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Kalaratri
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 20, 2022 2:14 pm 
 

Blackened speed metallers Midnight will release their fifth full length, Let There Be Witchery, on March 4 through Metal Blade. From the press release:

Quote:
Filthy, belligerent and obnoxious, Midnight make music to start fights to. Since 2003, one-man-band Athenar has been churning out an ungodly racket, dropping countless demos, splits and EPs, and in 2022 he returns with Midnight's fifth full-length, Let There Be Witchery. Delivering more of what can be expected from his demented mind, it is a catchy mixture of black and speed metal and dirty punk rock, and it is relentlessly compulsive. "I always want it to be loud and nasty," he asserts. "That kinda thing never gets old with me. How funny will that look to see me at age 77 - if I reach that point - sitting on the porch blasting Hellhammer?"

Generically describing it as being "a Midnight record", Athenar believes it would make a fine introduction into the warped world he exists in for anyone new to the band, and he is not wrong, possessing all of Midnight's trademarks, amped up to eleven. The profoundly sinister d-beat romp "Telepathic Nightmare" kicks things off unpleasantly, and from there he slams through the likes of riot-starter "Nocturnal Molestation", the Motörhead-esque "Let There Be Sodomy" and loping bruiser "More Torment." "I never really sit down and say, 'okay, now I'll start to make up some jams' - they just get stockpiled. The tunes on this one started coming around early 2019. Writing catchily comes naturally to me - if something is difficult for me, I just don't do it, so it has to be natural. I'm a person that says if at first you don't succeed, fuck it. But yeah, catchiness and hooks are important to me." When asked if there's anything on this record he has never done before, he has a typically Athenar answer: "I used the term 'vulva flesh'. I can't believe it took this many albums to get to that point. There's also the tune 'Devil Virgin' which has the Mercyful Fate disco hi-hat beat. That's something different." Guitar solos are of course also an important factor in any Midnight record, and Let There Be Witchery does not disappoint in this department. "All the solos have been spontaneous since the start of the band. I just give it a shot, then maybe stumble across a theme, then try it again and again and again. That's the way I like solos to sound, spontaneous yet have some sorta map in there to follow, kinda like a methed up lunatic driving a car missing a wheel at top speed down a curvy highway on his way to get more meth. It's not gonna be pretty, but you know he'll find a way to get there somehow."

The title is a combination of the song titles "Let There Be Sodomy" and "Szex Witchery", Athenar wanting to maintain the tradition of using six syllables. Lyrically, the record is "unfiltered savage animalisticness", and the deeper the listener delves, the dirtier they get, which is just the way it should be. When it came to tracking the record, Athenar returned to Mercenary Studios in Cleveland, OH and producer Noah Buchanan, who makes it very easy for him to cut loose and make noise, choosing to once again record all the instruments himself despite having a live band that could step in and help out. "It's still just me and my science project gone awry. I realize I'm musically handicapped, but there's a charm to it." The sessions went by fairly quickly, and there were no real problems to navigate - it's after the tracking that things got a little trickier. "The mixing process can take a bit more time because I have no idea what I want until I hear it. I keep telling Noah, 'I want it to sound like a mix of Raw Power and Apocalyptic Raids!' Then he has to sit me down and say, 'those records already exist, let's make it sound like Midnight.' The most difficult part may be the vocals, just because I'm not usually in vocal shape, although this time around I was kind of in shape because we did so many gigs in 2019 that by the time it was recorded in February 2020, my throat was still used to being tortured." With artwork once again handled by William Lacey, who always wants to make things suitably creepy, Athenar is very happy with that side of things and content that the record will be shat into the world in the way that it should be. Next comes touring, backed up by Commandor Vanik and Secret Steel, "they're not a good live band, they're a great live band! They are masters of their craft - those guys really hold it all together. I'm just meandering around bashing away and grunting." Mulling over the question as to why anyone should actually give a shit about Midnight, he once again comes up with a typically Athenar answer: "If I were to give actual good advice, I would say stay clear of anything to do with Midnight. But I'm not a rational thinker, so as usual, I will give terrible advice and say punish your earholes and play this album as loud as your stereo goes, go out to a gig and mingle with others that you don't know, lick their faces and rub upon each other's sweaty torsos to the hellish, neanderthalish noise of a band called Midnight! You gotta release your demons somehow! That's why you should give a shit, or two."




Image

Tracklisting:
1. Telepathic Nightmare (03:31)
2. Frothing Foulness (02:59)
3. In Sinful Secrecy (03:21)
4. Nocturnal Molestation (03:41)
5. More Torment (03:59)
6. Let There Be Sodomy (03:22)
7. Devil Virgin (03:45)
8. Snake Obsession (02:41)
9. Villainy Wretched Villainy (03:26)
10. Szex Witchery (03:59)

Szex Witchery has been released as the first single:
Spoiler: show


The first single is a pretty typical Midnight track, but you pretty much always know what you're getting with Midnight anyway. I'm sure the album as a whole will be good, Athenar is consistent if nothing else.


