It's crazy to think that it's been nearly a decade since Hope Deferred first released music into the world. Having only released a total of three absolutely crushing songs since 2016 (one of which being a Living Sacrifice cover), the promise of a full-length album was there, but it seemed off on the ever-distant horizon. Now that the band of former Embodyment and The Famine members has grown into a proper quintet, with The Showdown's David Bunton assuming vocal duty, the band is in its prime, and the long-awaited Darkness Remains is finally upon us.

Right off the bat, "Void With No Voice" gets things started and reminds the listener who Hope Deferred is: masters of modern death metal. After no more than a ten-second build-up, the band explodes into full gear with heavy drums and intense guitar riffs. It's the name of the game for the entirety of the album's runtime, hardly letting up at all, really. No ballads, no mid-tempo tracks, no real clean vocals - just fast, heavy, technical brutality that matches the intensity of the lyrics. "Brethren of Blood" is a prime example of this, as it deals with martyrdom and the inevitability of suffering for one's faith in Christ ("Head down upon the cross / refuse to die in likeness / peeling your flesh from bone / 'deny your Christ and end your anguish' / wrapped in the rotting skin / crushed by the jaws of lions / the scourge will never end / I shall never recant, my Lord"). In case you were wondering where the band members were with Christianity, these songs will erase all doubt.

There's a ton of chemistry between the band members on display, and each member is so proficient at his respective instrument. The drums are lightning quick, but also stunningly precise, and the guitars are otherworldly. Not only is the album full of tight, frenzied riffs, but lead guitarist Jon Tooley also gets several opportunities to solo, and he absolutely shreds each time. My personal favorite track, "Avarice," may be the best representative of the album, giving the listener the ultimate taste of Hope Deferred in a succinct three-minute package. On top of it all, it's great to hear David Bunton back in the game. To the surprise of no one, he fits in amazingly here. Obviously, The Showdown always leaned more into southern metal, but longtime fans know that they always had some death metal influence, particularly A Chorus of Obliteration. He almost exclusively uses his lower register on this album, and he sounds as ferocious as ever.

2025 has been an incredible year for Christian metal, and Darkness Remains is easily one of the best examples. These guys took their time to create the best music they could and they really delivered. Fans of bands like Becoming the Archetype, The Famine, and Extol should definitely give this a listen.

- Review date: 10/30/25, written by Scott Fryberger of Jesusfreakhideout.com

Record Label: The Charon Collective
Album length: 10 tracks: 34 minutes, 6 seconds
Street Date: October 31, 2025
Buy It: Bandcamp

1. Void With No Voice (4:32)
2. Commanded To Kill (3:28)
3. Brethren Of Blood (2:52)
4. Absent Souls (3:13)
5. Whom Shall You Serve (3:13)
6. Inhumane World (2:49)
7. Darkness Remains (3:30)
8. Avarice (2:56)
9. Fail You (3:01)
10. Wrath's Misery (4:26)