When lead “single” “FOAL” (Short for “Fuck Off And Leave”) dropped about a month or so ago we were already, enraptured playing the song over and over and over some more because we couldn’t get enough of the rambunctious Rawk emanating from our speakers. Then the promo for Hellish Expectations arrived with “FOAL” as the album ender and we think that’s about as perfect as you could get with the way the nine tracks that precede it unravel.
Here’s why:
But first, we’re not going to sit here and pretend that we’re Midnight experts. We’re aware, of course, of Athenar and the masked Midnight legacy. We have 2022’s Let There Be Witchery lurking around our Apple Music library even and we finally got a chance to take in the live spectacle while Midnight was on tour with Danzig last Fall so we get it. Also, while not fans for years and years, we do know what we like and we REALLY like this.
“Expect Total Hell” is a classic opening anthem that’s blisteringly beautiful with a slam you over the head with intensity right off the bat kind of aesthetic. And it just keeps getting greater from there. “Gash Scrape” is obviously a tender love song with “Masked And Deadly” presenting a steady stream of riffage, beats, and raucous vocals all from Athenar that moves like a freight train on fire with no brakes heading for a brick wall. “Slave Of The Blade” gives off some Turbonegro vibes while “Dungeon Lust” is all big, bad booming bravado with a killer chorus.
Heading towards the end, “Nuclear Savior” rips for a solid two and a half minutes without ever relenting followed up by “Deliver Us To Devil” which takes the “hold my beer” approach when presented with the descriptor of the song that came before. “Mercyless Slaughtor” is, hands down, the slowest track on here but still hella delightful (Or “Hellishly delightful”) as it shimmies and sways along with Athenar providing a particularly guttural vocal performance as “Doom Death Desire” saunters in next with a precise pummeling and then the much lauded “FOAL” closes out Hellish Expectations in the most anthemic and aurally anarchic way possible.
Hellish Expectations arrives through Metal Blade Records on March 8th. You can pre-order your copy now in a variety of formats right now by heading here. For more from Midnight, follow them across their socials when you click here or here.