A heavy, thumping riff. A strong, pounding drumbeat. That glamourous metal swagger of Justin Hawkins. The Darkness are back and ready to rock your socks off like they have many times before. The opening track to Dreams on Toast, ‘Rock and Roll Party Cowboy’, is the perfect start to any glam metal album. Loaded with some Mötley Crüe style vocals and lyrics that scream masculine dad rock (“Zippo lighter, Marlboro Reds, Jack Daniels”), you can tell the band are back in full force. The next track, ‘I Hate Myself’, will take the listener back to 2003 and the raunchy metal sound of The Darkness’ first album Permission to Land. You are immediately thrown in the deep end with a rapid riff that is bound to make you want to jump around like you are on stage with the band, and the self-deprecating lyrics can only come across as comedic when matched with the upbeat sound and energetic musicianship of the band, even some brass is introduced (would it really be glam without it?). towards the end of the track, Dan Hawkins’ guitar seems to come alive as we are treated to a quickfire solo fadeout. ‘Hot On My Tail’ introduces a completely different sound to the album, starting with what sounds like a harmony you would hear in a 60s psychedelic anthem. It then transitions into a country sounding beat, with a beautiful vocal showcase from Justin. Hell, we even get some saloon piano towards the end of the track, so many surprises!

Next up, ‘Mortal Dread’ starts with a riff that brings to mind AC/DC’s ‘Shoot to Thrill’, and in a similar fashion, it strikes a chord with the listener’s ear. It seems self-deprecation is a recurring theme here, as the nihilist lyrics blast out of the song (“Until death comes/Mortal dread runs”), and then just as the doom and gloom seems to be getting too much, an upbeat piano sound emerges along with Justin’s vocals hitting their usual high point, Dan’s guitar riff compliments the arrangement very well. ‘Don’t Need Sunshine’ goes the opposite way, changing the mood completely. It feels like we’ve gone from listening to The Darkness to Queen, and it works brilliantly. Opening with the line, “I’m alive, and I love it”, a drumbeat that will make you want to grab your coat and walk through the rain, even the harmonies make you want to move, this track is certain to lift your spirits. The positivity continues into ‘The Longest Kiss’, a foot tapping tune made for lovers. It should also be mentioned that Rufus Tiger Taylor is a fantastic drummer, and he only continues to showcase his ability to keep a good and steady beat on this album. Dan also contributes with a great solo later in the song, even Justin provides an extended vocal outro. ‘The Battle For Gadget Land’ starts with a menacing riff, as if the band are the four horsemen charging into the heart of the technology fuelled apocalypse. The song has a comedic rock opera feel to it; Justin enacts being an Earl while showing his subjects “The virtue of my talent on electric lute” before finger tapping intensely.

We return to the country sound again with ‘Cold Hearted Woman’, a tale of an upset relationship. It really does capture the feeling of a melancholy love story, the acoustic melody, even some fiddle playing is incorporated into it. Justin delivers the line “A cold hearted woman makes a cold-hearted man” with the perfect emotional tone, and as the song is on its way out, Dan virtuosos with the fiddle playing to create a satisfying outro to the listener. ‘Walking Through Fire’ starts with a firm reminder why The Darkness make music, “We’re only doing this cause it’s fun/I can’t help falling in love with rock ‘n’ roll”, a strong message from a band that don’t care what anyone else thinks, and that is true rock ‘n’ roll. The entire song is the band saying, ‘Yes we’re taking risks doing what we want but if you don’t like it, f**k off’. The final track on the album, ‘Weekend in Rome’, is a beautiful acoustic ballad that rounds off the album wonderfully. An orchestra plays briefly towards the end of the track, and the listener is slowly lifted out of their headphones.

For The Darkness’ eighth long player, it is a great listening experience, especially for long time fans of the band as it has a similar feeling to Permission to Land (2003) and One Way Ticket to Hell… and Back (2005). The album also shows that, no matter how long it’s been for them, The Darkness will keep rock ‘n’ rolling their way into the glam metal world. Keep on rocking boys, we are here to listen.

The Darkness: Dreams on Toast – Out 28 March 2025 (Cooking Vinyl)

Darkness – Walking Through Fire (Official Visualiser)