THE BEAST

Launches first single, "Szex Witchery"

Album artwork by: William Lacey

On March 4th, Midnight will release their fifth full-length, Let There Be Witchery, via Metal Blade Records. For a first preview of the album, the new single, "Szex Witchery", can be heard at: metalblade.com/midnight - where Let There Be Witchery can also be pre-ordered in the following formats:

- jewelcase-CD
- 180g black vinyl (EU exclusive)
- green marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 666 copies)
- indigo marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 500 copies)
- wine red marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 400 copies)
- violet marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 300 copies)
- clear lavender vinyl (Metal Blade Shop exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- clear lilac vinyl (High Roller Records exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- light grey marbled vinyl (Decibel exclusive - limited to 300 copies)
- coke bottle clear vinyl (US exclusive)
- purple / black blend vinyl (US exclusive)
- clear / black haze vinyl (Band exclusive - limited to 200 copies - USA | International)

Filthy, belligerent and obnoxious, Midnight make music to start fights to. Since 2003, one-man-band Athenar has been churning out an ungodly racket, dropping countless demos, splits and EPs - and in 2022 he returns, delivering a catchy mixture of black metal, speed metal, and dirty punk rock. "I always want it to be loud and nasty," he asserts. "That kinda thing never gets old with me. How funny will that look to see me at age 77 - if I reach that point - sitting on the porch blasting Hellhammer?"

The title is a combination of the song titles "Let There Be Sodomy" and "Szex Witchery", Athenar wanting to maintain the tradition of using six syllables. Lyrically, the record is "unfiltered savage animalisticness", and the deeper the listener delves, the dirtier they get, which is just the way it should be. When it came to tracking the record, Athenar returned to Mercenary Studios in Cleveland, OH and producer Noah Buchanan, who makes it very easy for him to cut loose and make noise, choosing to once again record all the instruments himself despite having a live band that could step in and help out. "It's still just me and my science project gone awry. I realize I'm musically handicapped, but there's a charm to it."

Mulling over the question as to why anyone should actually give a shit about Midnight, he once again comes up with a typically Athenar answer: "If I were to give actual good advice, I would say stay clear of anything to do with Midnight. But I'm not a rational thinker, so as usual, I will give terrible advice and say punish your earholes and play this album as loud as your stereo goes, go out to a gig and mingle with others that you don't know, lick their faces and rub upon each other's sweaty torsos to the hellish, neanderthalish noise of a band called Midnight! You gotta release your demons somehow! That's why you should give a shit, or two."

Let There Be Witchery track-listing
01. Telepathic Nightmare
02. Frothing Foulness
03. In Sinful Secrecy
04. Nocturnal Molestation
05. More Torment
06. Let There Be Sodomy
07. Devil Virgin
08. Snake Obsession
09. Villainy Wretched Villainy
10. Szex Witchery

Shortly after record release, Midnight will head out on the road with Mayhem and Watain for the "Sanguine Sodomy of North America" tour. See below for all dates!

"Sanguine Sodomy of North America" tour dates
w/ Mayhem, Watain, Midnight
March 7, 2022 - San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom
March 8, 2022 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
March 9, 2022 - Phoenix, AZ @ The Nile Theater
March 11, 2022 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
March 12, 2022 - Denver, CO @ The Summit Music Hall
March 14, 2022 - Dallas, TX @ Amplified Live
March 15, 2022 - Austin, TX @ Mohawk
March 16, 2022 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
March 18, 2022 - Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
March 19, 2022 - Tampa, FL @ Orpheum
March 20, 2022 - Charlotte, NC @ The Underground
March 22, 2022 - Montreal, QC @ Club Soda
March 23, 2022 - Toronto, ON @ The Phoenix
March 25, 2022 - Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
March 26, 2022 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
March 27, 2022 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
March 29, 2022 - Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage
March 30, 2022 - Pittsburgh, PA @ The Roxian
March 31, 2022 - Detroit, MI @ The Majestic
April 1, 2022 - Chicago, IL @ The Vic
April 2, 2022 - Minneapolis, MN @ Skyway Theatre
April 3, 2022 - Joliet, IL @ The Forge

Photo credit: Hannah Verbeuren

Midnight online:
http://midnightofficial.com
https://www.facebook.com/midnightviolators
https://www.instagram.com/midnightviolators