In 2003, the evil spawn of Motörhead and Venom was born in a filth ridden Cleveland, Ohio alley. The child’s name was Midnight. He wasn’t born with much, but he was born with what mattered: a black hood, leather jacket, bullet belt, Fender bass, and unrelenting fury. It’s with this fury that Midnight put out release after release and played show after show; slowly building up a reputation as one of the most (in)famous names in the metal underground. And now, in that same unrelenting spirit, Midnight unleashes their fourth full length album: Rebirth by Blasphemy.
Despite having never gone away, this album feels like a “rebirth” for Midnight for a couple reasons. It’s their first album on the iconic Metal Blade Records. Having been the premiere name on Hells Headbangers Records for the better part of a decade, you could only imagine my shock when Midnight’s switch to Metal Blade was announced. This signing leads to my next point: The Midnight of 2020 is not the Midnight of 2010. Once a band reserved for the tiniest of punk dive bars, Midnight can now easily fill a mid sized club as a headliner. Their signing to Metal Blade will only further spread their “Black Rock ‘n’ Roll” to the masses.
Rebirth kicks off with “F*cking Speed and Darkness”. Fast, furious, and no holds barred, one could argue this song sums up Midnight’s entire career. As the album continues, Midnight proves this is not the case, but more on that in a bit. Midnight has always had a knack for grabbing the listener by the throat with their opening tracks. Once you’ve began listening, you’re hooked until the end of the record. “FSaD” is bound to become a Midnight anthem alongside the likes of “Evil like a Knife” and “You Can’t Stop Steel”.
The mood set by the opener continues with the cryptic title track and completely over the top “Devil’s Excrement”. This is until halfway through. We screech to a halt with “Rising Scum”. Slow and menacing, it’s one of my favorite tracks on the album. Midnight proves they can be just as convincing at a tempo one can headbang to without snapping their neck as they are playing said tempos alluded to in the opening track. What I love most about “Rising Scum” is that Venom used the same slowdown approach to create sinister classics such as “The Seven Gates of Hell” and “Buried Alive”.
Venom is not the only influence at play on Rebirth. Later we are met with “The Sounds of Hell”. As the simple punk guitars kicked in, my jaw hung open. Could it possibly be? It must! Aside from Athenar’s tormented vocals, this sounds straight off Cheap Trick’s self titled debut. For those unfamiliar with the Rockford quartet’s output aside from “Surrender” and “I Want You to Want Me”, their debut is significantly darker and heavier than the rest of their catalog. I can easily draw parallels between “The Sounds of Hell” and Cheap Trick’s “He’s a Whore”. Whether the influence was intentional or not, I welcome it with open arms!
Just when things couldn’t get any better, we are given the epic closer, “You Can Drag Me Through Fire”. With it comes another classic influence! My first thought upon hearing the slow guitar buildup into the shrapnel burst of a riff: This is pure Leppard. No kiddies. Not the band who tours the nostalgia circuit asking your moms to “Pour Sugar” on them every summer. I’m talking the lean, mean, NWOBHM machine that put out the masterpiece High ‘n’ Dry (1981). This song gives serious “Lady Strange” and “Another Hit and Run” vibes. Much like the Cheap Trick influence mentioned above, intentional or not, bring it on!
Some may be surprised at Midnight exploring different metal territory. I’m not. Some of these more traditional approaches were attempted on their previous album, Sweet Death and Ecstasy (2017). I feel they are better executed on here. Whether they’re playing fast, slow, or somewhere in between, Midnight has put out another great album that serves as the perfect soundtrack to a wasted Friday night on the town. Somewhere in the great beyond, Lemmy is drinking his beloved Jack and coke and giving the one finger salute to his long lost son, Midnight.
9 out of 10
Label: Metal Blade Records
Genre: Black/Speed Metal
For fans of: Motörhead, Venom, Toxic Holocaust