Darkest Days
Encyclopedia
Darkest Days is the third album released on Columbia Records
by industrial rock
band Stabbing Westward
. The album was recorded in L.A.
in 1997 and released in April 1998. The album failed to achieve the same level of success as Wither Blister Burn & Peel
. The band was dropped from Columbia Records
following this release. The track "Save Yourself" reached number 4 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock chart (their highest-placing single on that chart) and number 20 on the U.S. Modern Rock chart and remains an alternative rock staple.
Darkest Days is a concept album
made up of 4 acts, each portraying a different emotional phase gone through after a break-up. The first act (Tracks 1-4) is about sabotaging the relationship. The second act (Tracks 5-9) is about lust, hope, and longing
. The third act (Tracks 10-12) is about hitting rock bottom after it's all over. The fourth act (13-16) is about recovery and self-respect.
All tracks are written by Stabbing Westward
.
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
by industrial rock
Industrial rock
Industrial rock is a musical genre that fuses industrial music and specific rock subgenres. Industrial rock spawned industrial metal, with which it is often confused...
band Stabbing Westward
Stabbing Westward
Stabbing Westward was an American industrial rock and alternative rock band. They formed in 1985 in Chicago, Illinois and began recording in the 1990s. The band announced a dissolution in 2002.- Early years :...
. The album was recorded in L.A.
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 1997 and released in April 1998. The album failed to achieve the same level of success as Wither Blister Burn & Peel
Wither Blister Burn & Peel
Wither Blister Burn & Peel is the second album released on Columbia Records by the American industrial rock band Stabbing Westward. The album was recorded in New York State in late 1995, and was released on January 4, 1996 in New York City and Los Angeles...
. The band was dropped from Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
following this release. The track "Save Yourself" reached number 4 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock chart (their highest-placing single on that chart) and number 20 on the U.S. Modern Rock chart and remains an alternative rock staple.
Darkest Days is a concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
made up of 4 acts, each portraying a different emotional phase gone through after a break-up. The first act (Tracks 1-4) is about sabotaging the relationship. The second act (Tracks 5-9) is about lust, hope, and longing
Longing
Longing may refer to:*"Longing", an emotion characterized by a strong feeling of desire.*Longing , an unreleased 1974 album by singer Dusty Springfield*"Longing" , a song by Japanese metal band X Japan...
. The third act (Tracks 10-12) is about hitting rock bottom after it's all over. The fourth act (13-16) is about recovery and self-respect.
Track listing
- "Darkest Days" – 3:51
- "Everything I Touch" – 3:22
- "How Can I Hold On" – 4:28
- "Drugstore" – 4:57
- "You Complete Me" – 4:05
- "Save Yourself" – 4:13
- "Haunting Me" – 3:35
- "Torn Apart" – 3:24
- "Sometimes It Hurts" – 3:39
- "Drowning" – 3:28
- "Desperate Now" – 5:24
- "Goodbye" – 1:56
- "When I'm Dead" – 3:04
- "The Thing I Hate" – 3:36
- "On Your Way Down" – 4:39
- "Waking Up Beside You" – 6:34
- "Hopeless" – 4:03 (Japan Bonus Track)
All tracks are written by Stabbing Westward
Stabbing Westward
Stabbing Westward was an American industrial rock and alternative rock band. They formed in 1985 in Chicago, Illinois and began recording in the 1990s. The band announced a dissolution in 2002.- Early years :...
.
Personnel
- Stabbing WestwardStabbing WestwardStabbing Westward was an American industrial rock and alternative rock band. They formed in 1985 in Chicago, Illinois and began recording in the 1990s. The band announced a dissolution in 2002.- Early years :...
- Marcus Eliopulos - GuitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
- Walter Flakus - KeyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
- Christopher Hall - Vocals, guitar
- Andrew Kubiszewski - DrumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, keyboards, additional vocals, guitar - Jim Sellers - Bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Marcus Eliopulos - Guitar
- Dave JerdenDave JerdenDave Jerden is an American record producer, engineer and mixer who mostly works with artists in the alternative rock, punk rock and metal genres....
- Producer - Ulrich WildUlrich WildUlrich Wild is an American record producer, engineer and mixer specializing in the rock and metal genres. Born and raised in Switzerland, Ulrich is now a naturalized citizen living in Los Angeles...
- Producer, engineer - Bryan Carlstrom - Engineer
- Annette Cisneros - Assistant engineer
- Steve Mixdorf - Assistant engineer
- Steve Durkee - Assistant engineer
- Milton Chan - Assistant engineer
- Tom Baker - Mastering
- Dave McKeanDave McKeanDavid McKean is an English illustrator, photographer, comic book artist, graphic designer, filmmaker and musician....
- Cover design and illustrations - Dean KarrDean KarrDean Karr is an American photographer and music video, commercial, and film director.-Official biography:Director/Photographer Dean Karr's signature style, often copied but never...
- Band photography