It’s undeniably been a turbulent few years for Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes. From the highs of headlining the Download pilot to the lows of cancelled shows and disappointed fans, the band has certainly been through a rollercoaster of emotions of late. It’s almost not surprising then, that the 5th album 'Dark Rainbow' is 11 self-reflective and hard-hitting tracks that not only perfectly capitulate these last few years, but the entire 9 years of the band. Always wanting to push the boundaries of their sound, 'Dark Rainbow' is just as sonically captivating, vast and authentic as it is lyrically open, vulnerable and introspective.
If 2021s Sticky was a release valve for the band, opening track Honey operates similarly. The door to the album is booted down with Frank's clever lyrics spiralling over quick paced bass and snappy guitar chords, only for the chorus to hit like a heavyweight boxer. The opening track goes gloves off, with its high energy and addictive chorus bound to fill any room its played in.
Man of the Hour slows the tempo down, with the thick layer of bass and drums acting like a canvas for the paining on top. This is Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes at their most mature, and Carter at his most self-reflective. On the second track and first single to 'Dark Rainbow', Carter dives headfirst into the expectations and pressures that come with being a rockstar, and trying to stay true to himself with so much expectation around who he is or should be. Much like Honey, Man of The Hour’s chorus hook is completely addictive, something that’s commonplace in all 11 songs.
3rd track Can I Take You Home is complete indie sleaze, but in a unique Rattlesnakes way. Always comfortable talking about the lonely side of love, Can I Take You Home proves that even 5 albums in, this band will never settle on their laurels. With keys on tracks like this, the outfit are still pushing the limits and boundaries of what people expect them to sound like as a band, with incredible results.
Although very much a writing duo of Frank together with guitarist Dean Richardson, American Spirit is a solid reminder of why drummer Gareth Grover is so important to the duo, allowing their ideas to thrive with such a solid backing. This song is sexy, but in a Frank Carter way, with lyrics about love and romance.
“just catching eyes, dancing on the table like you’re ready to die”
The verses on American Spirit are slow and stomping, in turn giving extra amplification and power to Franks huge chorus vocals, a common occurrence on the album.
Happier Days is quick and makes you want to dance. 'Dark Rainbow' consistently catches the listener unexpected, leading to moments of raw power that hit like a freight train. The end section of this track cuts to just Frank singing over acoustic guitar and violins, only for a second later the rest of the instruments to enter back for a bridge that sounds like the sky falling. Happier Days gives a brilliant representation of the rest of the album: completely unpredictable and always interesting.
Although about romantic love, Frank Carter is no stranger to writing lyrics that fit perfectly with the time. In the age of social media, the 24-hour news cycle and the pressures of just existing, when Carter cries out “I need love” on emotional second single Brambles, he speaks for all of us. Like many tracks on the album, Brambles feels like a sort of necessary coping mechanism for the frontman.
The inclusion of slower Queen of Hearts right in the middle of the album is just as haunting as it is smart. The painful lows and tortured lyrics on songs like this are just as important and impactful to 'Dark Rainbow' as the faster paced, distorted, or sleazy moments. Love can be a gamble to Carter, and the gambling packed references are excellent, before the roomy, loose drums dance in to sail the track home.
As a self-proclaimed metalhead, the tear-jerking ballad Sun Bright Golden Happening probably shouldn’t be my favourite song on the entire album, but such is the beauty of Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes. With imagery of flowers and the sun, this is another track where juxtaposition works wonders, with the main instrument being a lone piano. Its incredibly fitting that this song was debuted at a run of intimate shows the band recently played, as one date involved playing in a church, and that’s where this song feels like it belongs. Carter is lyrically sacrificing himself here, an extremely respectable but difficult task.
Superstar has an instrumental best described by the opening lyrics: “Stumbling drunk”. The slow, heavy drums and bass make a return at this point, with Superstar having one of Carter's greatest vocal deliveries on any project to date. The raw emotion on the vocals here is colossal, with it near impossible to not hang onto the last thread of every one of the singer’s words. Like American Spirit, the slower trudging verses allow the chorus to pop harder, and on Superstar, there can be absolutely no doubting the prowess of Frank Carters ability to write a massive chorus.
Penultimate track Self Love contains 'Dark Rainbow's most important and encapsulating lyric: “
If I ever fall in love again, let me love myself”
With Carter once again finding time for a rare moment of crucial self-love and self-acceptance. 'Dark Rainbow' is introspective and incredibly self-aware, and tracks like Self Love are a perfect example of that. The solo late in this track further proves the band’s ability to push their own boundaries 5 albums in, with it sounding like nothing they’ve ever done before. An incredibly interesting moment in a completely captivating album.
A 'Dark Rainbow' is a fitting end to the project, with an ending that somehow sounds as loud and in your face as it does haunting and sombre. In authentic style, the album ends with Dean repeating Carter's vocals: a fitting end for any Rattlesnakes record. The final lyric and name of the album “A Dark Rainbow” sum up the project beautifully, with its vast array of colourful but simultaneously dark and haunting sounds.
With its vast range of dark instrumentation, crushing sound, and lyrical authenticity, Dark Rainbow is Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes most ambitious project yet. Ambition doesn’t always guarantee results, but Dark Rainbow is Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes in the highest form- at their world beating best.
"DARK RAINBOW"
TO BE RELEASED ON 26 JANUARY 2024
