It’s an early Tuesday afternoon. Somewhere within the murky depths of Cleveland, Ohio is Athenar, the masked mastermind behind black rock ‘n’ roll barbarians Midnight, packing up a rental van with gear. He’s about to take a 6 hour trek to Philadelphia, where Midnight will be shooting a music video for their upcoming album, Let There Be Witchery. Between this and a package tour with Mayhem and Watain set to kick off in roughly a week, it was nothing short of miraculous that Athenar found 30 minutes to talk with us about his songwriting process, his love of the NWOBHM, and more. Try as you might, “You Can’t Stop Steel”!
Greetings Athenar and welcome to Defenders of the Faith! How are you doing today?
Athenar: Everything’s good! Long story short, they’ve been booking this thing to make a video. Things have just been getting moved around and moved around. I just went to pick up the rental car to drive to Philadelphia for the video shoot, but I didn’t have to wait as long as I suspected.
It sounds like there’s never a dull moment in the Midnight camp, even despite two years of sheer global insanity.
A: Yeah, I’m trying not to be dull. Once things are dull, then it’s…blah *laughs*.
Exactly. Before we talk about this new album, I want to go back in time roughly two years ago now. You just released your first album on Metal Blade, Rebirth by Blasphemy, there’s a tour right around the corner, and then, all of a sudden, COVID hits. Was your immediate reaction to continue writing new music?
A: Yeah, like I said man, it’s just typical my luck. Typical Cleveland Luck. Like you said, “Alright! Metal Blade Records man! I got this fucking album coming out. It’s gonna rule! We’re gonna conquer the world touring everywhere!” You’ve got this huge erection and then, *makes sinking ship noise* you just go flacid *laughs*. It was exactly what it was, but what the fuck can you do? I just kept making up tunes and recording, so there’s a shit ton of music that’s recorded and ready to go, that’s for sure. That’s all I’ve been doing.
What inspired the title Let There Be Witchery?
A: Well, the thing about it is that the album was recorded pre-COVID days. It was recorded in January, 2020. All of the album was written back in 2019. We were all busy doing stuff. Let There Be Witchery is the old tale of the evil woman and the joy and the woe that they can bring upon you. It will always be there, so Let There Be Witchery man. They’ll always be here to torture men.
It’s long been a theme of metal, going as far back as Deep Purple’s “Burn”, Black Sabbath’s “Lady Evil”, Venom’s “Don’t Burn the Witch”…I could go on.
A: Yeah, of course.
You mentioned this was recorded at the beginning of 2020. Does that mean there’s already future Midnight albums in the can?
A: Yeah, there is a vault stored with plenty of them *laughs*. You had a couple months of 2020 to sit around and go, “Ugh, this sucks.” After that, you’re like, “Alright, time to do what I do.” Otherwise, what’s the purpose? I might as well put a fucking gun to my head. I just started making up tunes, getting busy in the basement, and recording stuff.
As the sole studio member of Midnight, what do you most find yourself using as the building block of a song: lyrics, guitar riffs, or rhythms?
A: All of the above. It can come from anywhere. It never comes the same way twice, just like the…I’m not even gonna go into that terrible joke. You just have to be ready for when the ideas flow by. Whether it’s a certain rhythm pattern that you have or a lyrical idea, a song title, or something you’re fuddling around with on your guitar, that’s the best way. You just keep an open mind and keep an open tab so that when they come by, you just have to grab them.
While Midnight have always been true to their credo of “Black Rock ‘n’ Roll”, recent albums have displayed an increased traditional metal influence, specifically the incorporation of NWOBHM inspired riffs. Can fans expect the same with this album?
A: I think that’s always been there from day one. Personally, there’s always been that NWOBHM. “All Hail Hell” is pure NWOBHM worship. There’s always been a lot of stuff like that in there. It’s ingrained in my blood. The only way it will not be there is if I don’t have blood in my body *laughs*.
On the last album in particular, I heard lots of Tygers of Pan Tang and lots of early Def Leppard, which is always great to hear because those are bands who, even despite the traditional metal resurgence, don’t get enough love.
A: Yeah, especially a band like Def Leppard because maybe younger folks don’t realize how great they are because unfortunately they had to hear “Pour Some Sugar on Me” and that dogshit. They don’t appreciate High ‘n’ Dry and On Through the Night and those kinds of records where they’re 17 years old and kicking ass. Then they got to be old farts of 22 and 23 *laughs* and started making sap, in my opinion.
I agree. It’s funny because there was one song on Rebirth by Blasphemy, and I pointed it out in my review of the album, that reminded me of either “Wasted” or “Another Hit and Run”. And I even noted, “For those of you my age who think, “Def Leppard? That band my mom listens to?”, check out those early records and think again.”
