Avenged Sevenfold.
We might as well get it out of the way straight away, because you probably know Zachary Baker better as Zacky Vengeance, guitarist and founding member of multi-platinum rock band Avenged Sevenfold. Here, though, he steps into a very different light. On his debut solo album “Dark Horse”, Baker swaps the huge riffs and bombast for something rooted in country, blues and heartland songwriting, and the result is a record full of warmth, craft and no little charm.
Ahead of the release he gave a taste of what was to come with “Lighthouse” and the title track, but even those only hint at just how lovingly made this thing is. The opener, “Dark Horse”, has a proper country blues depth to it, the sort of song that immediately tells you this is no vanity project. “Misfit Hearts” follows with a classic Texas country feel, easy and natural, and all the better for it. By the time “Unlikely Cowboy” rolls around, there may well be a smile at the sheer nerve of it all, but the enjoyment is real and that matters more than anything.
“I’ll Stop Pretending” slows things down, acoustic at first but building beautifully, while “Before I Go” is exquisitely done, the kind of song that values touch and tone over showing off. In truth, it is often the quieter moments that tell you most about Baker here. There is something about the acoustic material that feels different, more lived-in somehow, and “Lighthouse” is a prime example of that. Dave Hause fans would absolutely love this sort of thing.
“The Storm” leans further into a folky feel and the banjo makes it, giving the song a sense of friendship and bond that suits it perfectly. “Long Highway” carries one of the record’s best lines in “the voice this world gave to me”, and Baker delivers it with real conviction. Later on, “Sar Crossed” brings a country-tinged heartland rock flavour, while “Someday”, even with its poppier edge, is still top drawer. There is a throwaway ease to it, but the songwriting is too strong for it to be dismissed as lightweight. Then “Fireflies” closes things with a 50s-infused swing that makes you half expect Buddy Holly to wander in from the next room.
“The beauty is in the imperfections,” Baker says. He is right, up to a point. But the real joy of “Dark Horse” is not in any rough edge. It is in how warm it feels, how open-hearted it is, and how much love for the craft runs through every song. To borrow from his day job, Zachary Baker might well be the dark horse here. On this evidence, though, county has every reason to welcome him into the family.
RATING 8/10
