Dark was a relatively short-lived psychedelic rock and prog rock band from Britain that was first formed around 1968 and seemingly split after the band released their only album, Dark Round the Edges (1972), which I’ll be listening to tonight. Originally, this album was only had 64 copies when the album was released, which were mostly handed out to friends and family. Original pressings have sold for upwards of PS25,000 in recent decades, but there have been many reissues since 1990 (there are 27 listed after 1972 on the Discogs page for the album). The Wikipedia page for the album includes an excerpt of a review of the album from AllMusic, which says the softer parts of the album are somewhat comparable to Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead, while the harder parts make use of “fuzzy hard rock guitar soloing”. I’m pretty stoked to give this album a listen, so with that said, I’m going to jump on into the music.
“Darkside” starts things out with a super dynamic drum beat that seems to continually build up in a sort of mellow prog rock manner, which is soon joined by some psychedelic guitar lines. Holy smokes, the drums mellow out and the instrumentation drops into a super sweet psychedelic groove. I’m really digging how big the bass sounds in the soundscape. I’m kind of reminded a bit of Jefferson Airplane and Cold Sun. Holy smokes, I really dig the tone of the electric guitar in this track, which almost reminds me a bit of Robby Krieger of The Doors. Holy smokes, the track changes up a bit in a bit of syncopated psychedelic groove. Holy smokes, the track changes up a ton as the electric guitar picks up a ton of fuzz and the track begins to resemble a sort of fuzzed-out Jimi Hendrix Experience psychedelic track. Holy smokes, these jams are super groovy and seem to keep on giving. Oh wow, the jams have changed up again into another fuzz-filled psychedelic movement. The overall flow of the track thus far has a super groovy prog rock feel, while the jams seem to seep into acid rock and hard, bluesy psychedelic rock as the music continues. Holy smokes, the vocals have come back in again, reminding me again of Cold Sun, especially in combination with the grooves from the drums and bass. Wow, great track, and I’m excited to hear more.
“Maypole” starts out with some a couple of clean electric guitars that seem to gradually drip in, and are soon joined by a really smooth bass line and then by a steady beat that seems to move the tune into the next gear as the pace picks up. Holy smokes, these vocals are super sweet, and remind me a ton of the psychedelic rock style of particularly bands from Boston in the mid-to-late 1960s. Holy smokes, the track relaxes a bit and the electric guitar picks up a wah effect that reminds me a lot of “1969” by The Stooges. Holy smokes, the track launches into another movement with a particular prog rock/psychedelic prog rock sound reminiscent of groups like Family or Ford Theatre. Oh wow, the vocals come back in with a really groovy sort of relaxed feel as the tune comes to an end. Great track.
Holy smokes, “Live for Today” starts out with some sort of melty electric guitar with a bit of a darker style that almost reminds me a bit of the sound of the early 1990s, particularly more psychedelic rock-oriented groups like The Darksiders, or even Nine Inch Nails in a roundabout manner. Oh wow, I really dig the layering of a vocal line in this track just as the band seems to move into a jam section. Holy smokes, the electric guitar picks up some fuzz while the bass keeps a bright groove going that evolves alongside the drums and changes up into a sort of super melty psychedelic rock section that I’m really digging. The tone of the fuzzed-out guitar reminds me a bit of Iron Butterfly, and I keep coming back to Cold Sun overall as a band that I’m reminded of again as I continue to listen. Oh wow, the track enters a new movement that almost has a bit of a funky feeling in the drums and bass, while the fuzzed-out guitar plays some super groovy, sort of bluesy, psychedelic hard rock licks. Oh wow, there’s another guitar on the other side of the soundscape playing some super groovy chords that almost echo the fuzzed-out guitar as they combine with the bass to seemingly melt the soundscape together. Holy smokes, a fuzzed-out guitar comes in with some super groovy face-melting, psych-inflected hard rock licks that I’m really digging. Wow, great track.
“R.C.8” starts out with some strange-sounding guitar lines that remind me a bit of The Doors circa 1968 backed and an almost hesitant tapping of drums. Oh wow, one of the guitars picks up some heavy fuzz and the track picks up some intensity as the band enters a different movement that seems to get increasingly dark. Holy smokes, one of the guitars has a really interesting, almost-swishy, churning quality that creates a strange echo with the fuzzed-out guitar that I’m really digging. Holy smokes, there’s the sound of a toilet flushing for a moment as the instrumentation pauses, and then the instrumentation picks back up with some super groovy flavors that seem somewhat more intense than before the sound effect. Oh wow, I really dig the chaotic outro. Great track.
Holy smokes, “The Cat” starts out with some face-melting, psych-inflected blues hard rock licks from a guitar that immediately make me think of Jeff Beck. Oh wow, the track seems to mellow out for the main groove as the tune takes on an upbeat psychedelic rock sound reminiscent of both Los Angeles and Boston psychedelic rock bands from the mid-to-late 1960s. Holy smokes, the face-melting hard psych British blues rock guitar comes back in for some licks for a moment and then exits again. Holy smokes, the track has a really groovy, mellow feel at the current moment that reminds me again of The Doors with the particular flavor of one of the guitars, as well as Cold Sun with the overall sound. Oh wow, that bluesy hard psych rock guitar and the vocals come into the soundscape again as the track seems to intensify for the outro. Wow, great track.
“Zero Time” starts out with some somewhat eerie, strange guitar that reminds me a bit of The Doors, and gradually the drums, bass, and a fuzz effect on the guitar all come into the soundscape, which leads the tune into a sort of occult rock-sounding territory reminiscent of Black Sabbath. Holy smokes, the track enters another movement that seems to be building up in intensity as the drums take on a sound reminiscent of a train rolling full-speed-ahead down some tracks. Oh wow, I’m really digging the accentuations from a nearly spacey guitar as the track enters another movement. Oh wow, the track seems to be a medley of hard rock, psychedelic rock, and prog rock sounds at the moment. Holy smokes, I’m really digging the fuzzed-out guitar licks in this track at the moment, which remind me a ton of the acid rock guitar work from groups like Iron Butterfly. Oh wow, the track gets back into the chorus-like groove from earlier in the song. Holy smokes, the track sweetens up a ton as the vocals, bass, and guitars all seem to create some sort of psychedelic, syncopated harmony to finish the song. Wow, great track, and a great way to finish the album.
Holy smokes, I can tell right away why this album has been reissued so many times. The music progresses very natural through different movements in a manner that reminds me of prog rock, while the flavors present throughout seemed to be a super groovy medley of psychedelic rock-related flavors. The fuzzed-out, psychedelic hard rock guitar evoked memories of groups such as the acid rock stylings of Iron Butterfly, as well as psychedelic blues-oriented groups like the Jimi Hendrix Experience and even Jeff Beck as the guitar lines incorporated some bluesy qualities. Much of the instrumentation had a sort of shadowy, strange nature that reminded me of psychedelic rock groups such as Cold Sun and even The Doors. If you’re into psychedelic rock from the late 1960s and early 1970s, then you might want to consider checking out this album. If you do decide to give this album a listen, then I sincerely do hope that you enjoy the listening experience at least as much as I did.
-A