LANDMVRKS Provide High Intensity And Creative Metalcore With ‘The Darkest Place I’ve Ever Been’

France-based metalcore gents LANDMVRKS have returned with their fourth studio album, with ‘The Darkest Place I’ve Ever Been’. This marks their first full length since 2021’s ‘Lost In the Waves’. This album dives into a lot of what makes this band stand out from the entire genre, putting their special spin on metalcore and nu-metal, and delivering on all cylinders once again.

The record opens with the title track, as it starts off soft before going beast mode really quick. The drums delivered by drummer Kévin D’Agostino are really doing overtime at the start of this record. It’s such a hype intro song to set the tone for the album in a great way. The production feels so specific to them in the best way, especially the guitar tone. The breakdown is pretty brutal as well, and it’s only beginning of that for this record.

We follow up with the first single from the record, with “Creature”. The verses here feel so relentless with energy, and getting such a huge chorus is just always a wonderful combo. It also makes for a great track in a live setting, it goes off so well. Plus, I love the transition we get from rapping in French to immediate heavy vibes right after. I also appreciate them doing something a bit different as it goes into the breakdown, with the drums right before.

We’re continued on with another one of the singles, with “A Line In the Dust”. This one feels like the most ‘octane’ type of song on the record, but it works so incredibly well for them and it’s very fitting of it being a single. Matt from While She Sleeps’ feature is very well implemented throughout the second verse and beyond, it feels so fitting to a song like this. It makes for another great live track, having a pretty catchy chorus and the bridge being fun type of heavy also. I love the background synths we get during the last chorus as well. It makes for an easy highlight off this entire album honestly.

Another single to follow right after the last, with “Blood Red”, and this one feels very in the style of the most recent record. It’s got some great melodies during the chorus, and it feels like it captures all the elements of this band in one song incredibly well. This band seems to do a great job having great bridges, and this one is no exception as it feels so seamless.

We’re then continued with my favorite single from the record, with “Sulfur”. It keeps the vibe of the last song and amps up the energy in the best way. I love the record scratches being implemented in the background of the riffs, delivered by guitarist Nicholas Exposito. The chorus here feels more on the atmospheric side, and it just feels so smooth listening to. The instrumentals here feel very nu-metal inspired, and the cowbell is such a nice tour during the second verse. And it ends really strong on a heavy note of course.

We’re followed by the single the last track was accompanied by, in “Sombre 16”. It consists of a short rap interlude by vocalist Florent Salfati. It’s a nice little track to have in the middle of this record, and the record scratches are still a nice touch. It does remind me of Linkin Park a bit with how well it flows like a song of theirs.

We’re followed by more nu-metal vibes with the next track with “The Great Unknown”. It starts off very classic metalcore, and the vocal layers during the pre-chorus are pretty impressive. The chorus I think does a great job of embodying LP vocalist Chester Bennington in such a great way, that feels in the spirit of LANDMVRKS. The bridge goes so crazy too, and I can absolutely see this one going over quite well live.

We then jump to what I feel is my favorite song on the record, with “La Valse du Temps”. The riffs here by Exposito and other guitarist Paul Cordebard are absolutely crazy, shoutout to both of them. It’s got another great chorus, and the synth here really reminds me a bit of 2009 scene era metalcore. Once again, they must be the kings of bridges because this one goes absolutely nutty once again. The end of the bridge going into the outro is absolutely stunning as well, and the piano is a nice touch to end a track like this.

We continue on with the riffage in “Deep Inferno”. The delivery on the vocals here are truly immaculate from Salfati, whether it’s rapping or screaming or singing…all three are showcased here in an absolutely masterful way. This one once again captures such nu-metal energy but they manage to do it in a way that feels fresh and specific to them. “I saw the fucking end” and “No one can fix me anyway” are two wild lines to have in the same track as well.

We then jump to the heaviest track for second to last on the record, with “Requiem”. I wanna give another shoutout to the guitar tones because it’s like they have their own identity on this record. The vocals are absolutely brutal throughout this track, and the classic metalcore vibes are felt on this one. It gives me some Trivium vibes, and this will go so crazy live for sure.

We close out the record with a song that feels quite fitting as a piano ballad, with “Funeral”. The rain noises are a nice touch here, and I love how honest and vulnerable the vocals sound on this one. “This never ending rain is all I know” is another lyric I wanna shoutout. This song feels pretty unique even for them, and I do appreciate them ending it with this track.

All in all, ‘The Darkest Place I’ve Ever Been’ is such a banger follow-up to the last album. It’s a testament to one of the most talented and unique bands in the genre, and the scene right now with LANDMVRKS. Their peers can learn quite a few things from them to show them exactly how it’s done to navigate putting out fresh metalcore in 2025.