History is full of albums and music that pushes the envelope of their respective genre. The fact is that there’s certain genres of music that’s difficult to stand out in. When you consider all the bands and artists in history that have released music at a time where they’re particular genre is extremely popular, and it can be easy for some of these records to not quite get the attention they deserve.
Around the time that Darkest Hour was peaking in popularity, the fact is that dozens of other metalcore and associated bands were also experiencing their own success. The list is nearly endless. Bands like Killswitch Engage, Lamb Of God, Every Time I Die, Underoath, and countless others were emerging. That didn’t stop 2007’s Deliver Us (released on July 10th, 2007) from making a large impact of its own, though.
When you also consider that Darkest Hour has such an expansive discography, the fact that Deliver Us is a strong contender for their best record really speaks volumes. Even when you consider how strong the metalcore pack was around the band, the fact is that sounds like album opener “Doomsayer (The Beginning Of The End)”, huge single “Demon(s)”, and the balanced melodic/heavy tension of “A Paradox With Flies” all stand out as some of Darkest Hour’s best. The band’s final album with guitarist Kris Norris, it comes in a tidy 39 minute package, and still holds plenty of staying power now.
