Their latest release, Darkest Days, is an impassioned set of tunes that are in essence love songs for Generation X.  Each tune leaves the listener wondering if the love is for a former paramour who has gone away, or if Hall is craving the evil of drugs.  Either way, Hall sounds consumed and longing, broken and empty.  "I cannot save you/I can't even save myself," Hall proclaims in "Save Yourself," the first single from the album.

The intensity of the album never wanes.  "Torn Apart" and "You Complete Me," among others, leave you knowing that Hall's soul has been torn asunder.  Each song seems to catalogue the breaking down of a man who is facing going on with life alone, without his love, whether it be a person or drugs.  Or maybe love is the drug...

In any event, the album is an incredible display of musicianship and quality.  Stabbing Westward have brought together and somehow merged electronica and heavy rock in a manner that not many other bands have achieved.  The record brilliantly showcases the talents each member brings to the group, while never losing focus of the songs themselves.  Darkest Days is a shining success for Stabbing Westward.

Their live shows are equally intense, with nothing being held back or restrained.  VOX caught them at The Palace in Hollywood on April 16, 1999, where SW shared the bill with Flick and Placebo.   The three bands were almost too much for the capacity crowd, and by the time Stabbing Westward took the stage, nearly everybody was drenched with sweat and seemingly spent.  Stabbing Westward got the people back up and ready, and somehow culled more energy from their fans.  An amazing display of passion, intensity and sound was put on by Stabbing Westward, and the fans seemed to feed off of the energy.