The Summary Judgment Reviews:
Title: Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation
Artist: Darkest Hour
Label:Victory Records
Release Date: 5/20/03

Rating: 4 Skulls
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    • Reviewed by Jotun (4/30/03):
    I nearly creamed my pants when I read that the new Darkest Hour album was recorded in Studio Fredman under the supervision of Fredrick Nordstrom. Even better, the band invited some extremely talented musicians into the studio with them to make small contributions to the new album. Finally, a label that understands the fact that a band like this needs a metal producer to really bring out their best (let's hope Victory will spring the Euros for Dead to Fall's next album too.)

    Darkest Hour's Victory debut So Sedated, So Secure hinted at metal greatness - at times embracing the Swedish melodic style while keeping with their punk and hardcore foundation in the U.S. But I felt after listening to that album that the band needed to make a decision to go in only one direction. I thought they could do what God Forbid did with Determination - re-invent a tried and true style by incorporating a young, modern edge.

    Fans of Darkest Hour will agree that it only takes a few seconds and a handful of riffs to convince any listener that Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation is their best material to date. They did exactly what I hoped they would, pulling all punches, and going for a balls-out metal meltdown. The new album is faster, tighter, better written, and heavier than anything they have released before. Melody is allowed to rear its head throughout Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation, but the sugary sweetness is not allowed to take away from the ugliness of this brutal compilation of death hymns.

    Now, there are one or two areas that I am a little less happy with. Liner notes explain that my favorite metal vocalist Tomas Lindberg lends his voice on the opening track and The Haunted's Anders Bjorler sings on the fifth track. While Tomas' voice sticks out a bit, Anders' voice does not. Either way, the guest vocals are kind of wasted because they are mixed at the same level as all the other surrounding noise and John Henry's primary vocals. Secondly, guitarists Peter Wichers and Marcus Sunesson lend their strings for the final track, but the problem is that the last track is a near-thirteen-minute-long instrumental. There isn't enough variation and creative force behind the instrumental, making it rather bittersweet, and it is a hard pill to swallow because that leaves only eight tracks on the album altogether. Furthermore, any intriguing parts to the solos can be attributed to two guitarists who have already proven their mettle, which leaves me to wonder what the point was for this track in the first place.

    Though that last part took up a lot of copy, I have to say it is really the only reason this album doesn't get five skulls - a poor decision makes the album end on a questionable note. My favorite tracks are "The Sadist Nation," "Seven Day Lie," and "The Patriot Virus," but there aren't really any poor ones. Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation is a great album, sure to be on some 2003 Top Ten lists and it marks a positive step in the careers for these musicians.
    4 out of 5

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