The Darkness Under Depths by Darkness Under Depths – A Gritty Dive Into Alt-Rock Chaos
Let’s cut to the chase: The Darkness Under Depths isn’t your polished, radio-friendly rock album. Nope. It’s raw, unfiltered, and self-released in 2003 under their own label (or lack thereof). This is alternative rock with its sleeves rolled up, ready to get dirty. And honestly? That’s what makes it stick.
First off, let’s talk about the lineup. You’ve got Nagendra Jayanty on vocals, who sounds like he’s been gargling gravel and heartbreak for years—perfect for this kind of vibe. Then there’s Noah Howard shredding guitars like a man possessed, Eric Kuhn pounding drums while also wearing the producer hat, and John Booker doing double duty on bass AND “noises” (whatever that means—it probably involves pedals and questionable life choices). Altogether, they create a sound that feels both chaotic and oddly cohesive.
Now onto the tracks. There are five songs here, but two really stood out to me because, well, my brain can only handle so much chaos at once.
Track one, "For Eyes That Break," kicks things off with a punch-in-the-face intro. The guitar riff hits you like an overcaffeinated squirrel running laps around your head. By the time Nagendra starts singing—or maybe yelling?—you’re already hooked. It’s angsty, sure, but not in that teenage-diary way. More like someone flipping through old memories and realizing how messy everything turned out. Oh, and those drum fills from Eric? Absolute fire. They’re the cherry on top of this sonic sundae.
Then there’s "Cinema Of Memories." Man, this track has staying power. If "For Eyes That Break" is the adrenaline rush, this one’s the comedown where you sit in silence wondering if you made all the wrong decisions. The pacing is slower, moodier, letting the basslines from John Booker do most of the talking. And when the chorus kicks in? Chills. Like, goosebump-level chills. It’s haunting without being pretentious, emotional without trying too hard. Honestly, I think this song might follow me into my next life.
The rest of the album (Exhale To Breathe, Converse & Converge, The Hypocrisy Of Truth) keeps the energy alive, though none hit quite as hard as these two bangers. Still, credit where it’s due—they don’t phone it in. Each track brings something unique to the table, even if it occasionally feels like they’re jamming in a garage somewhere deep in the Midwest.
So yeah, The Darkness Under Depths isn’t perfect. But perfection is boring anyway. What it lacks in polish, it makes up for in grit, passion, and sheer audacity. Listening to it feels like eavesdropping on a band figuring themselves out in real-time—and honestly, that’s kinda beautiful.
Final thought? If you’re looking for background music to sip lattes to, skip this. But if you want something raw, real, and slightly unhinged, give it a spin. Just don’t blame me if you end up screaming along to “Cinema Of Memories” in your car at midnight. Your neighbors might call the cops, but hey—at least you’ll have great taste in music.
