Easter Is Cancelled
| Easter Is Cancelled | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 4 October 2019 | |||
| Genres | Hard rock, glam metal | |||
| Length | 38:50 | |||
| Labels | Canary Dwarf, Cooking Vinyl | |||
| Producer | Dan Hawkins | |||
| The Darkness chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Easter Is Cancelled | ||||
| ||||
Easter Is Cancelled is the sixth studio album by the British hard rock band the Darkness. It was released on 4 October 2019 through Canary Dwarf and Cooking Vinyl.
Background
The album was first announced on 4 April 2019, via a video published on the band's official YouTube channel, featuring the band members reciting a poem. A few days later they also announced details of a UK headline tour to support the album. The first single from the album, "Rock and Roll Deserves to Die", was released on 6 August 2019, along with an accompanying music video.
Critical reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 69/100 |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    |
| The Arts Desk | |
| Classic Rock | |
| Kerrang! | |
| Mojo | |
| PopMatters | 7/10 |
| Q | |
| Sputnikmusic | 2.5/5 |
| Uncut | 5/10 |
| Under the Radar | 5.5/10 |
The album received generally favourable reviews.
Track listing
- "Rock and Roll Deserves to Die" – 5:23
- "How Can I Lose Your Love" – 3:02
- "Live 'Til I Die" – 3:32
- "Heart Explodes" – 3:47
- "Deck Chair" – 2:24
- "Easter Is Cancelled" – 4:18
- "Heavy Metal Lover" – 4:41
- "In Another Life" – 4:01
- "Choke on It" – 3:21
- "We Are the Guitar Men" – 4:21
Deluxe edition bonus tracks
- "Laylow" – 3:23
- "Different Eyes" – 2:51
- "Confirmation Bias" – 4:35
- "Sutton Hoo" – 3:27
Japanese Edition bonus track
- "Dancing House" – 1:05
Personnel
The Darkness
- Justin Hawkins – vocals, guitars, piano
- Dan Hawkins – guitars, backing vocals
- Frankie Poullain – bass, backing vocals
- Rufus Tiger Taylor – drums, backing vocals
Additional musicians
- Andy Shillito – double bass and backing vocals on "Laylow"
- Mel Vallance – backing vocals on "Laylow", French monologue on "Deck Chair"
- Ian "Softlad" Norfolk – handclaps on "Laylow"
Production
- Dan Hawkins – production, engineering, mixing
- Ian "Softlad" Norfolk – assistance
- Adam Ayan – mastering
Artwork
- Chiara Mazzoni – illustrations
- Simon Emmett – photography
Charts
| Chart (2019) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA) | 22 |
| French Albums (SNEP) | 186 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) | 60 |
| Irish Albums (IRMA) | 31 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI) | 90 |
| Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) | 48 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) | 79 |
| UK Albums (Official Charts) | 10 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums (Official Charts) | 1 |
References
- ↑ "The Darkness – 'Easter Is Cancelled' new album out October 2019". 4 April 2019 – via www.youtube.com.
- ↑ "The Darkness Release New Video For Rock And Roll Deserves To Die". Kerrang!. 6 August 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
- ↑ "Metacritic – Critic Reviews – The Darkness: Easter Is Cancelled". Metacritic. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
- ↑ Yeung, Neil Z. "The Darkness – Easter Is Cancelled". AllMusic.
- ↑ Oddy, Guy (28 September 2019). "CD: The Darkness – Easter is Cancelled". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
- ↑ Yates, Henry (October 2019). "The Darkness: Easter Is Cancelled". Classic Rock. p. 86.
- ↑ "The Darkness – Easter Is Cancelled". Kerrang!. 12 October 2019. p. 55.
- ↑ "The Darkness – Easter Is Cancelled". Mojo. November 2019. p. 89.
- ↑ Ezell, Brice (1 November 2019). "The Darkness' New Album Is a Rock Jukebox Musical". PopMatters. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
- ↑ It's the renewed sense of urgency and bubblegum appeal--see Live 'Til I Die--which ensures that Prof Hawkins's musical multiverse is still a thrilling place. [Dec 2019, p.109]
- ↑ K., Simon (5 October 2017). "The Darkness - Easter Is Cancelled". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
- ↑ Song structures are over-egged, resulting in blunted hooks and lost momentum. [Dec 2019, p.25]
- ↑ Hall, Michael James (1 October 2019). "The Darkness: Easter Is Cancelled". Under the Radar.
- ↑ "Australiancharts.com – The Darkness – Easter Is Cancelled". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
- ↑ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums Fusionnes – SNEP (Week 41, 2019)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
- ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Darkness – Easter Is Cancelled" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
- ↑ "Irish-charts.com – Discography The Darkness". Hung Medien.
- ↑ "Italiancharts.com – The Darkness – Easter Is Cancelled". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
- ↑ "Top 100 Albumes – Semana 41: del 4.10.2019 al 10.10.2019" (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
- ↑ "The Darkness – Easter Is Cancelled – hitparade.ch". Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
- ↑ "Official Albums Chart on 11/10/2019 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
- ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart on 11/10/2019 – Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
