The Darling Fire

After enduring the crushing sorrow of loss and grief, The Darling Fire return with their sophomore release. “Distortions” is a dark and pensive journey in ten compositions that transcends both beauty and pain, seamlessly combining elements of shoegaze, post-hardcore, and metal. Ghostly female vocals float above a pounding wall of sound, sewn together with vast atmospheric waves. Bleak, somber, and enchanting. Most will find “Distortions” to be a significant departure from their previous LP “Dark Celebration” as this recording is much more abrasive, gloomy, and brooding—more metal-influenced than indie. The band felt that this new aggressive sound more accurately portrayed the sadness, rage, and pain they felt and that it seamlessly balanced with the hypnotizing softness of Jolie’s vocals. The outcome was an amalgamation of something beautiful, austere, and cathartic. It combines the haunting chills of My Bloody Valentine and the heaviness of Deftones. The band allowed themselves to feel unconstrained while writing this album without having to force these songs to adhere to one genre or sound. “It felt like a natural evolution for us to go in this direction—to create more movement…” says Jolie Lindholm.

The vast collective experience of each member of The Darling Fire is exceptional by any measure. Members previously played with: Shai Hulud, Further Seems Forever, The Rocking Horse Winner, As Friends Rust, and Strongarm. An impressive collaboration that was only strengthened by working with producer Jay Maas (Defeater, Title Fight, Bane) in the studio. The outcome is an impressive and ambitious album that will resonate with listeners of all underground music.