Midnight: Complete And Total Hell

Satanic Royalty was an album that found Midnight suddenly being hailed as one of the noughties prime movers in the black metal field. And rightly so, with a surprising clash of brutality, melody and a modern, almost punky edge, making for a sound that obviously has come from the likes of Venom or Motorhead and their faithful, but which arrives in a refreshingly different manner.

The Midnight story extends well back beyond Satanic Royalty however, with numerous recording sessions, EP's, demos and split releases seeing the light of day between 2003 and 2011. Most of which are collected together on this 21 track compilation - making for over 70 minutes of Midnight. Admittedly the similarly titled Complete And Total Fucking Madness comp which was delivered back in 2005 also houses the first 14 of the tracks served up here, however the seven songs added to ...Total Hell are top-notch and if you've never encountered this band's early material before, then this is the place to start.

The Motorhead-Venom comparison is in evidence right across all eras of the Midnight catalogue, with strong nods at 'Fast' Eddie and Lemmy being reverentially apparent. However the added blackness brings a scything edge to an already sharp sound. To the uninitiated black metal suggests guitars that are so full on, to try and make out what they are up to is nigh on impossible. While the vocals should shred the paint from your walls. However Midnight know how to reach those levels of intensity without alienating anyone who might need a little more restraint in their music. I'm not suggesting that Complete And Total Hell isn't well named, but it's a title that may scare off some people who would absolutely love the NWOBHM tinged "Berlin Is Burning", the rock and Motorhead roll of the cunningly titled "Black Rock n' Roll", or the more basic guttural roar of "Servant Of No One".

This compilation is a welcome gathering together of some long out of print and hard to find metal that is far too convincing to lay hidden any longer. When the stroke of Midnight comes, there's only one place you should be and that's in Complete And Total Hell!!

Track Listing
1. Funeral Bell
2. All Hail Hell
3. Servant of No One
4. Unholy and Rotten
5. I Am Violator
6. Hot Graves
7. Long Live Death
8. White Hot Fire
9. Endless Slut
10. Lord in Chains
11. Strike of Midnight
12. Take You to Hell
13. ...On the Wings of Satan
14. Turn up the Hell
15. Black Rock'n'Roll
16. It's a Sacrifice
17. Vomit Queens
18. Screams of Blasphemy
19. Cross Held High
20. Lucifer's Sanctuary
21. Berlin Is Burning

Added: October 27th 2012
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: HellsHeadbangers Online
Hits: 1923
Language: english

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