Darker Half Book Of Fate Review
Darker Half
Book Of Fate
Massacre Records
2025
When Australia’s Darker Half dropped their new album “Book of Fate” into my inbox, there was no way I wasn’t hitting play. Massacre Records has been on an absolute tear this year, and I’d be a fool to ignore anything they’re releasing. I’ll admit, I wasn’t familiar with Darker Half before this, but it didn’t take long to realize I’d been missing out.
Anyone who’s followed my writing journey knows I was born a Metalhead and grew into a full-blown Rock ’N’ Roll monster. In my 50 years on this planet, there’s very little that carries the “Metal” tag that hasn’t crossed my ears. These days, I’m always chasing that throwback spark, something that makes me feel like the old days again. And on that note, Darker Half delivers in spades.
Now, before anyone starts throwing around the term Power Metal, let me stop you. I’ve never really been a fan of the genre, and while Darker Half might flirt with that label, I’d be cautious about calling them that outright. They don’t dwell in the dragons and magic territory. This is Heavy Metal in its purest, most unpretentious form. They’re not your typical “Satanic Panic” kind of band, nobody’s gonna drop to their knees and start praising the dark lord here, but you’ll instantly recognize the melody, musicianship, and mastery in every track.
The band is absolutely killing it in the songwriting and arrangement department. Vocally, we’re soaring up in the stratosphere, tons of falsetto runs that’ll have you reaching sky high to belt along (and trust me, that never gets old). I can’t sing worth a damn, but when songs hits like these, I’m right there screaming at the top of my lungs. There’s a real Queen-like majesty in the vocal harmonies and arrangements that adds a whole extra layer of class to their sound.
Guitar-wise, “Book of Fate” is a full-on clinic - riffs, leads, and fills woven together with precision and flair. It’s the kind of record you can spin on repeat and still find new details every time.
I don’t want to say this album was made just for older Metalheads, but let’s be real, those of us who grew up on the golden era of Metal are going to connect with it instantly. Younger fans might crave chaos and sensory overload; I just want to be wowed by craft, arrangement, and skill. Darker Half nails that balance perfectly.
Simply put, “Book of Fate” is everything I love about Heavy Metal -melodic, technical, passionate, and timeless.
Standout Tracks – “Something Sinister”, “Night Fall”, “Book Of Fate”