The Darkness

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A band cannot live off shtick alone. Sooner or later the gimmick wears out, and the act is banished to the bargain bin. Enter the Darkness, England's lost boys of arena rock, who time-warped the sounds of Queen and Foreigner on 2003's Permission to Land. The album was real cheeky -- kind of karaoke-flavored, but a solid rock tribute nonetheless. Fast-forward to now, and things don't feel all that different. One Way Ticket to Hell...And Back takes you on an express ride around the block. Falsettos? Check. Guitar solos, sexy lyrics and British humor? Check, check and check. It worked the first time around, not so much this time. Why? Let's call it the Journey Theory: There's that one compilation of classic sing-along party anthems, but let's face it, between "Don't Stop Believin'" and "Wheel in the Sky," there's a heckuva lot of filler. The Darkness, unfortunately, falls into this pattern of good/bad songwriting and has become an expert at imitating itself.