Despite a recording output that goes back to 2008, Limited Infinity is my first encounter with Teutonic traditionalists, Midnight Rider. Moreover, if it weren’t for the involvement of Chris Black, this album probably wouldn’t have been on my radar to begin with. Yes, as if the Professor didn’t have his hands full enough between High Spirits, Aktor, Black Sites, his namesake project, the sporadic Dawnbringer gig, and penning what’s bound to be the definitive tome on Bathory, he’s now linked up with some heavy friends for yet another thrilling musical endeavor, guaranteed to appeal to classic metal fans of all ages.
Though I can’t speak for past Midnight Rider releases, Limited Infinity is firmly rooted in the hard and heavy sound of the wild ’70s. While acts like Metalucifer and Metal Inquisitor saw founding guitarist Blumi flex his leather-studded ’80s metal muscle, Midnight Rider seems to be an outlet for the guitarist to explore riffs, licks, and other assorted fretboard heroics in the vein of Frank Marino, Tony Iommi, Gorham and Robertson, and Tipton and Downing in their youth. Couple this with the soaring melodic vocals of Black, feelgood, bong-rattling headbangers, and a crisp production true to their era it pays homage to, and Limited Infinity is anything but a limited listen.
The opening “Charlemagne” kicks things off with a boogie metal bounce reminiscent of Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Thin Lizzy, and Motor City maniacs, Locust Point, tailormade for a sweaty, barroom bonanza. Throughout the course of this album, there are quite a few cuts that tap into this boogie-woogie shuffle, namely “The Battle of Brighton” and “Blitzlight”. As someone who frequently spins the likes of Foghat and ZZ Top as much as Sabbath and Priest, I really appreciate these types of hard-nosed throwbacks, and wish there were more acts today who tried their hand at this boogie metal sound. For a band with roots in Germany, one could be forgiven for thinking they cut their teeth in the deep south of the US of A!
Speaking of Priest, there are no shortage of moments that evoke shadows of the Metal Gods as well, but not in the way that you think. While aping ’80s Priest has been all the rage for the better part of the last 15 years, Midnight Rider’s nod to Birmingham’s second favorite sons come in the form of stone cold, riff-driven headbangers like “The Renegade”, “Defenders of the Dormant Ones”, and “Twice the Pride – Double the Fall”, just to name a few. The way in which the riffs are executed and the arrangements are structured gives off serious Sad Wings of Destiny vibes, yet without ever sounding like a blatant ripoff of the now half century-old monolith. It’s quite refreshing, really, in a world of bands haplessly trying their hand at the Defenders formula for the two zillionth time.
Come the closing, AOR-tinged melodicism of “Dark Shadows”, my personal favorite cut and the one moment on here that could pass for a High Spirits tune, Limited Infinity fully enraptures listeners with an old school metal experience that’s as fulfilling as it is kickass. This is a no-skip affair if I’ve ever heard one, and again, I’d expect nothing less from an album boasting the involvement of Professor Black. From our native Windy City to the far-away land of Germany, the heavy metal connection is strong between us, as heard on this record. Indeed, metal knows no boundaries, or whatever Slayer once sang.
8 out of 10
Label: Massacre Records
Genre: Heavy Metal/Hard Rock
For fans of: Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest, High Spirits
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