The Human Romance
| Company type | Studio album |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | February 22, 2011 |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Melodic death metal music |
The Human Romance represents the seventh studio album released by the American melodic death metal group Darkest Hour. It was issued on February 22, 2011, in North America through eOne Music, followed by a European release on March 7 via Century Media Records. This album is notable as the last to feature drummer Ryan Parrish and bassist Paul Burnette.
The album's cover showcases the photograph of the Lovers of Valdaro.
Production
The recording sessions for The Human Romance took place in North Carolina under the guidance of producer and Soilwork guitarist Peter Wichers, who is recognized for his contributions to projects such as All That Remains' The Fall of Ideals and Soilwork's The Panic Broadcast. This release signified a transformation in Darkest Hour's compositional style. Guitarist Mike Schleibaum highlighted that, unlike their previous work The Eternal Return, which embodied a darker and more aggressive atmosphere, this album retained intensity while exploring new sonic dimensions. The band embarked on writing these tracks immediately after completing their prior studio effort, with the intention to push their musical boundaries further.
Promotion and release
Ahead of the album's launch, several songs were made available online to build anticipation. In January 2011, "Savor the Kill" was released for preview, followed by "Your Everyday Disaster" and "Love as a Weapon" in February. On February 15, 2011, the entire album was streamed on the band's official Myspace page.
Personnel
Credits for The Human Romance have been sourced from Allmusic.
Darkest Hour
- John Henry – vocals
- Mike "Lonestar" Carrigan – lead guitar
- Mike Schleibaum – rhythm guitar
- Paul Burnette – bass
- Ryan Parrish – drums
Additional musicians
- Tosin Abasi (Animals as Leaders) – guitar solo on "Terra Solaris"
- Chris Carmichael – strings
- Kristen Randall (ex-Winds of Plague) – piano
Production
- Ryan Smith – mastering
- Paul Leavitt – mixing
- Mike McAree – engineering
- Brian McTernan – mixing
- Mike Schleibaum – engineering
- Peter Wichers – producer
Artwork
- Paul Grosso – creative director
- Andrew Kelley – art direction, design
- Tom Medvedich – photography