EP review: The Darkest Moment – Love & Loss

The Darkest Moment live up to their name here, plunging into arguably the most emotional and existential subject matter there is on their first release in just over two years. Love & Loss is a brief, pained rumination on grief, delving unsparingly into the experience of adjusting to the existence of the gaping hole left behind after losing someone close. Exploring such a weighty theme is unequivocally a challenge, and while The Darkest Moment handle it nobly, their approach isn’t as visceral as it could be.

The Danish quartet’s home turf falls within the softer, more atmospheric end of post-hardcore. While they’re clearly comfortable there, they execute it with an admirable amount of grace. The delicate, gauzy verses of Sorrows are offset with a lofty chorus with enough fire to it to stop it becoming insipid, while To An End twinkles with subtle pop synths before attempting to follow the same course, but without enough conviction for it to soar till towards the end.

By contrast, however, Aches is a bit too musically downcast for its own good, petering on for five minutes with little to remember it by. They strain towards anthemic heights with the pounding drums and lean hooks of Tragedy, but its guitars are buried too low in the mix, stymying some of its power, while a sudden, lurch into a breakdown in its back half feels forced.

It’s decent enough, and just about original enough, but the vision is never as sharp as it could be. Indeed, while its lyrics are moving, they don’t cut as deep as intended, and there’s not much that threatens to fully engage your tear ducts. They’ve taken a valiant stab at creating a huge sound with plenty of heart, but ultimately, if they want to make an impact, this isn’t quite the way to do it.

Verdict: 3/5

For fans of: Bad Omens, Dayseeker, Acres

Love & Loss is released January 12 via Prime Collective