Darkfighter is Rival Sons’ first new music since their 2019 Grammy-nominated release, Feral Roots. Mostly written and recorded during the pandemic, the album provided the band with a golden opportunity to refine their craft and unique sound on what is their seventh full-length effort since they burst onto the scene in 2009. The minute you drop the needle, you can tell it was time well served.
Having followed the group since their inception, I immediately picked up on the album’s focus and maturity. It’s easy to identify the subtle nuances that separate Rival Sons from the pack — Jay Buchanan’s unmistakable, emotive howl, Scott Holiday’s searing guitar histrionics, drummer Mike Miley and bassist Dave Beste’s unfurled foundation, all of which gets the occasional brush stroke or two from keyboardist Todd Ögren.
Ögren actually gets the privilege of playing the first notes on the album with the heavy, Zeppelin-flavored Hammond intro on epic opener “Mirrors.” At every turn, the song mounts its impact and blossoms. It’s custom-made for the concert stage. After stretching out in every direction musically, the focus shifts over to the songwriting. And this is really where Rival Sons ups their game.
The catchy, sophomoric hook of “Nobody Wants To Die” is a mere loss leader to more fleshed-out tracks like “Bird In The Hand” and “Bright Light.” On the latter, Buchanan asserts the melody with imperiled conviction, as the rhythm anchors before Holiday sets sail with one of his other-worldly solos. “Rapture” snipes at the visceral, a simple ode to, per Buchanan, “becoming what I’m meant to be.” At this point, you begin to see how Rival Sons transcends the retro sleight-of-hand on which they used to rely upon so heavily.
The real meat and potatoes of Darkfighter might be well contained within the final two of the album’s eight songs. “Horses Breath” is an emotive vamp, swimming in psychedelic fuzz and fusion. Once again, Buchanan’s assuring chant transports the mood to one of reverence and mystique. “Darkside” funnels through a narrow port before exploding into a kaleidoscope of radiance, shrouded only by “no promises to keep anymore…”
As the precursors of what Guitar World magazine has termed the “New Wave of Classic Rock,” Rival Sons’ time to shine has come. While younger bands like Greta Van Fleet and Dirty Honey seem to garner more attention in certain corners of the mainstream, they have yet to deliver the goods on par with Darkfighter. The current state of rock and roll, along with the year on the calendar, won’t allow a record like this to become a multi-platinum monster. That doesn’t stop it from flexing its muscle, tightening its delivery, and providing fans, young and old, with an authentic slice of modern rock and roll to fuss and fumble over. In the process, it should help move Rival Sons up the ladder to where they belong.
~ Shawn Perry
