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Darkest Days

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Darkest Days
Studio album by
ReleasedApril 7, 1998
Recorded1997
StudioEldorado Studios and NRG Recording Studios, North Hollywood, California
Genre
Length64:23
LabelColumbia
ProducerStabbing Westward, Dave Jerden, Ulrich Wild
Stabbing Westward chronology
Wither Blister Burn & Peel
(1996)
Darkest Days
(1998)
Stabbing Westward
(2001)
Singles from Darkest Days
  1. "Save Yourself"
    Released: May 1998
  2. "Sometimes It Hurts"
    Released: 1998
  3. "Haunting Me"
    Released: 1999
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Pitchfork6.5/10[2]
Rolling Stone[3]
Sputnikmusic4/5[4]

Darkest Days is the third album released by industrial rock band Stabbing Westward on Columbia Records. The album was recorded in L.A. in 1997 and released on April 7, 1998. Although the album didn't achieve the same level of success as Wither Blister Burn & Peel, it received positive reviews and is often considered the band's best album.[5] The band was dropped from Columbia Records in 2000 following this release. The track "Save Yourself" reached number 4 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock chart (the band's highest-placing single on that chart) and number 20 on the U.S. Modern Rock chart and remains a staple of alternative music. Darkest Days was certified gold on March 1, 2000.[6]

Darkest Days is a concept album consisting of four acts, with each portraying a different emotional phase gone through after a break-up. The first act (tracks 1–4) is about sabotaging the relationship. The second act (tracks 5–9) is about lust, hope, and longing. The third act (tracks 10–12) is about hitting rock bottom after it is all over. The fourth act (tracks 13–16) is about recovery and self-respect.

Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Stabbing Westward

No.TitleLength
1."Darkest Days"3:51
2."Everything I Touch"3:23
3."How Can I Hold On"4:29
4."Drugstore"4:59
5."You Complete Me"4:06
6."Save Yourself"4:13
7."Haunting Me"3:37
8."Torn Apart"3:24
9."Sometimes It Hurts"3:39
10."Drowning"3:28
11."Desperate Now"5:25
12."Goodbye"1:56
13."When I'm Dead"3:04
14."The Thing I Hate"3:37
15."On Your Way Down"4:40
16."Waking Up Beside You"6:34
Total length:64:23
Japanese edition bonus track
No.TitleLength
17."Hopeless"4:02
Total length:68:25

Appearances

[edit]

Personnel

[edit]
  • Stabbing Westward
  • Dave Jerden – producer
  • Ulrich Wild – producer, engineer
  • Bryan Carlstrom – engineer
  • Annette Cisneros – assistant engineer
  • Steve Mixdorf – assistant engineer
  • Steve Durkee – assistant engineer
  • Milton Chan – assistant engineer
  • Tom Baker – mastering
  • Dave McKean – cover design and illustrations
  • Dean Karr – band photography

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for Darkest Days
Chart (1998) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[7] 79
US Billboard 200[8] 52

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Darkest Days – Stabbing Westward". AllMusic.
  2. ^ "Stabbing Westward: Darkest Days: Pitchfork Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on October 16, 2000. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  3. ^ "Stabbing Westward: Darkest Days : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. December 2, 2007. Archived from the original on December 2, 2007. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  4. ^ "Stabbing Westward – Darkest Days (staff review)". Sputnikmusic.com.
  5. ^ "Review: Stabbing Westward – Darkest Days". Sputnikmusic.com. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  6. ^ "Gold & Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
  7. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 265.
  8. ^ "Billboard 200: Week of April 25, 1998". Billboard. Retrieved October 18, 2022.