DARKTOWN

What a fine display of talent this album is, yet what a troubled soul Mr. HACKETT seems to be. From the satanic intro to the funeral anthem that closes the album, one mood prevails: gloom & doom. Yet, it is one of STEVE's most accomplished works ever (including "To Watch the Storms") and my personal HACKETT favourite (the very few I grant 5 stars to).

Putting "Darktow" into your CD player holds the same morbid fascination as going to out see what you know is going to be a horrific yet beautiful movie ('Schindler's List' comes to mind, here). Such is the power of "Darktown": it is utterly dark yet so beautiful and moving you can't help but feel drawn to it. The opener "Omega Metallicus" is a totally zany bass number. "The Golden Age of Steel" recounts the chilling tale of a youngster stooling on his Jewish friends during WW2, the horror being emphasized by the innocent, almost happy-go-lucky drum and flute melody. The ballads "Jane Austen's Door" and "Days of Long Ago" are so touching they'll move you to tears. The soaring instrumental "Twice Around the Sun" showcases one of STEVE's best guitar solos since "Firth of Fifth". Finally, the magnificent anthem "In Memoriam" is a slow-cooking instrumental where STEVE intermittently talks before finally flying into one of his lacey solos that trail off into the night and leave you speechless.

With "Darktown", you discover a facet of HACKETT that was only hinted at on his previous albums. An album as 'dark as the grave' to which you are inevitably, insanely drawn.