4. The Darkness - Permission To Land (2003)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSGa1dW_KoE A consistent and well-founded criticism of the Mercury Music Prize is the lack of metal albums that make the shortlist. In fact, in its 22 year history, not a single metal artist has even been shortlisted. Some, like Kerrang! editor James McMahon, believe that the reason is down to metal albums simply not being put forward for consideration by their labels. Last year he told Clash "I think that the rock community has just decided that the Mercury is a load of tosh, and so aren't bothering to put any entries in. I can think of loads of albums that should be considered, but they won't because a) rock is such an insular, us versus them scene and b) because the labels and bands know they wouldn't stand a chance if they were nominated." But others, like Guardian writer Alexis Petridis, believe it's because "the British mainstream media is institutionally biased against heavy metal." Whatever the reason, it's clear that on some level, the organisers have an issue with the genre. Though not as pronounced, this perceived bias extends to rock as well. When was the last time a rock album was in serious contention for the Mercury Prize? It's why there is such a sense of a missed opportunity when rockier albums get on the shortlist, but miss out on the main prize, as happened to The Darkness in 2003. Their debut, Permission To Land, is brimming with hooks, riffs and, something often missing from the Mercuries, fun. Their winning would clearly have been divisive, but it could potentially have opened up future shortlists to metal artists, and no one can seriously argue that would have been a bad thing.