Washington, D.C.'s Darkest Hour is a supporter of the d**h metal/hardcore merger, founded in the early '90s by such outfits as Carca** and Entombed. Comprised of members Mike Schleibaum (guitar), Billups Allen (ba**), John Henry (vocals), Fred Ziomek (guitar), and Ryan Parrish (drums), the band formed in the mid-'90s, inking a deal with the New York-based underground metal label MIA Records in 1999. The quintet issued its debut recording a year later, The Mark of the Judas, and was ready to support the release when its label suddenly went out of business. br /br /Label-less but not down and out, Darkest Hour quickly gained the interest of Victory Records, issuing a sophomore effort, So Sedated, So Secure, in July of 2001. It was followed by the release of Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation in 2003, an album proclaimed by Revolver to be a "metalcore cla**ic." Summer 2004 found Darkest Hour with a slot on Ozzfest's second stage. The following February, Darkest Hour released a DVD, Prison Scars and Party Bars: A Thrashography, which documented their first ten years as a band (1995-2005) with music videos, live footage, and interviews. Back on the album front, the well-received Undoing Ruin appeared in June 2005. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide