ALBUM REVIEW – MIDNIGHT

Midnight – Hellish Expectations

Reviewed By: Jim Harrison

Review Score: 9

Midnight is set to release onto humanity an album that is the perfect soundtrack for a fight. Hellish Expectations continues from their last highly acclaimed album, 2022’s Let There Be Witchery, with their unique brand of metal/punk/underground that is aggressive and full of testosterone.

Lone member, Althenar, who plays all instruments and vocals, has created a niche in metal that also includes speed metal plus a NWOBHM vibe that makes this so intriguing. According to Althenar, this album was written in one weekend after listening to raw tracks from the previous album which makes this even more impressive. Partnering with Metal Blade records for the first time, I predict this album will reach more perspective fans with a strong distribution helping to spread Midnight’s assault to the masses.

The album begins with a punch to the face with first track ‘Expect Total Hell’. With a killer Motörhead vibe, the track absolutely explodes as if you were detonating a bomb. Heavy, fast guitars and aggressive vocals gives a hint at how brutal this album is going to be. ‘Gash Scrape’ has a cool guitar fade-in and, again, this track just takes off. The song has a cool heavy punk sound that will smash any mosh pit. This will become a great live track.

‘Masked And Deadly’ begins with some fast guitar riffing while the performance behind the skins gives this track a killer groove. The wicked guitar solo is fantastic and another great vocal performance. ‘Slave To The Blade’ is the shortest song on the album, clocking in at 1:51. The song has an amazing beat and once again summons that Motörhead groove. This is one of my personal favourites on the album… it’s such a massive song.

‘Dungeon Lust’ keeps the assault on your senses going with its pounding drum beat. The track has a slower groove but is super heavy and has a darker direction and creates a cool whip sound. ‘Nuclear Savior’ was one of the early singles released and gave fans some insight on how brutal the album was shaping up to be. The beginning of this track has a fast early Metallica sound with a wicked guitar riff and killer solo.

‘Deliver Us To Devil’ has more of a thrash vibe mixed with punk crossover producing a heavy sound. ‘Mercyless Slaughtor’ has a cool heavy bass and guitar intro. This is another song with a heavy darker sound, aggressive vocals, and killer guitar solo. Another favourite of mine. ‘Doom Death Desire’ begins with a blood curdling scream that ignites this track in an epic fashion. Another fast, heavy song that will certainly be a cool track to catch live. The guitar solo is fantastic.

‘F.O.A.L’, the final song (the first single and video released for the album), and is an acronym that stands for ‘Fuck Off And Live’. It’s an anthem of a song that ends this album on a high. The lyrics focus on the angst that Midnight is famous for. The track covers punk, traditional metal, and thrash metal and leaves one feeling beaten and physically tired with its speed and aggression.

What I like most about Midnight is that they are always honest and do not cater to any trends or fads. Their music is created for fans of aggressive metal, which, to this scribe, is super important. With each release the band continues to put out ground-breaking material and this album certainly solidifies that.

Hellish Expectations will delight Midnight‘s existing fanbase while also serving as a perfect gateway album for new fans. One thing is for certain: once you get into Midnight you are a violator for life. Pick this up and crank it to eleven!

Hellish Expectations drops March 8th via Metal Blade Records.

ALBUM REVIEW – DARKSPACE

Darkspace – Darkspace II

Reviewed By: Jason Deaville

Review Score: 7.5

In space, no one can hear you scream. This marketing slogan for the original Alien movie (released all the way back in ’79) may be scientifically correct. Further explained, space is a vacuum, which means it contains almost no matter. The word vacuum comes from the Latin word for empty. Sound is carried by atoms and molecules. In space, with no atoms or molecules to carry a sound wave, there’s no sound. With this in mind, how is it possible that the cosmic echoes and haunting screams of Swiss psychedelic/atmospheric/spatial black metallers, Darkspace, resonate through the deepest, darkest recesses of the cosmos? Let’s find out!

