Black Midi- Hellfire
The bands third album, recorded over a thirteen-day period with producer Marta Salogni, sees Black Midi thrive.
Music is supposed to be fun, right? A joyous rush of noise and excitement, euphoric and energetic, making you move and groove! Hellfire does that and more.
Opening with what almost sounds like a modern day version of The Imperial March, the title track doesn’t hang about, taking off in a high-speed free-jazz/prog/metal direction. It is all over the place yet completely cohesive.
The record is loosely about death and the afterlife, dark tones breathing through the wide range of genres. One minute lead vocalist Geordie Greep is crooning like Tony Bennet the next he’s as angry as Joe Talbot. Personally I love the range Greep can produce, you’ve no idea where he’s going next and where the next song will land.
The musicianship is incredibly tight throughout the record, the band have been together since they were students and you really get the feel that they are honing their craft to perfection. Amongst all the angst and noise of the record comes a moment of serenity during the song Still. It brings everything down to a calm, mellow, zen like sense of peace and calm before to noise roars back into life.
Hellfire is an album you have to stick with. Give it time, a few listens, allow it to seep into your soul. Somehow a mix of noise rock, prog, jazz, theatre, elevator music comes together to form a solid album. To suggest this record is for everyone would be naïve, but it deserves attention for just how brilliantly bonkers it is. These young men are onto something big here, good luck to them.
8/10
