Canterbury - Dark Days (2014)

Canterbury are kicking off the New Year with one hell of a bang, in the form of their eagerly anticipated third full-length Dark Days. British Rock was definitely something to be proud of in 2013 and we can already tell that 2014 is going to be oh, so much better – we didn’t even think that was possible!
The tranquil opening seconds of opener Expensive Imitation soon progress into a head banging, foot tapping riff and we can just feel it in our bones: this record is going to be a damn good one. British Rock oozes throughout the punchy rhythms and we get shivers when the record has only just begun. A perfect track to lay the foundations of Dark Days.
The soothing vocals of Luke Prebble blend perfectly with the soft guitars in All My Life, which boasts the award for most anthemic chorus on the record; we can see this in a stadium someday. Single Satellite is big, bold and bouncy with an infectious bridge and chorus that begs for us to sing-a-long to, not to mention the power driven group chant; we can’t not get involved (even if it is in front of our bedroom mirror).
Initially acoustic-led, By The Trail is beautifully tranquil and emotion-fuelled, belting into full swing rock that only heightens the emotion throughout the track; ending with perfectly soothing harmonies that make our hearts melt. Run From A Gun is another to focus on the calmer side of rock, still displaying those anthemic qualities that Canterbury are nailing in this record; these boys are ticking all of the right boxes.
The fluorescent melodies of Out From The Cold blend with bouncy percussion to deliver yet another head banger, the choruses oozing with an energy that we can’t resist. Leading into closing track Going Nowhere, Canterbury give us one final reason to love this record, drawing to a close with a huge chorus filled with passion and emotion.
Well, well, well. What can we say Canterbury. Dark Days is one of the first albums to grace our ears in 2014 and it’s already a huge contender. We know we’ve found a keeper when we can listen to a record and love every single track; this is most definitely the case where Dark Days is concerned. Expertly written both lyrically and musically, Dark Days is a bold, anthemic record that will blow your mind.
9/10