The Darkness Before The Storm Shines Bright Posted March 11, 2025 By RyanAdams_NRT, Staff Reviewer
What You Need To Know Caleb Hyles is a singer-songwriter best known for his YouTube career, which features covers of songs from Disney and anime music. His Christian faith influence has been noticed in recent years, such as his Skillet cover album released in 2020 and more notably, the title track for this album, The Darkness Before The Dawn.
What It Sounds Like Caleb's style has been well-honed over his years on YouTube and fits nicely with the modern rock age. He's got soaring choruses, gripping verses, and packed rock and roll music. His sound is comparable to that of some Christian rock artists, such as Thousand Foot Krutch, Skillet, or Disciple.
Spiritual Highlights The real reason I wanted to sit down and review this album is that Caleb's faith is most evident in this solo record than in almost anything else he's made. There are some significant messages found within, some less than others. The title track is a highlight, with a call for prayer for change in our lives.
A surprise guest is Josh Smith from Ashes Remain, a massive Christian rock band in today's music scene. It encourages us to embrace the hurt in our lives with love, implying that love can help us think differently about our pasts, much like what happens in our lives with Christ. The most brazen is maybe "Not Your Savior," where Caleb calls out the hypocrisy and prophets.
Best Song One of the standout tracks is the title song, "The Darkness Before The Dawn." Its songwriting is incredibly powerful and moving, which is why Lacey Sturm from Flyleaf lent her voice to it. And Wolves At The Gate also contributed to a separate version. It's an encouraging anthem that celebrates the potential within us to accomplish something great. Although it does not directly reference Scripture, it reflects truths we find in it.
Bottom Line It's impressive that Caleb managed to collaborate with such major players in the Christian rock community, even bringing in Trevor McNevan from Thousand Foot Krutch to create a new song. Some songs fit just generically here as anywhere else in the rock world, as this isn't labeled or promoted as a Christian-based album specifically. But regardless, The Darkness Before The Dawn offers a dynamic experience, with some songs that convey strong, biblical truths alongside relevant struggles in life.
