Midnight - Let There Be Witchery (Metal Blade Records) [Claire Hanley]
Never a band to shy away from demonstrating their penchant for the perverse, Midnight return with their fifth full-length record, Let There Be Witchery. Telepathic Nightmare opens proceedings with a grinding descent into oblivion. Blackened speed metal at its finest, the fast-paced tempo delivered by the pulsing drums is layered with those characteristically unhinged, angst-ridden riffs that fans of the band will know and love. Yet, the tone and overall aural aesthetic of the record is noticeably grittier than that of the last album – Rebirth By Blasphemy.
This is particularly prominent in frontman Athenar’s vocals, which sound even more ferociously feral than usual and only serve to strengthen the raw and rotten appeal of the record. Frothing Foulness is full of bravado, with a down-tempo chorus section that punctuates the otherwise driving rhythm of the track, and the emphasis on the chorus continues with chants of “In Sinful Secrecy” (alongside an intro that makes one hell of a statement, then unleashes this incredibly anthemic number).
If you haven’t felt the urge to properly spiral into anarchy by this point, Nocturnal Molestation will surely have you cutting loose. Possessing some of the catchiest hooks I’ve ever had the pleasure of abusing my ears with, and the mother of all gnarly, face-contorting solos, this track will have you starting riots (if only in your living room). Further highlighting their aptitude for the abysmal, More Torment takes the tempo down and dirty, as does Villainy Wretched Villainy.
But that untamed energy always unapologetically returns; most notably in Snake Obsession and Let There Be Sodomy, the latter being every bit as deliciously depraved as it sounds. The almost military marching beat that features in Devil Virgin is a noticeable novelty; framed alongside some seriously groove-laden licks, and the crushingly infectious momentum of Szex Witchery holds the listener captive until the dark, ravaging outro fades into nothingness.
Athenar himself describes the new album as ‘a Midnight record’. Hardly a bad thing, you know what you’re in for (I myself will eagerly continue to jump on that ride until I spew, and then probably go back for more), and Let There Be Witchery undeniably offers up unparalleled intensity. Those who are looking for substantial variation from previous records, and within the record itself, might be disappointed but have no doubt missed the point. This is music to lose your inhibitions to, and it absolutely delivers in that domain. 9/10
Sylvaine – Nova (Season Of Mist) [Matt Cook]
I know it’s not always good practice to put the cart before the horse when it comes to album-of-the-year candidates. But sometimes when you hear something truly remarkable, it strikes a certain chord in your gut, and you have no choice but to run with it.
Enter Sylvaine, the one-woman multi-instrumentalist project headed by Kathrine Shepard. She takes on the vocals, guitars, bass, synths and arrangements. And Nova presents the listener with seven songs of diverse genres and careful compositions that simply stops me in my tracks.
Filled with post-rock, shoegaze, doom and blackgaze, Nova awakens by way of a stunning choral piece with an atmosphere that is teleportive in its nature, almost achieving an out-of-body experience. Running over four-and-a-half minutes, it effectively holds its own and sets the stage for an authoritative 50 minutes to come.
Mono No Aware explodes with punishing blackgaze wails that are so tortured and chaotic and alien that it could easily be delivered by someone who just witnessed their entire family bludgeoned to death one by one. The riff is instantly recognizable, and a post-Rock section is as stunning as it is conflicting, but as we are learning and will learn, Shepard is spot on with her compositions and the conflict is merely a perfect blend.
Nowhere, Still Somewhere acts as a shoegaze fan’s sanctuary. The drum line is nice and simple, on par with the genre. In no way does it derail what was heard previously. Shepard peppers the song with her familiarly soothing singing. And then there is Fortapt. Translated as ‘Lost’ in English, she is anything but. Another remarkably composed song that clocks in at just under 12 minutes, the doomy guitar reaches Ahab levels which soon melts into a calming riff. Blackgaze vocals reemerge from the grave (torture chamber?). Shepard, who is depicted nude on the album cover, truly lays it all out on the table.
Nova touches on various genres and styles yet still manages to create and flaunt a Sylvaine feel. Nothing ever sounds out of place and every second is meticulously accounted for. Though only released in the first week of March,
Nova without question must be in the discussion for album of the year. The work of a single person, it’s a journey filled with pain, melancholy and self-reflection. 9/10
Neptune Power Federation - Le Demon De L’Amour (Cruz Del Sur Music) [David Karpel]
This album is so much freaking fun. The Neptune Power Federation’s Le Demon De L’Amour feels like a convocation for a theatrical, rock musical church service that slakes the thirst of fans looking for a worshipful party at the feet of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Rock Of Ages with a soundtrack that conjure 80s AOR, AC/DC, and Heart, among others. The band is super electrifying and tight, handling the various styles and time changes with expertise, but the highlight performance is the Imperial Priestess Screaming Loz Sutch, she of diminutive stature and galaxy sized voice. Easy comparisons to Pat Benatar or Ann Wilson can be drawn, but in the harder songs, Sutch also reminds me of Andrea Zollo from Pretty Girls Make Graves.
