Departed Deliver a Massive Beatdown on “Darkness Takes Its Throne”

If you like your hardcore delivered as a fusion of metalcore and crossover with a healthy dose of straight-ahead blast beats, look no further than New Jersey wrecking crew Departed. On debut EP Darkness Takes Its Throne, the metalcore outfit bulldoze everything in their path.

Beefy riffs are supported by a rhythm section that reinforce the sheer heaviness of Departed’s songs and a vocal performance that drips rage.

Vocalist Joe Stanley makes it very clear what he sings about when the microphone is in his hand: Darkness Take Its Throne captures the darkness that takes control of my mind daily,” he tells Decibel. 

It’s not a stretch to imagine that Departed are as ferocious live as they are on Darkness Takes Its Throne, but if you needed to confirm, their next live date is January 14 at Reverb in Reading, PA with slam/brutal death metal overlords Dying Fetus. To tide you over until then, listen to Darkness (out now on Fast Break! Records) below.