GIG REVIEW: Midnight @ New Cross Inn (London, UK)

Ohio Speed Metal wrecking crew Midnight are back in London hot on the heels of their fifth record “Hellish Expectations” (read my review here). It’s my fourth time seeing these maniacs, so I know it’ll rule! Let’s rock!

First up, London Death Metallers Vacuous take the stage with their claustrophobically intense soundscapes. As a band who are visceral and yet packed with this lurking, ominous atmosphere; I find them easily one of the strongest UK underground acts. Having seen them quite a lot, I’m still not bored of Max’s drum acrobatics or the feast of diabolical riffing that we are consistently treated too. While an odd opening act for the lineup, they graced the show with some crushing Death Metal and I cannot complain about that at all.

Next are High Command, who play that sort of crossover Thrash Metal that borrows a lot of the stomped down-picking sensibilities of hardcore. Now this is not my genre at all. I love Thrash Metal in the vein of Kreator, Slayer, Vulcano, Destruction and Onslaught; but hardcore is far from my world. That said, as far as this stuff goes, High Command had a strong sound and the music was excellently played with some actual melody which was unexpected, albeit sparse. At the end of the day, not every band is going to play my sort of music and I am fine with that. If you like bands like Power Trip, Inhuman Nature, Pest Control and so forth, these guys are definitely worth digging into and clearly draw a crowd. I’m probably just stuck in the past with how Thrash Metal “should” sound and not at ease with super modern feeling bands nor the crowds they bring.

Penultimately, some real 80s thrashers take the stage. Belgium’s Cyclone is high-speed, evil, ferocious and tight. All of the things I personally seek in the genre. This band has toured relentlessly in recent years and it truly shows. The lead guitars were face-melting, the riffs were violent, the drums unbreakable and the vocals always ripping the larynx. These guys blistered through their set with a very warm response from the crowd who welcomes this cult old band as old friends, raging together for the entire set and hopefully giving them a reason to come back. “Brutal Destruction” (1986) is a truly underrated gem of the genre and European scene of yesteryear and I highly recommend all maniacs who seek obscure old Thrash Metal to check it out immediately.

As the night draws on, Midnight comes onstage in a fit of rabid, relentless furore. Athenar, Vanik and Iron Possessor blister through a set comprised of their new album in its entirety with other hits sprinkled throughout, including but not limited to: “Evil Like A Knife”, “Satanic Royalty”, “You Can’t Stop Steel” and “Unholy and Rotten” which are all a joy to witness. The bands impassioned sense of destruction is equalled only by that of the crowd who know what to do. Their set, as always, was a mess of adrenaline, bodily fluids, maniacs raging and a trio whose command of playing Heavy Metal live in the most intensely ferocious manner is absolutely masterful. A belligerent night of old school mayhem that showcased why Midnight’s trajectory has always been one towards ruling the underground, while comfortably remaining here. They are definitely one of the best live bands around and their records always deliver the goods. Spikes, chains, bullets, leather; Midnight follow Desaster’s guideline to “Metalized Blood” and show the only true way of delivering mayhem and carnage is the old school way.

An unusual bill, but one that ultimately ruled. Each band played a pretty different style but delivered their promised result gloriously and with triumph. Midnight conquered the night and Belgium’s Cyclone were a truly magnificent addition. Fast Metal rages on in London…