A: Oh yeah definitely. Certain bands like Aerosmith, Def Leppard, Van Halen. To me, I hate all those bands, but they’re my favorite bands. The early stuff is some of my favorite in the world and then unfortunately they just took the wrong left turn at Albuquerque or whatever the hell Bugs Bunny says. They just fucked up *laughs*. Like, damn, come on man. Aerosmith in the 90s makes me wanna vomit.
That makes two of us!
A: *laughs* Right on!
Speaking of the NWOBHM, if you were stranded on a desert island with only three NWOBHM 7 inches, which ones would they be and why?
A: Well that’s a good question. Would I have a record player?
Yeah.
A: OK, would I have electricity?
Yeah, on this island you have electricity and a record player and nothing else.
A: *laughs* OK! You know, to categorize some music is unfair I guess, but there is a specific genre to that. It was that ‘79 to ‘82ish period where that small little island of England created so much fucking good stuff. It’s mind blowing how many good records came out in just that little 36 months of time. Some people classify Venom as that era, which they are, but somehow they’ve transcended that and they’re just Venom in my book. I generally don’t lump them in with the NWOBHM. If I did, they’d definitely be in there.
Bands I consider to be NWOBHM are bands who didn’t do much other than that. Saxon, Iron Maiden, those bands transcended it. They released what they did there, but they just kept going. They’re a part of the movement, but for me, it’s just funner if anything to go with the bands who maybe just put out an album or a 7 inch or two in that era. Anyway, to answer your question, definitely the top two that are always at the top of my list are Sweet Savage’s “Take No Prisoners” and Aragorn’s “Black Ice”. Those just fucking crush. Both sides are great. For a third one, it could be a wild card. You can go anywhere. I think this might be past the limit because I think it’s ‘83, but we’ll go with JJ’s Powerhouse’s “Blackrods”. That’s a smoker.
I’d say it makes the cut, just at the tail end.
A: It’s ‘83, but it still sounds ‘81ish. I think they were a little behind the times or something *laugh*. It’s a great record though. I love it.
Yeah, there were definitely some of those hanger ons in ‘83 and ‘84 who were gripping on to that sound, but weren’t ready to go the Pyromania route so to speak. It’s funny because a couple years ago I interviewed Jon Deverill from Tygers of Pan Tang.
A: Oh cool! He’s my favorite singer of that band anyways. I always get asked that question: Jess Cox or Jon Deverill? Crazy Nights and Spellbound are my favorites.
Same. Well we got to talking about The Cage and he said he felt that record was Pyromania before Pyromania. Not only that, but because Tygers were at that point headlining Reading, he felt Leppard took a cue from them.
A: I felt the same way too. I don’t know if Def Leppard took a cue from The Cage as much as I think that was just a lot to do with Mutt Lange, but it was definitely their mindset. It was Tygers’ fourth album on MCA. Like a lot of bands of that time, they had to hit it big in America, but they were one of the first that really wanted to hit it big because that was ‘82. It’s pre-Pyromania, but Pyromania took a long time to record. If I remember correctly, Pyromania came out in early ‘83, which would mean it was already being recorded in ‘82, when The Cage was released. I don’t know if they took a cue exactly from that album, but it was for sure the pre-Pyromania Pyromania. The ultimate wimpout *laughs*.
“Paris by Air” still rules!
A: Yeah and I like the B side to “Makin’ Tracks”. I can’t think of the title right now. I thought that was a good jam. It’s poppy, but still a good tune.
Yeah that, and the other one I love, I don’t care what anyone says, “Danger in Paradise”. John Parr baby!
A: *laughs* Oh man.
Changing subjects, another massive influence on Midnight is old school punk. Who are your favorite punk bands and how did that scene influence you?
A: Punk, to me I guess, is rather the attitude than just the mohawk. Most of the stuff I like is gonna be rock influenced punk, who probably didn’t think of themselves as punk. Stuff like The Stooges, Dead Boys, Heartbreakers. Those would be my favorite, if you wanna call them punk bands. Then there’s of course Discharge and things like that who I consider another unique band, unto themselves, kind of like Venom. Discharge is Discharge. You can’t classify them as anything other than Discharge.
Absolutely. Despite the movement they spawned, you can have a million clones, but at the end of the day, there’s only one Discharge.
A: *laughs* Yeah right! That’s exactly the way I feel. Sure, there’s all these other dis- bands, but…why?
Especially when the formula was perfected on an album that’s now 40 years old, which is insane to think.
A: *laughs* Yeah, it’s incredible.
I listen to Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing now and it still sounds like it could’ve been recorded yesterday.
A: Yeah, easily.
I also agree with you about the 70s bands you listed who were more on the rock n’ roll side of things. I always considered them, alongside The Dictators and New York Dolls, to be the first true punk bands whether they knew it or not.
