Darko – Canvas (EP)
Darko – Canvas (EP)
Lockjaw Records
Release Date: 18/07/2025
Review by Beth Morait
9.5/10
I’m a progressive kinda gal. So, anything that lands in our emails with ‘Progressive’ in the tag line is going to be something I’ll check out. I also like a bit of Punk. But I can’t think of another time when I’ve seen the words ‘Progressive Punk’ in the same sentence… until now, with Surrey- based band, Darko. These two intriguing little words made me check this new release out. And I’m very glad I did. Imagine, if you will, a swanky venue, hosting some experimental sound art installation, featuring delicate progressive ambience, being gate-crashed by a bunch of hoodlums clad in Cherry Reds and safety pins, armed with a battered amp, a guitar with more chips than the local fish bar, and an even more battered SM58 wired microphone. That’s the basic sound of Darko.
But there’s a lot more to their music than that. Starting out deeply cinematic, ‘Grey Heavens’ leads you completely up the garden path with it’s Gothic, slow, and chunky guitar, topped with a floating melody and soothing harmonics, building in intensity and drama throughout. And the ruse is continued in the opening bars of ‘Dared To Dream’… until all hell breaks loose when the angry, shouty Punk lyrics join the party, forcing the guitars into an apoplectic barrage of out and out FUCKING PUNK!! I’d come in completely blind to Darko’s music, as I’d never heard of them before. So, I totally wasn’t expecting what I got here! But goddamn I like it! And the best part was, the sudden barrage was just as thrilling on the second listen. Like going over the first drop on your favourite rollercoaster, even though you’ve been on it 25 times already!
The title track is where we really get the Progressive element, with intricate rhythm changes, and a variety of vocal styles, including some more Metalcore growls, while the guitars range from punishing Hardcore Crossover riffs, to intricate widdly bits.
Now, a Punk album wouldn’t be a Punk album if it didn’t have at least one track that was barely a minute long. And this album doesn’t go against this rule, despite Darko’s Progressive persuasion. The aptly titled ‘Hectic’ runs for 1 minute and 3 seconds, and is 63 seconds of pure schizophrenia. Brutal, growly, and insanely paced, it’s the perfect track to just lose your absolute shit to! It made me chuckle. And the following track, ‘Goodbye Bastards’ is the perfect Punk sing-a-long, which made me smile even more. It’s slightly more on the Pop Punk side, musically, but the lyrics make it more Classic Punk charged. Definitely one your mum would have scowled at and muttered “Keep calm, it’s just a phase” had she caught you listening to it as a young teen.
“AUX III” closes the EP which offers all the elements from the rest of the EP, gathered neatly in one speedy track. This is a fabulous little EP, shouting loudly about current affairs, as any good Punk album should, but with a more thoughtful edge than the Punk scene is used to. This truly puts the ‘progress’ into Progressive. I’m hooked now.
TRACKLISTING:
01. Grey Havens
02. Dared to Dream
03. Canvas
04. Override!
05. Hectic
06. Goodbye Bastards
07. Aux III
LINKS:
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