10 Rock Bands Who Never Topped Their First Album
2. The Darkness - Permission To Land (2003)
Though The Darkness were touted as Queen wannabes when they first hit the UK rock scene, nothing could be farther from the truth. With a sound that took the more popularly digestible elements of Led Zeppelin and combined it with influences as far and wide as the rock and metal spectrum itself, The Darkness were pitching in a league of their own.
Their inaugural album, Permission To Land, includes a raft of stone cold hits like Growing On Me, Love Is Only A Feeling and, of course, I Believe In A Thing Called Love. Each features ripping guitar solos, shrieking vocals, tongue-in-cheek lyrics and the kind of delivery that leaves you feeling dirty and thoroughly used.
Their second album, One Way Ticket To Hell... And Back (2005) made good numbers, but the band saw a rapid decline and swift breakup thereafter, due in no small part to singer Justin Hawkins' excessive lifestyle. They reformed in 2011, riding into the album charts on Hot Cakes (2012), but few of the songs stuck around for long.
Repeated attempts to reinvent themselves have generally fallen on deaf ears -- including the recruiting of Rufus Tiger Taylor, Roger Taylor's son -- but The Darkness march valiantly onwards. While the fans still turn up, we can't help but feel the requests will always be for the old standards.