THE BEAST

A statement from Midnight mainman Athenar reads: "Being wild nutty metalist/punkoid/scumball/rockheads blah blah blah, we all feel we don't need society. But like it or not, we are a part of society...I think? Maybe not, but anyway, here's an interpretation of 'I Don't Need Society' by one of my all-time favorite Texas bands, Dirty Rotten Imbeciles! So, instead of buying a pair of those used soiled panties off of Ebay or that 13-inch-long unsanded dildo that you've had your eye on for quite some time now, use that cash to help out some folks in the Lone Star State who may need a pair of soiled panties or a dildo of some sort."

In other Midnight news, the band recently revealed the first track from their highly anticipated third album, Sweet Death and Ecstasy, which will be released later this year on 2CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats via Hells Headbangers. Titled "Penetratal Ecstasy," hear the first taste of Sweet Death and Ecstasy HERE at Hells Headbangers' official YouTube channel.

By now, Midnight need no introduction. Guided by the twisted muse of Athenar since 2003, this Cleveland cult have been slaying the metal/punk underground with their own, highly addictive brand of lust, filth, and sleaze, subsequently building up a sizable catalog and garnering a rabid fanbase. While there's certainly fanatics for the band's early EP work, it was Midnight's debut album, Satanic Royalty - released to international fanfare in 2011 by Hells Headbangers - that entered the band's name into the annals of "classic." Never one to rush things (nor drop an EP along the way), Midnight continued their underground dominance with No Mercy for Mayhem in 2014, further perfecting their signature sound. Now, with their massively anticipated third album, Sweet Death and Ecstasy, Athenar and co. return with their darkest and most daring effort yet.

Granted, upon the first detonating chords of opener "Crushed by Demons," it would be fair to assume that Sweet Death and Ecstasy is simply classic Midnight...until the tracktime nearly doubles what a characteristic track of theirs would be. This is no mere bloat, though: bookended by two of the band's longest songs to date, Sweet Death and Ecstasy lays bare a more anguished 'n' aggravated Midnight, forever in thrall to the usual subjects (LUST, FILTH, SLEAZE) but speaking a slightly different, altogether-more-poisonous tongue. It both charges harder than ever - even harder than the band's early EP work, arguably - and also puts on the brakes to bang 'n' clang in a manner most foul. Indeed, Midnight truly deliver Sweet Death and Ecstasy in a swift 32 minutes, and it's absolutely addicting. What's more, the CD version will feature a bonus disc that's a 12-song live rehearsal recorded in 2015 by Commandor Vanik. There's no dawn for Midnight...ever!