This Priestess has her own playful style that swings between those matriarchs of rock to a gothy metal punch and a rudy punk in a span of 8 broken-hearted love songs. Weeping On The Morn starts the service and my, oh, my what a ripper of an opening! Triumphant, Europe-like, rising high guitars make a head-turning transition into a dirty Motley Crue-like anthemic swing. It also stretches over a risky 8 minutes. I love long songs. And I love when artists do something unexpected in their genre. While this track in its entirety jams, the long jam did feel long and I would still have loved the song if it had ended at 4 minutes.
My Precious One is a killer track that at 3 minutes shows how good NPF can be in a shorter time-span. It’s a straight up 80s rocker with driving hair metal momentum and flashy solos galore. Baby You’re Mine exemplifies the aforementioned unexpected. With slapping bass lines, it’s a high-energy, funky af, alternative rock, college radio-ready song that the band pulls off with panache, though I’m not sure it fits in with the rest of the album.
(So, maybe too unexpected?) Loving You Is Killing Me is an up-tempo song with shakers, stuttering, driving chords, and Sutch, again, fully bloomed. The Heart comparisons are impossible to ignore here and impossible not to enjoy. Stay With Thee is another up-tempo ripper given luster and glimmer with back up harmonies. That’s followed by charging Emmaline, another driving rocker that celebrates the band's progressive side, includes some witchy-ness that’s gone before you realize, and again Screaming Loz Sutch’s vocals demand your attention.
Madly In Love sounds like the closing number of a musical that includes sweet harmonics, gritty guitars, and tons of energy. If Madly In Love sounds like a closing number, We Beasts Of The Night is the encore. Meatloaf is dead; long live Meatloaf! It’s actually a really pretty duo with Chris Penney of the band Private Function that is the most Paradise By The Dashboard Light song since Paradise By The Dashboard Light. While loads of modern bands seek to recapture a classic sound, reshape it, remix it, and modernize it with noodling and doodling, some stick to the tropes because, done well, they work.
The Neptune Power Federation fit well into the first group. While they pay a faithful homage to their musical roots, NPF create a completely new experience in their campy, full throttled version. This is a party album. While Sutch’s delivery can sometimes be too powerful, and there are points where the harmonies feel unnecessary, overall these songs are a joy to listen to. When Imperial Priestess Screaming Loz Sutch is at her pulpit, give a listen and you may find yourself converted. 8/10
Goodbye June: See Where The Night Goes (Earache Records) [Rich P]
Who was/is THE great American Rock Band? Aerosmith? Pearl Jam? Kiss? Definitely not the Eagles. My point is there is not a clear answer to this question. Ask ten people you may get ten different answers. The Tennessee trio Goodbye June would love to take that title and run with it, and their latest effort, See Where The Night Goes, the band takes their best shot, but does it get them the win?
The immediate comparisons that I read about when this band are mentioned are AC/DC and Led Zeppelin. I think both are lazy comparisons, but AC/DC would be the closest to me. Just because vocalist/guitarist Landon Milbourn can hit some serious high notes does not make them a Zeppelin clone for sure. To me, what Greta Van Fleet is to Zeppelin, Goodbye June is to AC/DC.
Closer comparisons to me would be By Your Side era Black Crowes or a more polite Buckcherry. That is not to say being heavily influenced by a classic band is bad. Something like 84% of the bands I listen to kneel at the altar of Iommi, so I get it. The problem with the AC/DC comparison is when I hear anything belted out by Bon or Brian and that Angus guitar tone there is an immediate feeling of danger.
The club or bar that they were playing at in the early days or even the 20,000-seat area at any point though the nineties could go off the rails and something could get smashed. That edge, that sense of danger, is just not there, which may not have been what they were going for in the first place. When Milbourn sings “…I’m hanging from the chandelier…” on Baby I’m Back, I am not buying it, or at least he cleaned it up later in the day. Unlike when Bon is describing his murder for hire services, and you really can see him sitting in a crappy apartment waiting for that phone call.
These guys can play for sure. The opening track, Step Aside, is a great opener, and sets up the album nicely and has the full strengths of the band on display. The guitar work is great throughout. The title track is a good straight ahead rock radio song (is there still rock radio?) even if it reminds me of a toned down Moneytalks. Breathe And Attack is another standout track and reminds me of another classic be it in a sanitized Hells Bells.
Take A Ride sounds more like something out of the late eighties sunset strip scene, when Milbourn is offering his “slice of American Pie” and drips that L.A. swag that made a lot of those bands rich for a couple of years at least. The production shines through on these and throughout See Where The Night Goes and is a major high spot for the album. This album excels when the guitar work is front and center.
On the bluesy Nothing and the rocker Three Chords the band shines. Those are my two favorites for that very reason. These guys should lean more into their bluesy side for sure. The closer, Black, has a killer solo that really makes the playing center stage and closing the record strong. Set your expectations for a fun, straight ahead, radio friendly rock record and you will enjoy this. Ignore the comparisons and focus on those tracks where the guitar work shines and this should be a fun spring/summer record for those of you looking to drink some beers in the backyard while debating who is the best American band of all time. The correct answer by the way is Credence Clearwater Revival. 7/10