The ESP Guitar Company

Darkest Hour, featuring ESP players Mike Schleibaum, Aaron Deal, and Mike "Lonestar" Carrigan, has just released their ninth full-length album, Godless Prophets & The Migrant Flora. The extreme metal band, which formed in 1995 based in Washington, D.C., turned to a crowdsourcing method to fund the album's creation, and it's safe to say that the many fans who pre-ordered it are happy metalheads today! If you want to check it out, visit the Darkest Hour site right away. They recommend that you turn the volume up when listening, and we second that motion.

Mike Schleibaum plays a number of ESP models, including an ESP E-II M-I and an LTD EC-1000FR. Fellow guitar slinger Lonestar is often seen wreaking havoc with his ESP E-II V-II STD. Bass player Aaron Deal has been using ESP Vintage-4 basses.

Darkest Hour is -- unsurprisingly -- out on the road right now in support of the new album release. Go see them if they're coming through town! Current tour dates can be found here.