleashes its inner Jethro Tull with a wider instrumental palette that includes sitar, pan flute, bagpipes, and an entire orchestra, making for a considerably fuller sound. Of course, as on PERMISSION, Hawkins's soaring falsetto is the British group's calling card, and it's displayed to great effect on the Slade-like "Hazel Eyes" and "English Country Garden," which recalls Queen at their most stately. Though this album can't quite top its bold, brash predecessor, it reveals the broad range of the Darkness's charms, making it a worthy companion piece to that lauded debut.

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