Last edited by Kalaratri on Thu Jan 20, 2022 2:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Metal_Jaw
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 20, 2022 2:27 pm 
 

Sounds like Midnight alright, and I mean that in the best way possible. I know myself too well and I'm already ready to put this on my year-end top 10.

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narsilianshard
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 20, 2022 2:35 pm 
 

I'm so fucking sick of their "lol rape is funny" vibes. Those song titles are cringey as hell.
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pyratebastard
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 20, 2022 2:47 pm 
 

Hell yes. Happy fucking birthday to me.
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Sokaris
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 20, 2022 2:54 pm 
 

Sounds great! I thought the last one was their best since the debut so I'm hoping for more at that level.
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MetlaNZ
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 20, 2022 4:19 pm 
 

Fuck yeah! Midnight fuckin rules. Let there be Midnight Wtchery in 2022!

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doomicus
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 20, 2022 5:55 pm 
 

Even though I'm a fiend for motorpunk and black speed metal I've always thought that Midnight sucks. Their take on the sound is way too pretty and controlled. Honestly pretty poppy. Will be passing on this, as the preview track just sounds like more of the same, but with even more lame polish.
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henkkjelle
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 20, 2022 6:18 pm 
 

doomicus wrote:
Even though I'm a fiend for motorpunk and black speed metal I've always thought that Midnight sucks. Their take on the sound is way too pretty and controlled. Honestly pretty poppy. Will be passing on this, as the preview track just sounds like more of the same, but with even more lame polish.


Yeah this has always been my biggest problem with Midnight. The music always sounds like it's stuck in gear. It has the potential to go balls to the wall but it's always played too measured, too slow, and too polished. I really don't mind poppiness but it doesn't work for Midnight at all.
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AxeCapitol
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 20, 2022 8:07 pm 
 

henkkjelle wrote:
doomicus wrote:
Even though I'm a fiend for motorpunk and black speed metal I've always thought that Midnight sucks. Their take on the sound is way too pretty and controlled. Honestly pretty poppy. Will be passing on this, as the preview track just sounds like more of the same, but with even more lame polish.


Yeah this has always been my biggest problem with Midnight. The music always sounds like it's stuck in gear. It has the potential to go balls to the wall but it's always played too measured, too slow, and too polished. I really don't mind poppiness but it doesn't work for Midnight at all.


Hard disagree. Poppy? He wears his influences on his sleeve - and that includes a ton of melodic
NWOBHM and other hard rock influences. The man can write a hook. It’s homage to the classics -
Not exactly hall and Oates.

I digress. Different strokes for different folks.

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AxeCapitol
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 20, 2022 8:11 pm 
 

Also I thought he was going to do a double album - but I’ll take it. Between this and Ghost - I’m most pleased.

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Kalaratri
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 20, 2022 8:30 pm 
 

Athenar wrote the material for this album back in 2020 and shelved it for a while because he didn't think it was on par with his previous albums. He actually wrote an entirely new album's worth of material afterwards and then changed his mind about the music for this album after he revisited it. So there's another album ready to go after this one, they're just going to release them separately.

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AxeCapitol
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 20, 2022 8:46 pm 
 

Kalaratri wrote:
Athenar wrote the material for this album back in 2020 and shelved it for a while because he didn't think it was on par with his previous albums. He actually wrote an entirely new album's worth of material afterwards and then changed his mind about the music for this album after he revisited it. So there's another album ready to go after this one, they're just going to release them separately.


Appreciate the context. Cheers.

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MonumentalBlackArt
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 20, 2022 8:57 pm 
 

More Midnight is always good. I'll be sure to listen to the album at least a couple times before the tour with Mayhem/Watain comes to town.

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Ace_Rimmer
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 20, 2022 9:23 pm 
 

I've really dug the last two and will get this one for sure.

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Bingewolf
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 20, 2022 11:55 pm 
 

Generally speaking, I like Midnight! Can't say I love the cover art but the song sounds good. Look forward to checking out the full project when it releases.

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MetlaNZ
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 21, 2022 1:02 am 
 

henkkjelle wrote:
doomicus wrote:
Even though I'm a fiend for motorpunk and black speed metal I've always thought that Midnight sucks. Their take on the sound is way too pretty and controlled. Honestly pretty poppy. Will be passing on this, as the preview track just sounds like more of the same, but with even more lame polish.


Yeah this has always been my biggest problem with Midnight. The music always sounds like it's stuck in gear. It has the potential to go balls to the wall but it's always played too measured, too slow, and too polished. I really don't mind poppiness but it doesn't work for Midnight at all.

So Midnight should conform to your limited genre boundaries? Fuck that. No fuckin rules and no fuckin limitations.
It could also be that we've got a case of tall poppy syndrome on our hands here, with a unhealthy dose of elitist bullshit... quite often I'd approve but this is Midnight so fuck off.

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worlock
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Joined: Sat Apr 24, 2021 11:07 am
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 21, 2022 1:56 am 
 

I don't really dig the drum sound on this one. Otherwise sounds like your average Midnight song alright, which I'm totally fine with.

