REVIEW: DARKO - Canvas

If you’re on the lookout for more punk in your life, look no further. The South England progressive punks in DARKO have recently released Canvas, the finale to a trilogy of thematically linked EPs which began with Sparkle and Greyscale. The EP consists of seven songs in total, making it the longest of the three releases.

The mood for the EP is set off to a melodic start through the first song, ‘Grey Havens’. Short but sweet, and very impactful, the instrumentally driven track builds the atmosphere of the EP from a light beginning to a heavy conclusion, as though easing you into what is to come.

Track two of the EP, ‘Dared to Dream’, starts off with building instrumentals once again before it hits you with a burst of screamy layered vocals. This is the kind of song you could oh so easily envision people shouting along to in an intimate venue, with every lyric yelled back at the band. The screams at the end really bring the track together and give you a hint of the vocal range to come from the rest of the EP.

The title track and first single release of the EP, ‘Canvas’, alternates between a more groovy punk sound and the previous heavier sound we have been familiarised with from the rest of the EP. We then hop into ‘Override!’, the second single release from the EP and are faced with fast verses contrasting with a slower chorus, before meeting us with a final powerful scream before the last verse.

If you'd thought the EP was a bit calm for your taste so far, you surely won’t be disappointed by what's to come as we head straight into the next track. ‘Hectic’ sounds exactly like what the name might imply - just over one minute of pure brutality before its abrupt conclusion. If chaos and growls are what you are after, this song is the one for you.

‘Goodbye Bastards’ feels like a moment of calm compared to the previous track, whilst still having the same feel as the songs that came before it - you certainly aren’t getting a moment to sit down. This, like the rest of the EP, sounds like it would go down extremely well in a live setting, however this song feels like it would be optimal for a larger crowd to be shouting the title back to the band.

To conclude the EP, ‘Aux III’ follows on from ‘Aux I’ and ‘Aux II’, which feature on the previous EPs in the trilogy. This third installment more closely matches the first in sound, moving away from the more guttural vocals prevalent in the second, giving a very full circle feeling overall. Not only does it work as the perfect finale to the series of songs, but it also acts as the perfect conclusion to the EP.

Score: 7/10

Canvas was released on July 18th 2025 via Lockjaw Records.

Words: Libby Percival

Photos: DARKO