Los Angeles modern rock/metalcore powerhouse The Dark return with their crushing new banger ‘[zippermouth]’, picking up right where they left off on their highly anticipated self-titled debut EP.
Driven by the songwriting of Alan Ashby (Of Mice & Men) and Craig Johns Jr.‘s massive vocals, the track blends searing riffs, pounding drums & an unforgettable chorus. It exposes the torment of being trapped in silence, burdened by secrets and forced to “pretend” while slowly breaking inside.
Los Angeles-based The Dark have officially dropped their highly anticipated self-titled debut EP via Arising Empire, cementing their place as one of the most exciting new acts in rock. The band, formed by Craig Johns Jr. and Alan Ashby (Of Mice & Men) deliver a haunting yet electrifying sound, drawing influence from Nine Inch Nails, White Zombie, Deftones, and Health.
The EP’s lead single, ‘Chemicals’, made waves upon release, premiering on BBC Radio 1’s Rock Show with Daniel P Carter and amassing over 400,000 Spotify streams in no time flat. To celebrate the EP’s release, The Dark will play their first-ever headline show on February 23, 2025, at The Echo in Los Angeles, a night that marks the beginning of a new era for the band.
The Dark have dropped ‘Circles’, a dynamic fusion of metal and disco that explores duality through tension, acceptance, and big questions. Packed with disco beats, heavy riffs, and acid bass, the track pushes boundaries both sonically and visually, featuring gritty, distorted aesthetics. ‘Circles’ is a bold statement from a band redefining the limits of their sound.
The band comment: “The whole song is about duality. It’s the heat of the moment, and it’s the big picture. It’s the sexual tension, and it’s acceptance. It’s asking the big questions and then ignoring them. It’s metal and it’s disco. Even when it came to be time to make the visuals, I said let’s film it on the nicest camera I have and then run it through a cheap old TV and ruin it… that’s perfect.
“‘Circles’ was probably my favorite track on the EP to produce. I got to check all my favorite boxes. The disco influence, the call and response verses, the riffs in the chorus, acid bass everywhere, the freaking innuendos… and then a massive inhale at the end… absolute blast.”
Los Angeles-based The Dark have announced the release of their self-titled debut EP, out 21st February via Arising Empire. The band have also unveiled their new single ‘Head Of The Snake’.
Fronted by Craig Johns Jr. with guitarist Alan Ashby (Of Mice & Men), alongside Derek Vautrinot on drums and Nick Goins on bass, The Dark are already making waves.
The debut EP promises to be a harrowing exploration of the darker facets of human nature, drawing inspiration from industrial and 90s rock icons like Nine Inch Nails and Deftones, blended with a modern edge.
The band have already made a huge impact with their debut single, ‘Chemicals‘, which racked up over 200,000 streams on Spotify within a month and earned international radio play. Their subsequent single, ‘Slip Away‘, climbed US active rock radio charts and further cemented their reputation as a rising force in the rock scene.
The band comment: “Our first song, ‘Chemicals’ was about coping in an unhealthy way. ‘Slip Away’ is the natural progression of that. It’s the next part of the story. It’s losing yourself in your habits until you become unrecognizable. It’s the pain when you come-to. It’s self awareness and it’s hurt. ‘Slip Away’ is struggle you face when you meet yourself where you’re at. It’s the pain when you look in the mirror honestly. It’s a rude awakening.
On the video they continue: “When I wrote the video for ‘Slip Away’, it was important to me I tell the story of the song, whereas ‘Chemicals’ was more a day-in-the-life sort of video. You have this person, bound to the injured version of themselves… connected as one and confined to a space they can’t escape. They separate and see their hurt before them. The bandages come off and it’s loud, it’s vulnerable… it’s unpredictable. Only through acceptance and embrace can they find peace, but even still, in a space they’ll never leave.”
The Dark are: Craig Johns Jr. | vocals Alan Ashby | guitar Nick Goins | bass Derek Vautrinot | drums
The band, fronted by Craig Johns Jr. with guitarist Alan Ashby (Of Mice & Men), alongside Derek Vautrinot on drums and Nick Goins on bass, are already making waves. Released by the independent label Arising Empire – home to metalcore upstarts thrown and previously to While She Sleeps – this debut signals a bold new entry into the heavy music scene.
‘Chemicals’ paints an apocalyptic vision of the end of the world through the eyes of two lovers. While the entire world is falling apart, two people choose to solely focus on each other and allow the world to collapse into ashes around them.
The band comment: “Influenced by 90’s bands like Nine Inch Nails, White Zombie, Fudge Tunnel and Filter, ‘Chemicals’ felt like a natural choice for our first single.”
Singer Craig Johns Jr. continues: “It’s something I’m less than proud of, but this story of two lovers focusing on each other while the world falls apart… This comes from a very real place I’ve found myself in in the past. There have been times where I’ve wrapped myself in things like lust and drugs, rather than facing the harsh reality of living in poverty in a major city like Los Angeles. Sometimes it’s easier to obsess over what’s in front of you, an easy escape, whether it’s a partner or a substance, and end up willfully blind to the bigger picture. This band is our love letter to the dark side of our human nature.”
The Dark are: Craig Johns Jr. | vocals Alan Ashby | guitar Nick Goins | bass Derek Vautrinot | drums
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