Before the internet, before a million subgenres were spawned, black metal meant just one thing: Venom.
Midnight know all about the power of the Geordie trailblazers, and their second full-length outing (not counting the compilation that has been reissued at least three times) is rammed to the gills with 11 warheads of bludgeoning, punky metallic nightmares that are possessed by the manitou of Countess Bathory. Fronted by hooded maniac Aethenir, Midnight are the sonic embodiment of patchouli and lager-encrusted leather jackets, bullet belts, dirty jeans and ringing ears. There is more than just the OTT bombast of Cronos and co on display; they draw deeply from the OTT bombast of Motörhead too. Hell, there’s even a hint of the early Metallica demos hidden away. With titles like Prowling Leather and Whiplash Disaster, this was never going to be a polite metal album, but while No Mercy For Mayhem may sound like 11 petrol bombs wrapped in barbed wire, they’re petrol bombs you can sing along to.
Via Hells Headbangers
