Midnight (US) - Satanic Royalty
Hells Headbangers
Blackened Thrash ('n' Roll)
10 songs (30:23)
Release year: 2011
Midnight, Hells Headbangers
Reviewed by Charles
It becomes clear pretty quickly what this is about, if only from the misogynistic cover art and the song titles- “Lust, Filth and Sleaze” being emblematic. This is the Midnight of Black Rock ‘n’ Roll, presenting their first full-length after many years of splits and EPs. Thrash, rock and roll, and black metal collide here in a half-hour of filth-encrusted metal, sitting somewhere between Motörhead, latter-day Darkthrone and Toxic Holocaust. Satanic Royalty is a riotous clash of gravelly riffing and shouty choruses, stimulating an oft-neglected musical spot.

Songs are short, and never once outstay their welcomes. Each title is a chorus, delivered in Athenar’s sneering rasp. You Can’t Stop Steel has a chorus ripped straight from the sleaziest recesses of 80s heavy metal, whilst Necronomicon has an ugly, down-tempo stomp which pollutes those qualities with an early Celtic Frost like pound. It even drops in a Tom G-inspired “Ugh!”- like the Sex Pistols’s Black Leather covered by Hellhammer. Black Damnation is a sick, extreme metal parody of a ‘50s rock ballad, but perhaps the true highlight is the self-explanatory Lust, Filth and Sleaze. The chorus milks those words for all they are worth: “Lust, filth and…. Sssssleeeeeaaaaazzzzeeeeee-ah!”- melded to a bouncing speed metal riff.

You might think that this kind of ultra-hooky rock ‘n’ roll needs more melody than is found on Satanic Royalty to really take off. But this runs perfectly on the sheer force of its crudely addictive rhythms and ugly energy. It works brilliantly as an extreme metallized take on the sights, sounds and smells of retro punk and heavy metal. Superb!

Killing Songs :
Lust, Filth and Sleaze, Shock 'Til Blood, You Can't Stop Steel
Charles quoted 85 / 100
Other albums by Midnight (US) that we have reviewed:
Midnight (US) - Sweet Death and Ecstasy reviewed by Andy and quoted 80 / 100
Midnight (US) - Shox of Violence reviewed by Andy and quoted no quote
Midnight (US) - No Mercy For Mayhem reviewed by Andy and quoted 81 / 100
Midnight (US) - Complete and Total Hell reviewed by Charles and quoted no quote
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There are 4 replies to this review. Last one on Sat May 04, 2013 4:42 pm
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