Review: Rival Sons ‘Darkfighter’
By Mike O’Cull
Grammy-nominated rockers Rival Sons punch hard and get loud on their highly-anticipated new album Darkfighter.
The new set drops June 2nd, 2023 thanks to the Atlantic Recording Corporation and reaffirms Rival Sons’ status as masters of straight-up, song-focused rock and roll. The sessions were produced by longtime Rival Sons collaborator and multiple Grammy Award winner Dave Cobb, who captured one crucial take after another and helped create one of the most identifiable guitar rock albums in recent memory. The music on Darkfighter encompasses several different vibrations of rock music ranging from all-out blasters to majestic mid-tempo cuts to more nuanced acoustic moments but is held together by high-value songwriting full of innovation and creativity.
Rival Sons, who are Jay Buchanan (vocals, harmonica, rhythm guitar), Scott Holiday (lead guitar), Mike Miley (drums), and Dave Beste (bass), is a rock band in the purest sense. These four players make music that’s honest, unpretentious, and direct on all levels. They’re loud, bold, and artistic, willing to use any sound if it happens to be the right one.
Veterans of stage and studio, the band has released a solid body of work that’s drawn both popular and critical acclaim. Their 2019 effort Feral Roots earned Rival Sons a pair of Grammy Award nominations in the categories of Best Rock Album and Best Rock Performance for the single “Too Bad.” They’ve shared bills with the likes of Black Sabbath, The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses, and Lenny Kravitz, doing much to introduce rock music to a new generation of fans. They’re a great band with ideas to burn and the guts needed to execute them.
The first cut, “Mirrors,” opens with a beautiful pipe organ etude before kicking straight into a hard rock groove. Here and throughout the record, the band displays a unique and intuitive way of putting down non-cliche guitar sounds. Guitarists Buchanan and Holiday use effects extremely well and craft sounds with them that show much depth. Listen to the main riff here; it’s fuzzed-out and square-waved so that you’re not sure if it’s a guitar or a mono synth. The solo is done with another unusual-but-perfect sound and played with phrasing to match. Each guitar part carves out its own sonic space like this, adding a ton of interest in a genre where most bands use their gear the same way.
“Nobody Wants To Die” is a no-speed-limit rocker about the ultimate uncomfortable truth. The end may be coming but Rival Sons are so fully alive here that you’re likely going to leap up from your chair to jam. Jay Buchanan puts the power side of his voice into this one and the band supplies all the backbone and backbeat he needs to wail. Drummer Mike Miley is absolutely beastly and he propels the pocket like a rocket.
“Bird In The Hand” begins with a heavied-up, Beatle-esque verse but opens up into a harder, more expansive chorus over a heavy shuffle. It’s a compelling combination of styles that works swimmingly well. “Bright Light” brings what sounds like a baritone guitar to play the main riff and again keeps listener interest high. The tone on the guitar solo is also way out left but fits right in. This bunch has a Jimmy Page-like magic with guitar arrangements and the way they wrap them around these tightly-written tunes is iconoclastic.
Listen to “Guillotine”
The dramatic “Guillotine” gets heavy with the square-wave sound again, drops into some acoustic territory, then comes back to the heaviness. Scott Holiday’s guitar work on this track is exceptional and shows his personal artistry to the world. Other album highlights include “Rapture” and “Darkside.”
Rival Sons are going for it all on Darkfighter and it’s incredible to witness. Their willingness to sound like no one but themselves and make gutsy choices instantly gets them to the front of the line. Darkfighter sounds like nothing else you’ll hear this year or any other. Listen and experience the truth for yourself.
Rival Sons website
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