Virgin Radio 99.9 Toronto

When they released their I Believe In A Thing Called Love EP in August 2002, The Darkness were no different from hundreds of other English hopefuls, slogging through club after club gig, hoping to make it big. Less than a year later, their debut album, Permission To Land, would be topping the British charts, and given the quality of the three tracks premiered here (later re-recorded to form the backbone of said LP), this is hardly surprising. From the energetic, insta-single of a title track, to the big, dumb, fist-pumping metal anthem "Love on the Rocks With No Ice," to that most dreaded of classic rock devices, the power ballad "Love Is Only a Feeling," The Darkness' seemed to have all the bases covered -- at least to be successful in, oh, 1979. So how in blazes did they make it work in the new millenniumNULL Well, credit their ability to recycle those time-weary formulas with humor, panache, and utmost conviction. This, and of course excellent songwriting instincts, helped The Darkness bypass misunderstanding critics, reach right into fans' hearts and make believer out of them. ~ Ed Rivadavia, All Music Guide