| Musical Style: Melodic Hard Rock | Produced By: Erik Tilling |
| Record Label: Roxx Records | Country Of Origin: Sweden |
| Year Released: 2024 | Artist Website: All For The King |
| Tracks: 10 | Rating: 75% |
| Running Time: 34:09 |
Sweden’s All For The King made its name on merging metal and hard rock with modern overtones, and the tradition carries on with the groups March of 2024 Roxx Records third album Darkest Before Dawn. Similar to debut All For The King (independent) and sophomore effort Let There Be Light (also Roxx) from 2017 and 2022, respectively, Darkest Before Dawn underscores the songwriting of founding members Ricard Hulteke (lead vocals) and Erik Tilling (guitars). Hulteke gained initial renown with guitarist Carl Johan Grimmark as part of Empire 21 and the melodic power metal of its 2014 self-titled debut, while Tilling has eight contemporary pop solo albums to his credit. Bassist Andreas Alöv and drummer Anders Köllerfors round out the All For The King roster.
A mutual longing between Hulteke and Tilling to share their faith led to the formation of All For The King, with the upshot ‘a band with a yearning to preach the Gospel to a lost society that at times appears to run without a compass’ (as taken from the groups press material). More specifically, the goal of All For The King is to ‘(tell) people that there is a God who cares for them in the midst of it all and wants to guide them and carry them through life’s journeys and storms’.
Whereas Darkest Before Dawn continues to play up the All For The King unique brand of ‘modern infused hard rock’, I find that it does not feature quite the same focused package of songs as its predecessors. Two of the albums cuts “The Seventh Seal” and “Light In The Dark”, for instance, appeared on Let There Be Light as bonus tracks. Yes, the two are expertly constructed and rank with the albums finest, but due to not being exclusive to Darkest Before Dawn, struggle to fit within the track listing. When further factoring the album opens to its two-minute instrumental title track and the remaining seven songs are in the two-and-half to three-and-half minute range, Darkest Before Dawn leaves impression as an extended EP.
Not that there is anything wrong with that, but in my opinion, the seven songs in question do not quite hold up as well when placed alongside the better material from the first two albums. No doubt each is still quite good, but the feeling with repeat play is that perhaps the group could have spend more time developing individual Darkest Before Dawn tracks, referencing how five years passed between release of the first and second albums and only two between the second and third. At the very least, I wish All For The King had come up with two to three more original songs to turn the album into a true full-length release.
First of the seven “Stay Awake” is solid in represents quintessential All For The King in terms of subtle modern overtones, heavy-set guitars and understated but refined hooks found in the groups flowing vocal melodies. Problem is that the song end a bit abrupt at less than three minutes in that as Tilling cuts loose with a stretch of soloing (quite adeptly done I might add), the song inexplicably fades out. Why not repeat a verse or two along with the refrain and extend it an extra minute? Lyric snippet:
From my slumber wake me up
Cleanse me from my sin
Your light shines in the world
The Good News spread to all
Give me oil in my lamp
O Lord, be merciful this late hour
I bear witness of Christ the King
And His grace in my life!
The All For The King press material makes Black Sabbath a point of reference, and rightly so when factoring heavy hitting plodder “Fearless”. What we have is a slow and trudging piece in which Alöv’s toiling bass holds sway alongside every bit dogged guitar riffs and melody of a mournful nature. Albums crystalline production allows Köllerfors double kick drum to cleanly separate.
“Blind Leading The Blind” returns to upbeat metal territory, with distorted guitars to start giving way to the pronounced bass holding sway over the reverberant verse sections only to return in foremost fashion as impetus picks up for the grandly spoken refrain. Tilling imparts more of his ably done lead guitar work, while Hulteke shines with his signature gritty but moving vocal abilities. Lyric snippet:
Teachers making facts out of theory
As the lost lead the way
Another heart is led astray
When blind lead the blind
So many voices claiming the truth
Teachers blinded by their own light
They feed us with what’s on their mind
What Scripture says may stand back
When the blind lead the blind
“You Are My King”, longest of the seven at four minutes, begins to several seconds of riffing that brings to mind Stryper’s “Soldiers Under Command”. Subsequent to that we are off, as added energy and flowing verse shine as Hulteke reveals a lower register aspect to his delivery in an environs that has worship hard rock written all over it, as found in the “you are the King of kings and Lord of lords’ refrain. I do not need to remind there is a decided eighties metal edge here.
Album revisits slow and driving territory with “Welcome”. It might not plod to quite the extent as “Fearless” but it slogs all the same, with lightly done backing vocals lending to the severe scene, while drudging guitars set the intrepid tone. A bluesy essence rises to the surface - noting the moving guitar leads - as does a seventies tone, pointing to the organ solo during the instrumental interlude. Lyric snippet:
Because obedience matters the most
The Father lifted Him up high
And He was honored far beyond men and anything ever living
So that all created beings in heaven, earth through the ages
Will bow in worship
Call out that He’s the Master of all!
Welcome - to the Prince of Peace!
Welcome - home my child
“Surrender” takes a worship rock heading akin to “You Are My King” but in more of a contemporary AOR meets melodic rock tone. Keyboards fittingly play a prominent role with diminished guitars of a flowing atmospheric form. Yes, no doubt good, but if given choice I prefer the rousing energy behind what in my opinion is the superior work that is “You Are My King”.
“Mind Pollution” picks up to a heavier hard rock direction, with downtrodden guitars to start trending the mid-tempo and building upon the somber scene accordingly. Refrain proves every bit reflective as gravelly vocals (at times with an edge of distortion) and swirling back vocals (do I detect a hint of King’s X?) converge to make an inspiring statement. In my opinion, this is best of the seven with the preeminent melody to prevail. Lyric snippet:
We are all searching
Try to hide what is nagging us
We run and take comfort in a show, latest episode
But there is void
Yes, there is a need that cries out for more
More that is real and that makes sense,
Gives us hope to say
Jesus Revolution!
You cleanse our minds pollution
I hope I have not been unfairly critical in my assessment of Darkest Before Dawn. No doubt, the album features its share of fine material l but as a total package, Darkest Before Dawn in my opinion does not shine musically to quite the same extent as All For The King and Let There Be Light. Perhaps it is due to including two bonus tracks from the previous release or songwriting that does not feature the same focused feel, but I do not take to Darkest Before Dawn to quite the same extent. That said, the album is also not without its share of quality moments and the top-notch All For The King performance and production rises to the surface accordingly. Hence, if a fan of All For The King or musical styles presented, I still encourage you to give Darkest Before Dawn the time and attention it deserves.
Review by Andrew Rockwell
Track Listing: “Darkest Before Dawn” (1:52), “The Seventh Seal” (3:34), “Light In The Dark” (5:45), “Stay Awake” (2:48), “Fearless” (3:36), “Blind Leading The Blind” (2:41), “You Are My King” (4:15), “Welcome” (3:19), “Surrender” (3:27), “Mind Pollution” (2:48),
Musicians
Ricard Hulteke - Lead Vocals
Erik Tilling - Guitars
Andreas Alöv - Bass
Anders Köllerfors - Drums
