After Hours are back (after a long break) with their third release, an EP titled Darker Days. Available now on iTunes here, Darker Days is a departure from their earlier work – with a nastier, more evil sound. 11 tracks deep, packed with some serious heat – this is a release not to be slept on.

Darker Days features the talents of Pohetikut (Pagen Elypsis) as well as production from Trials (Funkoars), Newsense (Hospice Crew) and Debate (Train of Thought). As members of the illustrious Certified Wise crew DJ Jugular, Edits, Headlock & Integer1 are back with their third release Darker Days, a departure from their previous works. It’s been awhile between drinks, but the guys are back at the bar, so line em up! The lead single and title track from the album, Darker Days serves up come classic headnod shit by way of the After Hours camp. It may have been a few years since we last heard the sweet sounds of hip hop from these lads, but it seems time has not wearied them. The track Nightmares, haunts whack emcees in their sleep and features some tight verses from all involved. It’s quite obvious that some serious time and effort went into crafting the rhymes for this album.

“Well it’s razor-sharp, I break your phrase apart like quotation marks
blazing grass, I play the cards I wait till inspiration sparks
make it last learn from my mistakes in the past
no fucking joke it’s cut throat leave your trachea scared”

The track Razor Sharp highlights that fact perfectly. Four and a half minutes of rap fire then a full minute of DJ Juglar scratching it up, rounds out this radio destroying track. A true hip hop fan will savour every moment. Twenty Star Jumps opens up with a murderous Headlock, setting the tone for the rest of the track with a great remix to feature later on in the album. Consume Or Perish takes a nice stab at consumer culture, questioning its affect on society and our daily lives. Falling Down swings along on a drum filled beat overlayed with some serious keys. The track All There Is and a couple of remixes tie out this great album. Overall the guys have gone a little nastier on this one but still use that classic After Hours formula, great samples, killer verses, hypnotizing beats and devastating cuts from the every impressive DJ Jugular. If you grew up loving the sounds of After Hours crew then this album will not disappoint. It’s classic After Hours.

Darker Days now available on CD at Clinic 116 (SA), Cold Krush (SA), Da Klinic (SA), 567King (NSW), Obese Records (VIC) and Taste-Y (FNQ) CD & Digital Album Online here via bandcamp.

iTunes  ||  Bandcamp  ||  Soundcloud