|
|
Vintage Heavy Metal and Hard Rock, but played just a little too safe.-
|
| Midnight Chaser: Rough and Tough |
Heavy Metal
Heavy Artillery Records
November 1st, 2011
- Awesome Party - 3:10
- Out on Your Shield - 3:11
- Rough and Tough - 4:55
- Swords for Hire - 4:21
- Cougar'd - 4:48
- Hotshot - 4:19
- Dynamite - 3:41
- Earthquake - 3:54
- Who Dares Wins - 3:35
|
| Links |
| Review Information |
Release length: 35:54
Review posted on October 23rd, 2011
- |
|
| | Overall Score: 8.5/10 |
 
|
|
|
| Discography |
Discography covers all information available up to day of review and is updated if future albums are reviewed. |
| Full-Length(s): |
Rough and Tough (2011)
|
| EP(s): |
Midnight Chaser (2010)
|
|
| - |
| Review |
Midnight Chaser is a San Francisco, California based Heavy Metal act that, back in 2010, found their perfect home. Signed to Heavy Artillery Records, Rough and Tough follows up the group's well received debut self-titled EP. Incorporating an additional guitarist, Sven Soderlund, this highly anticipated album of vintage Metal lust feeds to the fan in all of us wishing for the simpler days of the style and more bands to bring it back to the forefront of today. But, does Midnight Chaser have what it takes this time around to live up to the expectations of both their fans and the critics?
Musically the album is strong and sleek. The drums don't quite stand out as well as they could, though the cymbols still crash hard and give the music a slight authority against some tight snares and kicks with a decent kick to them that feeds to the cleaner sound of the production. Vocally, the band sticks to the clean vocals, and they do feel a bit safe compared to what could be done against the music, though sometimes venturing into a random falsetto wail like with "Out On Your Shield," but still manages to suit the classic Metal sound. The bass shines through here well and makes for a bit of a more dominant force to the sound then the guitars, which also sound pretty heavy and come through around the same levels as the drum kit, but work nicely with the bass despite it simply following the guitars and doing a nice job of filling in during the solos, though with the additional guitarist there's no need to worry about it as much since the rhythm guitars can now fill the gap regardless of the volume to the bass. Many of the songs here feel like vintage material, and having a bit of a restrained energetic atmosphere to it, as if the band just wants to belt out with some really over-the-top material, or at least build up to it, but instead stick to some accessible sounds that do work here and capture the spirit well while still feeding into the Metal party kind of sound: Fun but still with a hint of a heavier edge.
And that really ends up being the theme of the album in a sense, which is pointed out bluntly in the first track. "Awesome Party" grabs that early Heavy Metal sound with the catchiness of some edgier Hard Rock acts. This song in particular will bring up shades of Kiss worship, but it's not a bad thing as the band manages to give it a more original spin and feed that stronger Heavy Metal edge to it that will make you headbang along with your favorite alcoholic drink in hand, and simply make you want to grab your friends and just hang out to listen to some good Metal. But this release doesn't solely focus on that sort of party or even just random get together with friends kind of atmosphere. "Out On Your Shield" comes off more like a battle anthem that still holds that fun sound to it, though approaches things with a little more seriousness and ultimately comes off a lot catchier with some of the more Heavy Metal driven hooks that do appear in the song, especially during the chorus, that give the song a bit of a more epic vibe to it you won't be able to resist.
These varying atmospheres of fun sounding Hard Rock meets Heavy Metal clashing with a the more serious strong push of the latter of those two in other songs really helps to bring in a good deal of variety without completely clashing against one another. Each track holds enough similarities to the general atmosphere and sound that the transition between the two musical concepts feel absolutely natural. This is evident by the time you reach the title track, "Rough and Tough," which brings back the more upbeat Hard Rock influenced material once more and warms your heart with the catchier music, safer performance, and generally fun-to-be-around sound despite the slightly more commanding approach the band takes. But, of all the upbeat songs on here, it's "Hotshot" that really steals the show. The song's more rebellious sound against that fun-natured atmosphere works perfectly to get your blood pumping and fists pounding in the air while chiming along to the simpler chorus because of the infectious chords and energy being poured into the song making it impossible for the listener to not immediately be swept up by the mandatory headbanging track.
Things do change up a little bit for the song "Cougar'd," which slows the pace of the material down to more of a Rock anthem, and even comes off a bit comical though probably unintentional. Instead of the song being focused on your traditional barely legal, or in some cases illegal sexually active female, this one is about a woman who hunts for younger men while in her sixties, which is just so different and departs so dramatically from that traditional Rock stereotype and is captured so well that you can't help but have giggle here and there at the imagery the band is painting lyrically. And, because of that, this is perhaps one of the greatest songs you will ever hear.
The only complaints you can have are really just simple cosmetic issues. "Awesome Party" could have used a few more notes to the chorus at key times to make it sound a little stronger instead of feeling like the band's playing it safe, which holds back a very minimal element of energy and excitement, and "Hotshot" could have used some gang chants near the very end along with the normal vocals for the chorus. The only other issue is how "Cougar'd" just seems to come out of nowhere with the slower pace. Of course having the band play it so safe from start to finish also acts as it's own fault. While Rough and Tough is a fantastic album that will make you wish the eighties were back, at least as far as Metal went, and really make you want to call up your friends, maybe break out the alcohol, and just kick back and have fun or a party. It's a great album that captures the spirit of the style's hayday, and fans of the early Heavy Metal style will love what they hear. Midnight Chaser have definitely lived up to the anticipation here, and give listeners a stronger experience then what their EP had for them. Picking up Rough and Tough is simply a no brainer, especially for fans wanting to feast on solid vintage Heavy Metal like the Metal gods use to make.
|
|
|
