After being humorously dubbed “The Wave”, the surge in popularity of post-hardcore (screamo, melodic hardcore, or whatever you wish to call it) is still going strong. Touche Amore, Pianos Become The Teeth, and La Dispute are all now bigger than anyone could have predicted. In some cases, sounding very different to the upstarts they were around 2010. While those names are synonymous with the movement, The Saddest Landscape always seemed to sit on the periphery. They never became the superstars of their genre, and while they have been around longer than most (they even released a split with Pianos Become The Teeth) they remain the kings of the underground.
In no way do the The Saddest Landscape appear bitter about this. If anything, it has only fuelled their creative output. Countless releases, and the willingness to play for anyone who has the desire to listen, has yielded stunning results. Of course, trying to keep things fresh for over a decade playing this style of hardcore is not the easiest task, but they pull it off with their fifth album, ‘Darkness Forgives’.
While there are obvious cues taken from the classic era of screamo, ‘Darkness Forgives’ feels more inviting than anything Orchid, or City of Caterpillar ever released. Don’t think that The Saddest Landscape have gone soft, though. They are still intensely visceral, and a broader soundscape seems to have been utilised here. Perhaps not as harsh on the ear – it is a thoroughly caustic experience. The jarring riffs of ‘Once We Were Immortal’ are redolent of early Dischord Records releases. Vocally, Andy Maddox has taken a similar approach to Ian Mackaye on his pre-Fugazi outfit, Embrace.
Throughout ‘Darkness Forgives’, every blistering moment is complemented with an alluring sense of melody, albeit an off kilter one at times. The way the frenetic introduction of ‘Souls Worth Saving’ drops into a haze of disjointed time signatures (out of nowhere) is a perfect example of The Saddest Landscapes song writing. When they are at their most abrasive on ‘Trimmed and Burning’, it remains cohesive as it leads into the serene opening of ‘You Never Asked’. Where some albums of this nature have a tendency to fall into the trap of being too disjointed for their own good, ‘Darkness Forgives’ flows with precision.
In keeping with tradition, ‘Darkness Forgives’ shoots past at the blink of an eye. Not because the songs are overly short, but more so because of the sonic punch that it packs. Right up until the final moments of ‘Admitting You’re Alive’, every element, whether searing or sullen, is executed perfectly. With production duties being handled by Jay Maas (Defeater), he has used his now trademark style to capture The Saddest Landscape exactly as they should be heard – unpolished, yet carrying the clarity it needs to ensure nothing goes un-missed, and allowing you to resonate with the album.
As mentioned at the start, many of the bands peers are moving further from their original starting points, helping ‘Darkness Forgives’ in sounding refreshing. It is far from just another post-hardcore album, but retains what we have come to expect – and love, from The Saddest Landscape.
GLEN BUSHELL