DARKNESS PLEDGE TO HEAD TOWARDS THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

Are The Darkness going to let little things like Justin's trip to rehab and a reaction to the second album that was less lukewarm, more cold-as-thirty-year-too-late-divorce get them down?

No.

They pledge to return strengthened a thousandfold:

"As everybody found out today, Justin has been admitted to a rehabilitation clinic. We would, however, like to make it clear that this emphatically does not signal the end for the Darkness, nor are their label considering 'dropping' them. On the contrary they have taken up their option with the band and are looking forward to releasing the Darkness's third album in early 2007.

We are not here to comment on Justin's private life - or anyone else's for that matter - but he is feeling better already and as soon as he is ready we will be going straight into the studio to begin recording album number three.

We hope you would join us in wishing Justin well - and it is for you to judge if a platinum album, headlining and co-headlining sold=out shows across the U.K., Continental Europe, and Australia to an audience of thousands of adoring fans can ever be considered a failure."

Well... that last one is debatable, isn't it? A triple-platinum debut album is, of course, not a failure at all. That's a glowing success. But when the follow-up limps to gold and peters out, at the very least that must be a disappointment.

music the darkness justin hawkins