review: Midnight Prey

Midnight Prey

Uncertain Times

Dying Victims Productions

20.09.2019

Sound: Midnight Prey plays uptempo late-1970s-style heavy metal, a type of heavy rock that is rowdy and a bit rough around the edges, a wild rock and roll style that pushed the limits of speeds of classic, hard rock and punk rock back in those days.

Production: The production/band team wants the audience to feel like they are hearing human beings playing the real instruments. Are the drums real live drums? Who knows, but the point is for people to hear bass guitar, drums, guitar and singing. That’s the band. Three Germans who play the music, and with relatively minimal studio magic. (If they are not using real, live drums, then it’s about time to do it!).

Instrumentation: The playing should be entertaining if you have an interest/curiosity in the sound of the vibrant spirit of the young heavy metal that was forming in the late 1970s until about 1981. The album is much more than just guitars and soft-ware/computer “drums” like today’s metal. The bass guitar has a much bigger role in filling out the sound. Sometimes it’s a very rumbling bass sound and the production really allows the room for the bass to have its own lane that it can run around in. There is some fast bass rumbling as if the bassist is playing the bass like a guitarist would play the guitar. Another thing is that distortion is not the king here; the songs are. Finally, in some segments the drumming goes really fast, in a way that late 1970s bands never did. The drumming almost sounds close to blasting in some spots.

Vocals: Heavy rock vocals predominates. Mostly singing, in a male voice; some yelling; some melancholic crooning in some parts, too. It is not fancy singing, and it’s a bit rough, like a self-taught person who is developing the singing skills, and doing a good job at it. Some punky yelling is present throughout, too. Again, buyer beware: Do not expect perfect pitch singing, but rowdy heavy rock vocals with a bit of melodic overtones.

Songs: The songs are direct and rocking. They are meant to be immediate and memorable.

Lyrics: We do not have the lyrics, but it seems like life and rock and roll are main topics. No profanities in particular stand out, although we cannot confirm if there are profanities or not. Two songs seem to be in German; five in English.

Potential audience: Fans of 1970s heavy rock in general should be the main audience, especially the heavy rock of the second half of the 1970s.

Similar bands: The band sounds like they love both late 1970s Motörhead and Thin Lizzy, more melodic than Motörhead, but faster, heavier and rougher than Thin Lizzy, yet the melodies are very present despite the rough style. The vocals may be described as Thin Lizzy covering Motörhead (but not the other way around), if that makes any sense. Another way to think of the vocals be late 1970s Iron Maiden, or a vibe similar in feeling, in that street metal type of way.

Assessment: The album is done well, with a professional attitude and the band is convincing. facebook.com/MidnightPrey