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Metal_Jaw
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:06 am 
 

Midnight is too poppy? That's a new one on me. :lol:

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Twin_guitar_attack
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 21, 2022 5:15 am 
 

Not sure why Midnight ever got the black metal tag, they're pretty much a straight up Motorhead worship band with some Venomisms. Nothing wrong with that as they're great at what they do, but they're not exactly blackthrash in the vein of Nifelheim.

I'll probably check the album out, but they're the sort of band I only listen to the album once then just when a song comes up on a genre shuffle.
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henkkjelle
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 21, 2022 6:47 am 
 

MetlaNZ wrote:
henkkjelle wrote:
doomicus wrote:
Even though I'm a fiend for motorpunk and black speed metal I've always thought that Midnight sucks. Their take on the sound is way too pretty and controlled. Honestly pretty poppy. Will be passing on this, as the preview track just sounds like more of the same, but with even more lame polish.


Yeah this has always been my biggest problem with Midnight. The music always sounds like it's stuck in gear. It has the potential to go balls to the wall but it's always played too measured, too slow, and too polished. I really don't mind poppiness but it doesn't work for Midnight at all.

So Midnight should conform to your limited genre boundaries? Fuck that. No fuckin rules and no fuckin limitations.
It could also be that we've got a case of tall poppy syndrome on our hands here, with a unhealthy dose of elitist bullshit... quite often I'd approve but this is Midnight so fuck off.


You're ascribing stuff to me I've never said. I generally like it when bands push outside of genre boundaries - not that Midnight is that boundary pushing anyways, and I love a lot of "non-elitist" stuff from Ghost to an artist literally named Poppy.

All I'm saying is that the execution is a little bit too safe for what the band tries to come across as. It doesn't excite me in any way. It's perfectly fine to think some influences fit some bands and not others.
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Zdan
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 21, 2022 6:52 am 
 

LOVE me some Midnight so this one is an instant buy from me (jewelcase CD!). I actually love the take Midnight has on this sound - while still punky and thrashy it sometime has some serious classic rock vibes in the guitars and I love that.

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Kalaratri
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 09, 2022 2:47 pm 
 

The second single is out:


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Zdan
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 09, 2022 2:50 pm 
 

As usual the new track is rips! Rock'n'roll is strong with this one!

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Ace_Rimmer
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 09, 2022 3:46 pm 
 

A nice cut. Will get this album regardless.

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Lagartija
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 09, 2022 4:55 pm 
 

Oh fuck yes, this is going to rule (as always).
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MetlaNZ
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 11, 2022 2:58 am 
 

Yep, I agree, this is gonna fuckin rule.

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AxeCapitol
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 04, 2022 2:50 pm 
 

Verdict? First spin - much heavier and less hooks than Blasphemy. But good first impression.

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Kalaratri
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 04, 2022 2:53 pm 
 

Here's the full album stream:


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Twisted_Psychology
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 04, 2022 3:18 pm 
 

It's not quite hitting me as hard as usual but still pretty enjoyable. Somewhere between a 7 or 8/10 on first listen.
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Metal Shark
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 16, 2022 8:31 pm 
 

Kalaratri wrote:
The second single is out:




Pretty good! I doubt they'll ever out-do SATANIC ROYALTY, though.

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Lagartija
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 18, 2022 5:29 am 
 

Twisted_Psychology wrote:
It's not quite hitting me as hard as usual but still pretty enjoyable. Somewhere between a 7 or 8/10 on first listen.

I'll go with that. I wasn't impressed by the first couple of tracks, much rougher than I expected (fair enough if he wants to try different things, we already had one Motörhead), but I think it picks up quite impressively and I was left with a very good impression.
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conquer__all wrote:
Sounds like a bunch of wank-off hipster shit to me.

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doomicus
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 24, 2022 8:27 pm 
 

Resurrecting this thread because I've actually sort of changed my opinion on Midnight since my previous posts in here. A good buddy of mine who is a fiend for this band told me to kind of view them as "speed metal KISS", and that really framed them in a way that I can appreciate. Fits with the over the top larger than life vibe they seem to give off live too. Think I was pigeonholing them into the much more raw and nasty black speed/ d-beat paradigm that I prefer stylistically usually (Syphilitic Vaginas, Inepsy, Abigail, Bonehunter, Bunker 66 ect). Having said that, the Complete and Total Hell compilation is the release that I appreciate the most, and I like each subsequent release less, as they become more polished. Maybe that'll change with more time though. Never thought I would end up with a mostly positive view of Midnight, but here we are.
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Last edited by doomicus on Sat Jun 25, 2022 7:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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draconiondevil
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 25, 2022 3:59 pm 
 

They're just blackened Motörhead, nothing else to it. To me they're the best band playing this style, with Bewitcher not far behind, since they're actually really good songwriters.
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AxeCapitol
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 25, 2022 8:07 pm 
 

Agreed on the above. Midnight are kings of this style (blackened Motörhead + Venom), with Bewitcher a close second. I also hear a lot of NWOBHM in both their sounds - especially the more melodic compositions.

Having said that, Witchery is not one of his best. Not bad. But slightly disappointed following the stellar work prior.

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