Washington, D.C. metalcore band Darkest Hour will play House of Blues San Diego on Wednesday, Nov. 25, as direct support for Fear Factory, 26 days after releasing their 11th album, “Suffer Divine,” on Oct. 30 via MNRK. The band announced the album in a September press release and followed it with a second single and video, “Warrior,” on Oct. 7.
Darkest Hour at House of Blues San Diego
The San Diego show is on the Fear Factory Cybernetic Domination Tour, with Brotality also on the bill. Ticketmaster’s Fear Factory page lists the Nov. 25 House of Blues San Diego date at 6 p.m. with Fear Factory, Darkest Hour and Brotality, and Songkick carries the same lineup, with doors at 6 p.m.
A listing that carries the event note on Bandsintown gives the times as doors at 6 p.m. and show at 7 p.m., and says all times and supporting acts are subject to change. It also says the show is all ages, with anyone under 18 required to be accompanied by a parent, guardian or a responsible adult 25 or older who has written authorization from a parent or guardian. Set times for the individual bands have not been published.
SDMETAL’s Fear Factory San Diego show preview has more on the headliner’s lineup and the rest of the tour, and the show is also on the SDMETAL event listing.
What to Know About “Suffer Divine”
“Suffer Divine” is the follow-up to 2024’s “Perpetual Terminal,” the band’s 10th album. It runs 11 tracks and was produced by Mark Lewis, whose credits listed in the announcement include Whitechapel, The Black Dahlia Murder and Cannibal Corpse.
The title track arrived Sept. 1 as the first single. Vocalist John Henry said it “is about justice and accountability,” adding, “This one goes out to anyone who chooses to push and peddle hatred and division, to anyone who would break down others to feed their sadistic, insatiable ego.”
Guitarist Mike Schleibaum described the record as “full of rage, thrash, and aggression but also feels musically dense.” He said it is “an album born out of love for things like melodic death metal,” and that the concept touches on the idea “that you can derive self-worth (and some value) from your own suffering.” In his words, “It’s equal parts hope, rage, and empathy.”
The “Warrior” Video
The second single, “Warrior,” came with a video directed by filmmaker Thomas Mignone for DOOM Inc., according to MNRK’s announcement. Schleibaum said the clip is “heavily inspired by one of our favorite movies, Raging Bull AND one of our favorite music videos, ‘Mama Said Knock You Out.'” He called it “both fun and tough at the same time.”
Of the song itself, Schleibaum said it “showcases our melodic death metal tendencies with a bit of a modern twist.” Henry said it is “meant to reach out to the intrapersonal warrior.” He added: “The internal struggle is often the most important battle we ever fight.”
The Rest of the Fear Factory Run
Darkest Hour support Fear Factory on 14 U.S. dates from Nov. 12 to Nov. 29, according to MNRK. The routing starts in Springfield, Mo., and goes through Wichita, Denver, Colorado Springs, Billings, Great Falls, Seattle, Portland and Boise before reaching California. The California dates are:
- Tuesday, Nov. 24: Strummers, Fresno
- Wednesday, Nov. 25: House of Blues, San Diego
- Friday, Nov. 27: The Glass House, Pomona
- Saturday, Nov. 28 and Sunday, Nov. 29: Whisky A Go Go, Los Angeles
The announcement also lists two earlier dates under a “solo” heading: Nov. 10 at No Class in Cleveland and Nov. 11 at Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis. It does not say whether those shows are headlining dates.
Headlining Dates in December
Darkest Hour’s own U.S. headlining tour, with direct support from Judiciary, starts Dec. 1 in Austin, Texas, right after the Fear Factory run ends. It runs through Dec. 13 at Atlantis in Washington, D.C., with stops in Dallas, Lawrence, Kan., Chicago, Pontiac, Mich., Pittsburgh, Toronto, Montreal, Albany, Worcester, Brooklyn and Millersville, Pa. No West Coast dates are listed on that run.
SDMETAL