A: Yeah, The Dictators are another great band. Ross the Boss just crushes.
Absolutely. Midnight has a diehard legion of fans, affectionately called “Violators”. What is the most over the top occurrence you’ve had with a Violator that you can legally disclose with us?
A: *laughs* I like how you threw “legally” in there! You know, it’s a cool thing. I don’t know if I wanna start the fire, but it’s a cool thing just to have anybody who appreciates the same things I appreciate because as it is being into metal and punk and stuff, we’re already at the bottom of the pit. We’re already misfits. To have some other kind of animal appreciate the same kind of stuff is cool and unique. To have a bunch of them is something I never would’ve thought, as I was getting into this music before I had hair on my ballbag. To be making up songs and have people get into them the same way I did as a kid, it’s a cool thing man. What can I say? I’m very humbled by it.
Yeah, you have quite the dedicated fanbase. We see it all over social media and the interwebs. They’re dying for this new record.
A: Yeah, it’s a cool thing!
Before starting Midnight, you were involved in the cult metal outfit, Boulder. How did this band affect the direction Midnight would eventually go in?
A: I think it just affected it in the way that I was tired of being in a band. I don’t know if that makes sense, but when you have so many cooks in the kitchen, as they say, I just wanted to be the only cook. I just wanted to eat what I wanted to eat. That’s all that happened there. I just wanted to hear songs that I wanted to hear, make up songs that I wanted to make up without being involved with anyone. Not that it’s a bad thing. It could be a good thing, but I did it for years in a band with people who weren’t always on the same page. Sometimes you can make some cool shit like that, but we did it for years and it ran its course. It was pretty natural. No hard feelings with anyone.
A few years ago, I saw Midnight at Reggies here in Chicago play what I believe was their first ever show as a four piece. What are the biggest differences between playing as a quartet as opposed to a trio, and who was that mystery guitarist?
A: *laughs* That was an ill fated experiment, as most three pieces when they try to change to a four piece are. This band is just meant to be a three piece. I’ve tried it once or twice as a four piece. It sounds OK. The sound is good, but I don’t think it’s any less better as a three piece. Chemistry wise, it works perfectly as a three piece. The person who played has since not been happy not being in the band. Whatever *laughs*.
Shall we leave that person a mystery?
A: Yeah, it’s best.
I remember walking out of that show and at first thinking it was Chris Black from High Spirits.
A: No, Chris and I have been friends for decades and continue to be friends, so it definitely wasn’t him.
Yeah, you guys did that cool little collaboration with him a few years ago now.
A: Yeah, it was wild. We were just staying at his house as we usually do. He said, “Hey man, wanna record some vocals real quick?” It happened that quick. He handed me this sheet of paper to sing and that’s what it was *laughs*. He kind of railroaded me into that.
He’s great. I have it. That’s a killer 7 inch.
A: Oh yeah, Chris has always been a nice guy.
Midnight is about to embark on their first tour in two years, opening for Mayhem and Watain on a cross country trek. As someone who came up in the 90s, I’m sure you recall the rise, fall, and subsequent rebirth of Mayhem first hand. How do you feel to be opening up for them all these years later?
A: It’s cool. Not having played any tours for over two years, it’s cool to play with anybody. No disrespect towards Mayhem and Watain. We’re just ready to get out there. That’s as much as I can say about that. I saw Mayhem live once I believe. It might’ve been one of their first US shows. It was at Milwaukee Metalfest in ‘97 or ‘98. I went to see Venom or Sodom. I can’t remember. ‘97 was Venom. ‘98 was Sodom. That was the first time and I haven’t seen them since. It’s been a bit *laughs*.
I assume I know the answer already, but how was that Venom show?
A: It was great. That was before obviously the internet and stuff. We knew it was happening, but there was always the chance of, “Oh, maybe they’re not playing. Maybe they will. Maybe they won’t.” We just drove there with blind faith that they’ll play and they did. It was great. Cronos broke a bass. They played all the classic Venom songs.
I only asked because I know somebody up in the balcony taped that whole show and posted it onto YouTube years later. I used to watch that with my dad all the time in high school. That would’ve been such a cool show to see.
A: Yeah, it was. The thing about that was then we left and got back home. That Venom show was on a Saturday night. Sunday night in Cleveland, it was the reunited Exodus with Paul Baloff and S.O.D. at Peabody’s. So we saw Venom that weekend with the three classic members and then on Sunday we saw Exodus with Baloff. It was two of my favorite things to happen in a short period of time.
So after this round of shows, can fans expect another hard year of touring from Midnight?
A: Yeah, that’s the plan! Disease willing, we’ll find out.
The new Midnight album, Let There Be Witchery, comes out on Metal Blade Records, Friday, March 4. For more information on Midnight, visit www.totalmidnight.webs.com.
fucking awesome interview joe!