The triumvirate that is Darkspace (Wroth – guitars/vocals, Zhaaral – bass, vocals, and newest member Yhs – guitars, vocals) are gearing up for their long-awaited return to earth after almost a decade since their last transmission. They will emerge from the void on February 16th via Season Of Mist with their brand new album, Dark Space-II. With them, they bring a non-stop 47-minute voyage that drifts far beyond the earthbound realm of black metal. Fractal electronic samples slice through layers of extraterrestrial drones. Vocal transmissions, like whispers from the outer reaches, seamlessly intertwine with the chilling mix, adding a haunting dimension to this celestial configuration.

Dark Space -II loosely deviates from the course set by Darkspace on their previous four albums, experimenting with different sonic textures. But while the mysterious trio still venture into uncharted aural territories, Dark Space -II never leaves their familiar realm of atmospheric, ambient black metal. The programmed drums are sequenced in such a way that it carries the music over light years, like a transmission emerging out of the depths of a stellar-mass black hole to be intercepted and dissected by beings of unknown origins. The guitars echo with a cold and clinical melody while the vocals fluctuate between a raspy, growled iciness and a cybernetic snarl.

Unlike previous albums, Darkspace-II strikes an equilibrium never before heard. Typically, the band either rage with a fury befitting a Type I Supernovae or they drift into a relatively calm region of the universe that inspires a more ambient, trippy, serene singularity. This duality of chaos and coherence serves the album well, not unlike a competent cosmic horror movie that leaves the active participant on the edge of their seat never knowing what lurks in the icy cold blackness.

It’s difficult to further dissect this album, as it contains only one continuous track. This works in its favour, as the seamless transmission never fluctuates too much, which, in turn, keeps the listener’s attention focused and immersed in the cosmic waves of blackened interstellar metal. This is an album to throw on when pondering the vastness of the cosmos, as it is the perfect soundtrack to the unknown and the unobservable of this universe we call home.

Darkspace -II will reach Earth on February 16th via Season Of Mist.

ALBUM REVIEW: FIREWIND

Firewind – Stand United

Reviewed by: Jim Harrison

Review Score: 9.5

Power metal Icons Firewind are set to release their anticipated new album ‘Stand United’ on March 1, 2024.

Coming off their last release, a live showcase titled ‘Still Raging – 20th Anniversary Show’ in September of 2023, it’s great to get a new release so early in 2024.

Guitar virtuoso Gus G, vocalist Herbie Langhans, bassist Petros Christo and drummer Jo Nunez have created a body of work that tackles the issues of the day with the direction that we need to ‘Stand United’ rather than at odds with each other.

The fantastic artwork created by Costin Chioreanu echos the message with the multitude of faces making this so poignant. The first track ‘Salvation Day’ gets right to the point with massive guitar riffs, strong vocal performance and a pounding drum and bass beat giving you some insight what this album is all about.

‘Stand United’ is one of my favourite songs which has a massive power metal sound right from the wicked guitar intro. The catchy chorus will make this a fan favourite live. ‘Destiny Calling’ the lead single released as a teaser for fans during their European tour. This track has it all with a killer groove and a smoking guitar solo. ‘The Power Lies Within’ is a heavy song with thick groovy sound showcase Gus G’s flawless guitar ability. This is another personal favourite of mine.

Tracks ‘Come Undone’ and ‘Fallen Angel’ both are pre release singles that have more of a progressive sound and killer drum beats. Again the guitar solos are phenomenal on these tracks. ‘Chains’ is a super catchy song and the intro is reminiscent of Judas Priest. Langhans vocals are strong and Gus G creates a cool chugging sound leaving an ear worm.

‘Land of Chaos’ gives you a total ass kicking. The killer guitar intro and solo, thumping drums and bass mixed with a heavy vocal performance gives off a more traditional sound making this the heaviest track on the album. Langhans snarl is a a cool addition giving this track a darker sound. ‘Talking In Your Sleep’ is a Romantics cover and a fun addition to this album. It brings this song to another level and is heavy as hell.

The last song on the album ‘Days Of Grace’ completes the album with a song that creates an immersive listening experience. The acoustic guitar intro mixed with an impressive vocal range gives you the notion of a ballad but Gus G’s ripping solo changes the direction of the song bringing in a heavier groove that gives this track such a cool sound.

Firewind consistently creates groundbreaking material and this new release is evidence of this.

Musically, vocally and lyrically this album checks all the boxes and you can tell this band is a tight knit unit that love what they do.

