We all have certain pockets of metal that are worthy of deep dive exploration – especially when you want to look at specific artists that may have had the talent and songwriting to go places, but for whatever reason faded into oblivion. London based heavy metal band Dark Heart would be one of those cult acts – originally hitting the scene in the 1980s to release their debut album Shadows of the Night on Roadrunner Records back in 1984. By 1987 they would disband – founding member Alan Clark transitioning to Change of Heart, a more AOR/melodic rock act that released four albums to acclaim. Returning to Dark Heart by 2017, a self-titled album hit the streets in 2021 on Sleaszy Rider Records to let the scene know they are back. Which puts us to the latest release Out of the Shadows – another killer reminder of the quartet’s ability to mix classic traditional metal with bluesy/epic tendencies that should go down a storm for those into Rainbow, Saxon, Dio-era Black Sabbath or even the man’s vast solo catalog.
Proper understanding plus execution places these musicians in the pinnacle spotlight – all the grandiose, sterling musical hooks beyond the tremendous, versatile multi-octave vocal delivery and superior memorable choruses engage the listener to sweep you away by the power of early tracks like “Darkest Eyes” (think Power and the Glory-period Saxon here) or the mid-tempo, marching follow-up “Cast to Stone” (Tony Martin-period Black Sabbath fans rejoice). At other times more of the blues-based driving power riffs that circulated from early Ozzy solo period percolate out of the sophisticated, tasteful fingers of guitarist Nick Catterick – check out his main rhythm work to thoughtful lead break placement with harmony extension during “Degrees of Separation”. Dynamics play into the running order to keep ear fatigue at bay – as an uplifting, energy-driven affair like “Break the Chains” appears midway through the record before a more mid-tempo, commercial-oriented “Time to Fly” gives listeners more of the band’s catchy penchant level framework, where Alan can truly shine in his supreme higher melodies (think Mike Reno meets Ronnie James Dio or Tony Martin during their younger years).
What’s also interesting is the overall sound / production contains enough bite and modern nuances to attract the younger audience, while the strong musicianship, tight as nails songwriting components, as well as small attention to the minor details harken back to the early 70s/80s era of bands who had to put in the blood, sweat, tears, and hours to garner respect or admiration for their art. Dark Heart may not be as well known as their traditional heavy metal / bluesy hard rock style contemporaries, but to these ears Out of the Shadows contains all the requisite elements to be a worthwhile treasure in any collection.