The Darkness – “Walking Through Fire”

“Next long-player/ Ooh, it’s coming out soon/ I’ll be honest/ I’m under the moon/ We’re only doing this ’cause it’s fun/ Don’t even think my mom bought the last one.” That’s a hilariously honest way to open your new single if you’re Justin Hawkins preparing to release a new Darkness album in 2025. More than two decades beyond “I Believe In A Thing Called Love,” the winkingly ironic yet also dead serious hair-metal pastiche masters will drop Dreams On Toast next month, and today’s new single “Walking Through Fire” is a gem. It’s not just cleverly self-effacing — it’s also mighty catchy.