This album spans many metal genres and I recommend it to all metal fans looking for a relevant release in 2024. Play it at eleven.

Stand United is set to release March 1, 2024 via AFM Records.

ALBUM REVIEW – INFECTED RAIN

Infected Rain – Time

Reviewed by: Georgina Strilakos

Review Score: 9.0

Moldova’s Infected Rain return with their massive sixth Nu Metal creation, Time, on February 9, 2024, via Napalm Records. Following their very successful album from 2022’s Ecdysis—which received great acclaim and debuted in the Top 20 US Music charts. An eclectic studio album that pushes the envelope in the modern metal scene

The Moldovan band has been active since 2008. Throughout its journey, the group has stood out for its ability to think outside the box and bring originality to the metal scene with its kaleidoscopic sound.” The band’s music often combines various metal subgenres, incorporating elements of alternative, nu-metal, and metalcore. Lena Scissorhands’ powerful and versatile vocals, coupled with the band’s dynamic instrumentation, contribute to their distinctive musical identity and ability to constantly try new things.

Time is yet another example of their approach. The album track list, which has already been revealed, is going to feature twelve new songs. Each track allows the band to experiment with different ideas, highlighting the incredibly broad scope of this record. The flagship single, ‘Never To Return’, is a very good introduction to the aesthetics of this album. The song features cinematic ambient tones, as well as brutal guitar, riffs, and diverse arrangements with somewhat of a progressive feel. With a penchant for theatrics and storytelling, the band managed to create a very immersive album with a strong sonic narrative behind it.

It is not always easy to add something new to the conversation when it comes to metal music, but Infected Rain has something to say. Fans of bands such as Jinjer, Arch Enemy, Lacuna Coil, and Otep should most definitely give this album a shot! Bands like these have helped and continue to help shape the sound of contemporary metal music, drawing outside the lines and bringing more variety to the scene.

Thankfully, this band set out to stay pretty prolific over the past few years, even in spite of the obvious challenges many artists have had to face in the not-too-distant past. Infected Rain strikes as a band on a constant quest to expand its sound and raking in new influences to keep treating fans to something special. It’s always very interesting to hear metal bands that are open to incorporating ideas and sounds that are not commonly associated with metal music. This fusion brings the genre to new places and helps come up with a more original sound for the artist. Time fits this category!

Find out more about Infected Rain here and stay tuned for the upcoming release of this remarkable new studio work!

ALBUM REVIEW – BLOOD RED THRONE

Blood Red Throne – Nonagon

Reviewed By: Dennis van’t Hoofd

Review Score: 8.0

When Daniel ‘Død’ Olaisen and Tchort formed Blood Red Throne in 1998 they had a unique selling
point in that the two of them played live for Satyricon, and the latter credited with bass on
Emperor’s influential debut album In The Nightside Eclipse.

Fast-forward twenty-six years later and Blood Red Throne is now a well established death metal institute from Norway with guitarist Død and drummer Freddy Bolsø as the only remaining founding members. With Nonagon Blood Red Throne releases their eleventh studio album with new vocalist Sindre Wathne Johnsen, who replaces long time frontman Yngve ‘Bolt’ Christiansen.

The nine tracks on Nonagon are conceptualized around the nine concentric circles of torment located within the earth as described in ‘Inferno’, the first part of the fourteenth century poem ‘Divine Comedy’ by Italian writer Dante, but the lyrics are free for interpretation. Ever since their 2001 debut album Monument Of Death or 2002’s Affiliated With The Dead, Blood Red Throne have been delivering relentless death metal strongly rooted in early nineties US death metal and Nonagon is no exception to that rule.

Blood Red Throne stay true to their sound and treat us with yet another pounding death metal release, full of technical riffs, fat grooves and slamming parts. Musically, Blood Red Throne mixes the brutality of Cannibal Corpse and the melodic grooves of Amon Amarth and out comes a fine blend of old-school groovy yet technical death metal. New vocalist Sindre Wathne Johnsen delivers a great job with his versatile death grunts and high pitched screams and is a great addition to the line-up of Blood Red Throne.

Fans of groovy no-nonsense death metal with a great full-sounding production should definitely check Nonagon out. The album is out now via Soulseller Records.