Sweet Death and Ecstasy

A blazing cacophony of buzzing guitars, frenzied d-beats and scorched-earth vocals, the third full-length from Cleveland metal maniac Midnight, a.k.a. Jamie “Athenar” Walters, is packed with the kind of leathery punk ‘n’ roll rippers—like “Melting Brain”, “Poison Trash” and “Rabid!”—that he’s built his Motörhead-meets-Venom reputation on. The album also features two of his longest-ever tracks: the unholy opener “Crushed by Demons” and thundering closer “Before My Time in Hell”. Best of all? The infectious, cowbell-driven mortuary march of “Here Comes Sweet Death”.