Darkest Hour @ White Oak Music Hall Houston, TX 3/17/17
On the heels of the March 10th release of their 9th studio album, Godless Prophets & the Migrant Flora, Washington DC heavy metal band Darkest Hour stopped off in Houston to blow the faces off of some very excited fans. I arrived at White Oak Music Hall just in time to see openers Tombs and Ringworm get the crowd primed and ready for a few hours of arm flailing and head banging. A mixture of young and old fans crowded the front of the stage, close enough to reach out and pull the hair on any one of the guitarists and bassists that were playing.
Eager fans jumped up and down, took selfies and posed in groups with the Darkest Hour back drop showing behind them. There were quite a few green flashing necklaces, leprechaun hats and clover shirts to be seen in the crowd to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, but the majority were wearing their Darkest Hour Shirts..except one guy who was sporting a Linkin Park shirt. I’m still scratching my head over that one. Right before Darkest Hour went on, Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody played through the speakers and the whole room immediately turned into a scene from Wayne’s World.
With a full set and a two song encore, Darkest Hour detonated their new album and it exploded into the room where just a minute before Freddie Mercury’s voice, and many others, had echoed. Driving guitars, chest thumping beats and enough anger to stir up the crowd and cause neck injuries, Darkest Hour pounded out song after song with intensity and force that started with the first note and lasted until the very end.
Darkest Hours will finish out their US tour on March 21st at Northside Yacht Club in Cincinnati, Ohio and will start up the UK/Europe leg of the Godless Prophets & Migrant Flora tour in April.
SETLIST
Knife in the Safe Room
For the Soul of the Savior
Doomsayer (The Beginning of the End)
No God
Timeless Numbers
Savor the Kill
Violent by Nature
Widowed
Rouge
Marching to the Killing Rhythm
Rapture in Exile
