Monday 31 October 2022

InTechnicolour - Midnight Heavyweight (Album Review)


Date Released: November 04th 2022. Record Label: Small Pond Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl


Midnight Heavyweight: Tracklisting

1.BloodMoonShine

2.The Wave 

3.Tokyo Dream 

4.Wake Up Dead Man

5.Corner of Time in the World

6.Turn It Loose 

7.Midnight Heavyweight

8.Remember Not to Forget

9.Fever Queen

10.Making Friends with Shadows

11.Eastman


Members


Tobie Anderson - Vocals

Dave Jackson - Guitars

Vlad Matveikov - Bass

Sam Coveney - Drums


Review


Midnight Heavyweight is the second album from UK Alternative/Doom/Stoner Rockers InTechnicolour and follows their 2020 debut album Big Sleeper. This time the band returns with heavier Sludgier sounds and more dynamic vocal styles compared to their debut album. The album still contains the debut albums style of Desert Rock, Psych Rock and Stoner Rock but with a more mature attitude. Now you can hear elements of Baroness and Mastodon in their music.


The album itself is a bigger and bolder effort to their debut album with InTechnicolour using complex melodies and harsh vocals for a different style of music which you can hear to great effect on the first few opening songs of BloodMoonShine, The Wave and Tokyo Dream. Songs that have modern day Doom/Stoner Rock sound with echoes of Alternative Metal with some mighty QOTSA swagger and it’s quite interesting with some of the vocal choices InTechnicolour make on this album. There is still a “POPPY” element to the band’s overall sound but if you can imagine KYUSS jamming with harsher and heavier bands then InTechnicolour is the best way to describe their approach on this album.


It’s hard to believe this is the same band that released Big Sleeper but this album was recorded during COVID lockdown and maybe the band’s creative perspective changed massively due to the events going around the world at the time.


It’s to the band's credit they have made an easy-going and deeply engaging album even when the harsher aspects take over that sees the mood become one of pure SLUDGE METAL FURY on the later stages of the album via tracks such as Corner Of Time In The World, Turn It Loose, Midnight Heavyweight, Making Friends With Shadows and Eastman. 


Midnight Heavyweight is filled with lush Psychedelic Sounds and MASSIVE SOUNDING melodic choruses that can easily be classed as STADIUM ROCK quality. InTechnicolour are the type of band that plays music that has a huge commercial aspect to it all and one that would easily rule the roost within the Sludge/Stoner Metal underground scene. There’s something for everyone to enjoy here. 


This is an outstanding release from InTechnicolour and showcases the band have a very bright future indeed and maybe even branch that little bit further into the mainstream.


Words by Steve Howe


Thanks to Hannah at Hold Tight PR for the promo.


Midnight Heavyweight will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Small Pond Records from November 4th 2022.


Links:


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