Review Summary: A highly successful throwback to ‘80s heavy metal and an album every metalhead should check.
There are two words that you’ll probably read in every
No Mercy for Mayhem review on the web, Motorhead and Venom. Yes, Midnight sounds like the bastard child of those two legendary bands so if you’re not a fan of their music, you almost certainly won’t enjoy what vocalist Athenar and Co. offer. Midnight’s music is a blend of NWOBHM, thrash, speed and first wave of black metal. As a result, instrumentally they’re very similar to Motorhead while their vocalist screams and shrieks like a madman in the same manner Venom’s Cronos did more than 30 years ago. In addition, there’s a scent of early Bathory in the air and as much trite as it may sound, Midnight wear their influences on their sleeve.
On
No Mercy for Mayhem, Midnight use the same elements that one can find on their debut but the songwriting is even stronger.
Satanic Royalty is a great album but it tends to be quite samey and linear resulting in a somewhat tiresome experience. However on the band’s sophomore effort, one can find a few midtempo songs that help the listener distinguish easier among the various tracks while making the album sound more diverse than its predecessor. Another difference between the two albums is that
No Mercy for Mayhem includes more tasty guitar solos. Granted, they’re not as if they were performed by Dave Mustaine but still they make the songs a more enjoyable experience. Besides these differences,
No Mercy for Mayhem is all about disturbing lyrics with reference to violence and Satan, anthemic choruses and hooks. The music is loud, energetic and sleazy while the production is neither too polished nor too sloppy. For those who seek standout moments there are a few, so it depends whether you prefer the faster or the more midtempo tracks on the album.
On the other hand,
No Mercy for Mayhem contains virtually nothing new to those of you who are familiar with Motorhead and Venom. In addition, more guitar solos would have probably made the album even more enjoyable.
Overall, if you are a fan of the aforementioned bands or genres or just a metalhead,
No Mercy for Mayhem is an album you seriously need to check. It’s got everything you might ask from a heavy metal album plus it’s really entertaining despite the morbid nature of the lyrics.
