Many of us discovered D-A-D when they broke into the states in 1989 with “No Fuel Left For The Pilgrims”. I remember that they were different than the onslaught of new bands that came out in the late 80’s. The Danish band started out quite different playing a version of Cow Punk that eventually morphed into a very unique sound that is nearly impossible to categorize other than “Hard Rock”.
They survived the 90’s and have consistently been putting out solid album after album and maintaining a strong fan-base around the world. Their consistent lineup has help too with brothers Jesper and Jacob Binzer and bassist Stig Pederson sticking together since 1984. In fact the ONLY member change they had was when Laust Sonne took over for Peter Lundholm Jensen on the drums in 1999.
Now they celebrate 40 years of existence with their 13th album “Speed Of Darkness” that shows no sign of slowing down. Apparently the wrote 40 songs since their last album in 2019, which is impressive on it’s own. They’ve narrowed it down to 14 cuts for this one. The album is very diverse and universal, it could be a great place to START listening to the band if you’re just getting into them. For lifelong fans, you’re going to find plenty to latch onto.
The album starts off with the gritty “God Prays To Man” that harkens AC/DC and heavy 70’s rock. Jesper Binzer’s gritty vocals still sound amazing too, it’s an impressive physical feat to still have the chops after all these years. Of course, gone are some of the more hard “Punk” influenced stuff, but the band has replaced that with more melodic tracks like “Live By Fire” that are loaded with heart and emotion.
For many years D-A-D have perfected a softer side to their music. As time has gone on they have obviously matured as a band and as people, it’s the natural progression for a band to go in and it works for them. There’s a reason these guys are still putting out music when other bands from that era are long gone, they were able to adjust with the time, for better or worse. Of course I’d still like to hear songs like “Jihad”, “Rim Of Hell” or even “Ill Will”, but you have to be realistic, people and times change.
The overall sound of “Speed Of Darkness” is very solid, it’s thick and heavy, but there’s a great separation of the instruments, while still maintaining a cohesive sound. The song “Strange Terrain” ventures into the Stoner Rock genre and they seem to be using more distortion on the guitars this time around in general.
It’s crazy to think the band is now 40 years old and that I still can’t tell you another band they sound like. Having said that, you feel at home with D-A-D and they have a familiar feel that brings you comfort.
At the end of the day, this is a VERY strong D-A-D album that rivals anything since “Riskin’ It All” and “No Fuel Left For The Pilgrims”. Very few bands that have been around 40 years still have this kind of energy and creativity, hopefully you can find the time to celebrate them with “Speed Of Darkness”.
Jesper Binzer – lead vocals, electric guitar
Jacob Binzer – electric guitar
Stig Pedersen – bass guitar, backing vocals
Laust Sonne – drums, backing vocals
For More Info Visit:
https://d-a-d.com/
https://www.facebook.com/d.landafterdark
https://dad.bfan.link/the-ghost-1st-2nd-3rd
D-A-D Live:
28.09.2024 PT Estoril, Casino Estoril
22.10.2024 NO Trondheim, Tapperiet
24.10.2024 NO Oslo, Sentrum Scene
25.10.2024 SE Stockholm, Fållan
26.10.2024 SE Göteborg, Gothenburg Film Studios
01.11.2024 DK Copenhagen, Royal Arena
08.11.2024 SE Malmö, Slagthuset
09.11.2024 SE Malmö, Slagthuset
25.11.2024 IT Milano, Legend Club
27.11.2024 CH Pratteln, Z7
28.11.2024 DE München, Backstage (Werk)
29.11.2024 DE Aschaffenburg, Colos-Saal
01.12.2024 DE Heidelberg, Halle02
03.12.2024 DE Oberhausen, Turbinenhalle 2
04.12.2024 DE Nürnberg, Hirsch
05.12.2024 DE Berlin, Columbia Theater
06.12.2024 DE Hannover, Musikzentrum
07.12.2024 DE Hamburg, Docks
23.01.2025 DK Aarhus Congress Center – Aarhus
24.01.2025 DK Aalborg Kongres & Kultur Center – Aalborg
25.01.2025 DK Jyske Bank Arena – Odense
31.01. + 01.02.2025 DK Forum Black Box – København
