Release Date: October 04th 2024. Record Label: Glory Or Death Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl
Midnight Climax - Track Listing:
1.Midnight Climax 04:26
2.Noble Oath 03:21
3.The Chained Elephant 06:46
4.Oh, You're High, Huh? 06:30
5.Kosmonaut 09:10
6.Poison in Disguise 05:50
7.Snakes 05:29
Members
Lynx - Vocals
Octopus - Bass
Cole Donovan - Guitar
J.F. Stone - Keyboard
Diesel - Drums
Review
Doom/Stoner Rockers OLD BLOOD are back with another Acid tinged release full of highly passionate and soulful Occult Sounds on their new album Midnight Climax. With their highly seductive lyrics leading the record to have a rebellious edge which comes right out of the gates of the excellent opening title track of Midnight Climax. With it’s frenzied and surreal approach with screeching guitars which pays respect to bands such as Black Sabbath and KYUSS, the band are in fine spooky spirits with the song embracing a dangerous “femme fatale” charge that comes right through the lyrics and great vocals from lead vocalist Lynx.
There’s more to OLD BLOOD than the usual Doom/Stoner Rock tropes with the band focusing upon areas of Grunge, Heavy Metal and Classic Hard Rock with a deep love of the Blues being added for great measure. Midnight Climax has got some fantastic sonic sounds which can be quite Spooky and Spaced Out at the same time. This part of the album becomes quite cerebral especially on tracks such as Noble Oath.
Noble Oath sees the music being played at a catchy, aggressive and fast pace which allows Lynx’s vocals to soar higher and higher with the Occult/Blues Rock atmospherics that OLD BLOOD play along the way.
Third track Chained Elephant is a dramatic change of pace which opens with a Jazz/Blues instrumental sound which undergoes a dramatic tone a few minutes in when a subtle THRASH guitar solo with Classic Proto-Doom guitars allows Lynx to add a gloomy Grunge vibe to the vocals. It’s an interesting style of music that ultimately succeeds at being daring and totally different at the same time. This is perhaps one of the riskiest tracks I’ve heard from OLD BLOOD but this pays off big time as it's quite subversive whilst paying respects to their Doom/Stoner Rock roots.
Fourth track You’re High, Huh, is another soulful Blues Rock driven number with a soulful Psychedelic drive drawing upon quieter movements before adding heavier strands of Grunge, Occult Rock and Stoner Rock energy slowly dominating proceedings. Lynx’s vocals are commanding yet again but with a sense of emotional vulnerability within the more tender moments of the track. Shades of Thin Lizzy and QUEEN classic guitar solos appear which is music to my ears with this being my favourite track on the whole album.
Fifth track Kosmonaut is where OLD BLOOD decide to go all out on the HEAVY METAL EXCESS front with an amalgamation of different musical styles with this being the longest track on the whole album. This has a classic “ROCK OPERA” structure where OLD BLOOD experiment to their heart’s content. It’s way OVER THE TOP but it’s full with some of the best creative ideas and instrumental sounds on the whole album. There’s a gloomy presence on the later stages of the track with OLD BLOOD going through the more DOOM & GLOOM style of Occult based Stoner Rock with moments of warped Psychedelia building into a frenzied Blues Rock charge.
The final two songs of Poison In Disguise and Snakes allows OLD BLOOD to end the album in highly confident fashion with a switch to 1960’s Blues Rock and 1970#s Psych Rock sounds which can be wholly aggressive and beautifully melodic that gives Midnight Climax a timeless quality when the closing stages appear.
Midnight Climax is another magnificent effort from Old Blood who have gone from strength to strength with each passing release. This is perhaps their most outlandish and outrageous album to date but one that is also their standout record to date.
Add this one to your record collection when you have the time. You won’t be sorry.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to OLD BLOOD for the promo.
Midnight Climax is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Glory Or Death Records.
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