siLLy puPPy For those not in the know, MIDNIGHT may sound like a black metal band that only comes out at the witching hour to wreak misanthropic rage upon the unsuspecting but in reality has been and still is the one-man project of Jameson Walters better known as Athenar who started cranking out his MIDNIGHT releases in 2011 with the now blackened speed metal cult classic “Satanic Royalty.” Blackened speed metal you ask? You bet. While it may be tempting to assume that such a combo pack died out in the 80s with bands like Venom before speed metal morphed into thrash and the first primeval traces of black metal evolved into the second wave, well there’s always someone out there who wants to keep this mangled amorphous pre-splintering of metal sub-genres alive.

With a propensity of six syllable album titles, MIDNIGHT returns in 2022 to deliver his fifth installment in the MIDNIGHT canon with LET THERE BE WITCHERY which features another collection of filthy blackened speed thrash metal replete with all those classic Venom, Motorhead and Hellhammer mined from the 80s underground. Starting with 2020’s “Rebirth By Blasphemy,” MIDNIGHT joined the ranks of the Metal Blade universe which meant an improved production that took his murky muddy blackened speed metal filth to slightly cleaner professionalism however this is no slickly produced pop metal act by any means and the authenticity of the underground metal sonicity is fully in tact and ready to blow up speakers and eardrums far and wide.

Stylistically MIDNIGHT has remained a consistent act over his decade long run with that classic mix of speed metal, first wave black metal and now diminished thrash metal attacks. This music keeps that classic groove alive that many styles of metal have abandoned in lieu of atmospheric terror in this stage of the 21st century. LET THERE BE WITCHERY nurtures those classic early metal attributes such as a bluesy rock chord progression which has earned this stuff the secondary tag of black’n’roll. This is very much a instantly catchy type of metal from the vaults of several decades prior with Motorhead balls-to-the-wall style riffing all dressed up in the drastically distorted early blackened speed metal sounds of Venom, Hellhammer and early Bathory. It’s like a dance party with Satan because even the dark side likes to take a break from the heady atmospheric space metal of the modern era.

In many ways i like MIDNIGHT’s version of old school black speed metal even better than VENOM for Athenar seems to have ironed out all the wrinkles of those early recordings by adding consistently catchy almost ear wormy grooves, stellar guitar riffs that aren’t afraid to add a solo or two and a black metal vocal singing style that sounds a bit like the Japanese band Sigh. The boogie-woogie groove also reminds a bit of what early AC/DC would have sounded like had they gone full-on metal and there are hints of early NWOBHM moments in the vein of Judas Priest, Saxon etc but overall the Venom heritage is most pronounced and even though Venom has remained a thing in the metal world ever since they dropped their “Welcome To Hell” bomb in 1981, their songwriting skills suffered mightily after the first few albums and became rather marginal as the rest of the world passed them by.

LET THERE BE WITCHERY is another enchanting slice of MIDNIGHT in unadulterated retro form as he keeps those classic years alive in the context of a modern production value. While this style of gestating extreme metal has never been my absolute favorite of the lot, i cannot deny how well MIDNIGHT has channeled his inner Motorhead, Venom and Hellhammer to craft an authentically sounding period piece of this neglected sliver of the metal timeline. Lemmy would be proud! Perfectly performed in every way but if you’re looking for any form of originality then look elsewhere because what MIDNIGHT delivers here is a faithful restoration of a sound from long ago however it’s done so very very well that if you have any interest in this period of early metal then you really can’t go wrong with any MIDNIGHT release and LET THERE BE WITCHERY keeps those black magic spells in good form.

Time Signature Evil like a guitar...

Genre: Satanic punk-metal

In all its filth, ugliness and misanthropy, Midnight's 2011 debut full-length "Satanic Royalty" was a bit of a positive surprise to me. In August this year the second full-length "No Mercy for Mayhem" was released on Hell's Headbangers Records.

