Dark
Round The Edges

Few things in the world match the allure of legends; ancient stories, mostly passed down orally, that effortlessly capture the imagination of those who hear them, thanks to their undefined origins and that peculiar way of forever teetering between the concrete and the abstract, reason and fantasy. Originally, this form of storytelling was intended to describe the lives of saints and the inexplicable feats they managed to accomplish through the power of faith. But, predictably, the more the word spread, the more the magnitude of the astonishing actions grew, while still retaining the same foundation; it's no coincidence that in the recesses of every legend, a fragment of truth is believed to dwell. However, we will not delve into prophets and miracles, but instead talk about musicians, worthy of knowing how to mold one of the most extraordinary and miraculous forms of expression ever: music.

Our story begins in 1968 in England, at the Northampton school, where a young singer and guitarist, passionate about photography, named Steve Giles, founded, along with drummer Clive Thorneycroft, bassist Ron Johnson, and second guitarist Martin Weaver, the Dark, a hard rock band with blues influences characterized by heavy progressive and psychedelic elements. They soon recorded their first tracks in a dilapidated house converted into a studio by technician Alan Bowley, tracks which would make up "Round the Edges," officially released in 1972 at SIS Studios.

But what's legendary about all this? Well, it happens that the album in question is the most expensive of the entire English music scene, with a total circulation, in its original version, of just sixty-five copies, of which the first twelve were reserved for the band members, their girlfriends, and a few friends. It seems these mythical copies were distinguished from the others by a singular packaging, covered with photos taken by Steve for the occasion and handwritten info about the group, later reproduced in the booklet of the recent CD version.

The album showcases a decidedly interesting style, with chameleonic compositions that transition from delicate arpeggios paired with the singer's clean voice, to impetuous assaults of guitars and drums ("Darkside"), from easily digestible rhythms where the two guitarists' harmony shines, to powerful and threatening solos capable of completely darkening the relaxed and laid-back atmosphere produced until then ("Live for Today"), which, in sporadic cases, manages to maintain itself until the end of the track, aided by a rhythm section intent on subduing the six-string's inexhaustible aggressiveness ("Maypole").

The band's blues soul is particularly felt in the crazy guitar digressions of "R.C.8" and, especially, in the lively tunes of "The Cat", where the usual fierce entwined work of Steve and Martin stands out, alongside Ron's deep and dark bass sound, which then accompanies and strengthens Clive's drumming acrobatics in the dark final track "Zero Time".

At the conclusion of the events just narrated, the boys took different paths and "Round the Edges" (in the CD reissue featuring four bonus tracks, not exactly essential, dating back to '71) remained for a long time their only recorded effort until, after a pause of about twenty years, the four reunited to play together again, conceiving in 1996 "Anonymous Days", distributed in a limited edition of (in comparison to previous standards) as many as five hundred units. Upon completing this operation, they vanished without a trace, disappearing just as they had before. Perhaps, around 2016, despite their age, they will reappear, and we will hear of them once more... Or at least, that's what the legend says.