While working on album number eight, Darkest Hour has gone through lineup changes and been touring with Killswitch Engage. And as it turns out, they also found a new label home in Sumerian Records during that time as well. Darkest Hour announced today that they’ve signed a new worldwide deal with Sumerian Records. The band had the following to say about the move:

“To say that Sumerian Records and label owner Ash Avildsen are big supporters of this band would be a huge understatement.  We have been proud to call Ash our friend since our early years and this friendship has flourished greatly since then via our relationship with his sister company, The Pantheon Booking Agency.

When you start a band you dream that one day you can do what you love with great friends and family around you. Now it all seems to have come full circle. With the good people at Outerloop Management, Sumerian Records and the Pantheon Agency we finally feel right at home. Every aspect of the group is being handled by long-time trusted friends and is in reliable hands. This safe haven has given us the shelter we need to put together a life-changing new album.

Before we could see it coming, we’ve been thrust out of Oceanic Studios (where we’ve been working with producer Taylor Larson) and back out on the road. Please come see us live with Killswitch Engage if we’re coming to your city and it will also be our first tour with new drummer Travis Orbin.  As soon as we get home we’ll be back to the hermit life in the studio where we can finish up this album. To our brother Ash, Sumerian and all of you out there here’s a huge cheers to 2014, a new Darkest Hour album and the future.”

Sumerian founder Ash Avildsen had the following to add about his latest signing:

“Darkest Hour are some of the best dudes I have ever met in music. They’re also one of the most underrated bands in metal and Sumerian is here to change that. Their influential debut album, The Mark Of The Judas, which never saw the real light of day due to their label at the time going under the day it came out, will finally get a proper release this fall, along with a new studio record. DC pride.”

It certainly makes sense that Darkest Hour would sign to Sumerian Records, as their management, Outerloop, works pretty closely with Sumerian. What makes the move surprising, though, is that we didn’t even realize that they had parted ways with eOne music (who released the band’s last album, The Human Romance). However, considering that eOne has some other big recent signings up their sleeves, we’re sure they’ll do just fine.

A video announcing Darkest Hour’s signing to Sumerian can be seen below.

[youtube width=”500″ height=”344″]http://youtu.be/Z7SGZIhrq2w[/youtube]