So, how does it hold up to the debut? Pretty well, if you ask me. It captures the same dirt and filth of the debut album, and incorporates both punk rock and heavy metal in a manner reminiscent of Motörhead and Venom. In other words, the listener is treated to raw and primitive rock 'n' roll engendered into simple drumbeats and guitar riffs accompanied by gritty vocals and an equally gritty production. In comparison to the debut, this one leans more towards the punky and crusty side of things, although a couple of tracks are all out metal tracks such as 'No Mercy for Mayhem', 'Degradation', 'Woman of Flame', and 'Whiplash Disaster'. The less punky and crusty tracks on the album primarily align themselves with early 80s metal which was itself raw and dirty. While all tracks on the album are enjoyable, it is the metallic ones that stand out to me and 'Whiplash Disaster' in particular is fucking awesome.

In all its filthy glory, "No Mercy for Mayhem" is a very sucessful sophomore full-length album which should appeals to fans of crust metal along the lines of Tiger Junkies, Children of Technology, Discharge and Hellhammer.

Time Signature All hail hell...

Genre: black heavy metal (Satanic punk-metal)

Having terrorized the underground with their fierce Satanic blend of heavy metal and crust punk, Midnight released their debut "Satanic Royalty" in 2011. This year sees the release of "Complete and Total Hell" which collects material from their underground releases prior to 2011.

Understandably, the quality of the material - productionwise - varies between various levels of lo fi production, but the music itself is pretty consistent, all of the tracks consistently combining punk rock and heavy metal. Some tracks, like 'Servant of No One', 'Hot Graves', and 'Turn up the Hell' are all out hardcore/crust punk attacks with 'Unholy Servant' also being on the more punky side. Other tracks, like the anthem 'All Hail Hell' as well as 'Berlin Is Burning', 'Endless Slut', 'Lord in Chains' and 'It's a Sacrifice' along with a considerable handful of other tracks draw more dominantly on hard rock and traditional metal, blending this with crusty punk, which results in a dirty and primitive brand of heavy metal which is not unlike Motörhead at their dirtiest. 'I Am Violator' even borders on being primitive speed metal, while 'Long Live Death' is a nod towards the mighty Hellhammer/Celtic Frost.

Because of its considerable length, "Complete and Total Death" might become a bit monotonous in the long run - lets face it, although it features energetic and hard rocking music - there is not a lot of room for a lot of variation within the style of Midnight. However, there is no denying that almost every track on its own is incredibly enjoyable, and if you are looking for some primitive Satanic punk metal to rock out to, then you have found it.

Time Signature Rip this hell...

Genre: punk-metal

Playing a genre dubbed black heavy metal, Midnight essentially combines primitive traditional heavy metal with punk and inserts in it a context of Satanic decadence.

Now that sounds good, doesn't it?

And, to my own surprise, it did not take more than a couple of listens for me to get hooked on this album. Using dirty guitars and punkish vocals, but combining these with traditional metal and hard rock elements (just check out the bluesy guitar solo in 'Black Damnation' and the guitar trades in 'Shock til Blood'), Midnight offers up some primitive but very energetic and hard rocking music as in the case of the 'You Can't Stop Steel', 'Rip this Hell', 'Lust, Filth, and Sleaze', and 'Savage Dominance' all of which neatly balance metal and punk. Motörhead and crust punk seem to be particularly big sources of inspiration for the music on this album, and 'Shock til Blood' and 'You Can't Stop Steel' sound like an even dirtier Motörhead, while 'Holocaustic Deafening' and 'Violence on violence' are all out d-beating crust attacks. On 'Necromania' Midnight experiment with a primitive Celtic Frost-ish type of thrash metal, combined with a more melodic chorus.

The production is dirty and has a certain DIY feel to it, but it is far from lo-fi and suits the raw satanic rock 'n' roll music perfectly.

Midnight's black heavy metal (or Satanic punk metal, if you wish) is dirty, raw, and rocks fucking hard, and 'Satanic Royalty' should appeal to fans of Discharge, Celtic Frost, Venom and Motörhead alike.