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DARKHAUS
My Only Shelter

Oblivion / Steamhammer (2013)
Rating: 7/10

Any rabid fan of a particular band will probably go and check out any other project the members may be involved in. Sometimes you’re blindsided by a musical about face that leaves said fan bewildered and feeling a bit cheated. Sometimes you encounter something so dissimilar from the members’ previous work as to leave you wondering if you bought the right CD, but loving it for its own merits. The latter is the case with Darkhaus.

Upon hearing this is a side project from Pro-Pain’s Gary Meskil and Marshall Stephens I was expecting some hardcore pummeling. What I got was a heavy, goth-influenced synth metal album in the vein of William Control (itself being the side project of Aiden’s William Francis), and being entranced by this new sound.

My Only Shelter is the debut from the international supergroup. Besides Meskil (bass) and Stephens (guitar) the band is completed by German guitarist Rupert Keplinger, German drummer Paul Keller and Scottish vocalist Kenny Hanlon. The result falls somewhere between Queensrÿche, Stabbing Westward and Depeche Mode.

The opening track ‘Life Worth Living’ opens with a keyboard riff that comes somewhere between early Nine Inch Nails and the first few seconds of Rob Zombie’s ‘Living Dead Girl’. It soon erupts into a metal chorus with an edgy pop melody that fans of HIM will embrace. While the proceeding verse is more guitar driven, synth sounds are never far from these songs, and a template has been set for the diverse experience that will haunt the remainder of the tracks on this release.

Where some bands overwhelm the listener with genre jumping to the point of exhaustion, Darkhaus pulls from varied influences while still making a very cohesive album. ‘Grace Divine’ opens with a Depeche Mode feel, only to change into a riff that sounds like KMFDM in a happy moment. Hanlon creates vocal harmonies that bring to mind Queensrÿche’s Geoff Tate at his best on the chorus. ‘Ghost’ is a power pop gem from the heyday of 80s new wave-influenced balladry with a decidedly metal twist. ‘Looks Like Rain’ opens with a keyboard pop sound that could make Depeche Mode or Duran Duran jealous, before moving into a driving rock chorus. Darkhaus has placed no limits on where their songs go, and somehow it all comes together into a smooth listening experience.

Where Darkhaus shines is in using familiar approaches to create something unique. These songs are firmly rooted in pop and rock in ways that we’ve heard before, however they’re rarely put together in these combinations. The opening verse to ‘Apostle’ walks a line between folk and the kind of easily embraced prog rock bands like Queensrÿche do so well. Both sounds are recognizable, but used in a fresh way. ‘Our Time’ mixes tense goth sounds with a rock anthem chorus. The result is a set of songs that deliver energy and keep the listener involved to enjoy the next change.

Darkhaus has created an impressive debut. It’s hard not to walk away from My Only Shelter without humming at least a few of the well-crafted melodies that flow through the songs. From driving metal to pulsing goth, these veterans of the music industry throw caution to the wind to create an ambitious album. While My Only Shelter was not the album I expected it to be, the end result is better than what I had hoped for.

Jim McDonald

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