SPARKLE – Darko

Veteran UK Melodic Hardcore act DARKO have returned with ‘The Ladder’ – their ambitious first new release in over five years. The track offers a first listen to the band with new vocalist, Tom West (previously of metallic punks Almeida), who brings a jarring intensity and an unsparing attitude to the south England quintet.

Gravelly former vocalist Dan Smith retired from the band in 2020, relocating to his native Australia after a decade of worldwide touring. DARKO’s updated incarnation is likely to polarise listeners – this new single unapologetically serves up fiercely political lyrics across 8+ minutes of progressive thrash.

West uses his new platform to immediately urge fellow punks to take a stand against the scene’s “embedded misogyny”, screaming “How can we bring change with only people who look like us up on stage?”. Katz Hinsley of Manchester’s Follow Your Dreams adds her signature yells to the track’s crescendo, with the passionate refrain “the scene is big enough for every one of us“.

‘The Ladder’ is available on all digital platforms ahead of the upcoming new EP ‘SPARKLE‘, set for release on Lockjaw Records (EU) and Thousand Island Records (CA) in summer 2022.

Fresh off a controversial comeback with a twist in tonality, melodic hardcore veterans DARKO unleash ‘AUX’, a scathing attack on embedded selfishness in the UK.

This impassioned second single is available on May 30th on all digital platforms ahead of this autumn’s new EP ‘SPARKLE’ via Lockjaw (EU) and Thousand Island Records (CA).

“Our world isn’t built for compassionate people. Suffering is not a bug of our economic system, it’s a feature of it” said singer Tom West. “Our culture tolerates and actively celebrates perverse selfishness. I don’t think it’s your fault if you’re sad and angry all the time. It’s quite an appropriate response”.

West cites Conservative government Minister Michael Gove’s chilling proclamation that “the people of this country have had enough of experts” as a major inspiration for the song’s misanthropic themes, but offers some light at the end of the tunnel in the song’s closing chants – “think locally, act globally – it starts with you“.

“It’s easy to feel helpless because we can’t fix everything by ourselves – but we all have the power to influence our communities and the people around us. We need to be less harsh on ourselves – try to focus our energy on the things we can change rather than beating ourselves up for the things we can’t”, he explains.