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<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nThose crazy Danes D-A-D celebrated 40 years in the business with a greatest hits album earlier this year, and not ones to rest on their laurels, they return with their 13th<\/sup> studio album, and it’s a double album entitled \u2018Speed Of Darkness\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the glory days of \u2018No Fuel Left For The Pilgrims\u2019 and \u2018Riskin It All\u2019 are long gone, the band are still big hitters in their home country and are a phenomenal live band (which I can confirm, after witnessing them blow all the competition away at Hair Metal Heaven at Hull City Hall back in 2017. They have released consistently strong albums with pretty much the original line up (drummer Laust Sonne joined the band 25 years ago), and with 40 songs amassed prior to recording this album, D-A-D show no signs of slowing down just yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Opener \u2018God Prays To Man\u2019 has an AC\/DC riff-heavy groove, vocalist Jesper Binzer\u2019s unmistakable growl to the fore and a great production that separates the instruments to perfection. It’s a slow burner of an opener, but we appear to be back in business. Up next, lead single \u20181st,2nd<\/sup> & 3rd<\/sup>‘ raises the bar and the energy levels and leads to an early highlight in \u2018The Ghost\u2019. This is classic D-A-D to my ears. More laid back, with haunting effect-drenched guitars courtesy of Jacob Binzer. The immediate melody takes us back in time to \u2018No Fuel\u2019 era D-A-D. It builds nicely to a rousing, passionate chorus that hits in the feels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I must say the crystal-clear production job from Nick Foss shines in the likes of the slower, melancholy songs. The likes of \u2018Head Over Heels\u2019 and the stunning album closer \u2018I\u2019m Still Here\u2019 sound massive and overall there is a stadium rock feel to this album, like The Cult somewhere between \u2018Electric\u2019 and \u2018Sonic Temple\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There’s great dynamics and loud\/quiet moments to the title track. A powerful riff reminiscent of King\u2019s X at their finest, and a cool hook that buries deep in the brain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Elsewhere on this 14-track affair, the radio friendly \u2018Live By Fire\u2019 shines brightly, a pumping fist in the air rocker with killer guitars and an anthemic chorus that instantly hits the spot. \u2018Crazy Wings\u2019 is both upbeat and balladic, here that trademark Tarantino-esque guitar tone from \u2018Sleeping My Day Away\u2019 rears its beautiful head for the solo, and the angelic backing vocals and acoustic guitars help elevate the song to another plane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The more I listen, the more momenst jump out. \u2018Keep That MF Down\u2019 is a solid classic rocker, that sounds a bit generic at first but grows with repeated listens. \u2018Everything Gone\u2019 sounds like Velvet Revolver, which ain\u2019t a bad thing, and \u2018Automatic Survival\u2019 is a stand out with solid riffage and a cool swaggering vocal that is slowly becoming a favourite album track for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For a rock band celebrating 40 years in the business, D-A-D sound remarkably fresh and invigorated, putting bands half their age to shame. If you thought they were done back in the early 90\u2019s like the majority of their contemporaries, then you were wrong. D-A-D are a musical tour-de-force and \u2018Speed Of Darkness\u2019 is a trip from beginning to end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n