Ohio one man Speed Metal wrecking crew MIDNIGHT is back with a sixth studio album. This devilish opus will be released by Metal Blade Records on March 8th
Punching right in with venomous riffing and bestial vocals, Midnight ride straight into the night ablaze with metallic lust. Their catchy, seductive and salivating ferocity is razor sharp and vicious as ever. Every record by this band feels like a record by them, and “Hellish Expectations” is no different in that regard, setting the scene for a tormenting and merciless vision of raging music to come. The sounds here remind me of a strange, unhealthy concoction of Razor and Kiss, a combination of rocking and speeding Heavy Metal that is unstoppable from its earliest moments. Of course the primitive and unforgiving nature of the band is here in total strength as Athenar’s bastardised and malformed musical offspring cranks pugnacious music into the air, reeking with the stench of the gutter. The diseased and filthy solo-act really knows how to present anthemic and hostile rocking numbers by now.
“Masked and Deadly” feels like the bands tribute to themself, a call to arms for all violators in earshot. The production sounds massive, unpolished and gritty but oh so crushing with thick bass lines cutting the atomic percussion and menacing guitars. Of course Athenar’s signature raspy snarl barks atop the instrumental savagery with effortless barbarity. The nuclear slaughter never relents, giving track after track of rampaging boisterous belligerence. Thrashing, crashing and skull-smashing attacks ruthlessly spew forth, as the obvious natural ability of Athenar to go straight for the jugular with a sonic scythe has never been dulled by the years. The hunger remains rabid and growing, pushing Midnight forward while never sacrificing an iota of what makes them one of the best torchbearers for the old school in today’s Heavy Metal underground.
Midnight will deliver you to the devil, dead or alive. In a world consumed by lame bands ruling the media, the underground never needed bands of this stock more. Heavy Metal needs to remain merciless and unfettered by wimps, something this record will ensure with its militant furore on tracks like “Mercyless Slaughtor”, barking Hellhammer-ish commandments of violence. Vitriolic until the last track, which was the lead single. An unusual move but one that showcases perfectly how no track is a backseat b-side throwaway. Hostile yet headbang-able, this is probably the most direct record of the band to date, at least since they started releasing albums. As a huge fan of the entire discography, that isn’t changing here. “Hellish Expectations” will pound your puny body into submission and leave you in ecstasy. Otherwise… Fuck off and live!
Another rambunctious slab of sleazy Heavy Metal filth from Midnight. Totally furious, untameable and malignantly sexy. Each of the new tracks feels straight-to-the-bone, stripping back all the pretence of modern music to a time much simpler than now. As always, the time for Midnight’s new record is a time to drop the needle, crank the amp and blow your speakers to true malignant majesty.
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