Review by Giovanni Soldi of HardRockHeavyMetal, published August 19th, 2017
7.9 out of 10
Heavy Metal power-trio from Trenton, US, MIDNITE HELLION will release new album Condemned to Hell on September 15 via Witches Brew on cd (vinyl LP version to follow in next times).
Viewing the awesome cover we have the privilege to listening to this full length in preview for our readers; let's start saying that we suggest this album only not for all classic heavy metal fans because they sound right in these times.
And, in our opinion, this is the right way to carry on the history of our loved music.
BLACK AND WHITE starts with a snippet from the well-known MICHEAL JACKSON track; next the song is a solid classic with Lemmy's voice and with a direct solo..a kick in the teeth! DEATH DEALER is more articulated and remind us somethin' from heavier side of ANVIL. CROSS THE LINE looks to thrash side of the band, while ENTER THE NIGHTMARE, the single, presents a quite intro before developing the track in all own power. SOLDIERS OF HADES and THE FEVER are more traditional metal songs; in the second song to underline the amazing solo. RIP IT UP is a speed appetizer before THE MORRIGAN, more classic and, maybe, it doesn't strike our attention.Among the pure metal bliss is a tune called "Teenage Bloodsuckin Bimbos,' which will be the theme song for an upcoming B-movie of the same name.
MIDNITE HELLION will play a Record Release show on September 17 at Sayreville, NJ's Starland Ballroom along with EXODUS, OBITUARY, POWER TRIP, and DUST BOLT. As it turns out, the gig comes five years and 10 months to the day of the band's first demo release show, which also featured OBITUARY.
7.9 out of 10
Heavy Metal power-trio from Trenton, US, MIDNITE HELLION will release new album Condemned to Hell on September 15 via Witches Brew on cd (vinyl LP version to follow in next times).
Viewing the awesome cover we have the privilege to listening to this full length in preview for our readers; let's start saying that we suggest this album only not for all classic heavy metal fans because they sound right in these times.
And, in our opinion, this is the right way to carry on the history of our loved music.
BLACK AND WHITE starts with a snippet from the well-known MICHEAL JACKSON track; next the song is a solid classic with Lemmy's voice and with a direct solo..a kick in the teeth! DEATH DEALER is more articulated and remind us somethin' from heavier side of ANVIL. CROSS THE LINE looks to thrash side of the band, while ENTER THE NIGHTMARE, the single, presents a quite intro before developing the track in all own power. SOLDIERS OF HADES and THE FEVER are more traditional metal songs; in the second song to underline the amazing solo. RIP IT UP is a speed appetizer before THE MORRIGAN, more classic and, maybe, it doesn't strike our attention.Among the pure metal bliss is a tune called "Teenage Bloodsuckin Bimbos,' which will be the theme song for an upcoming B-movie of the same name.
MIDNITE HELLION will play a Record Release show on September 17 at Sayreville, NJ's Starland Ballroom along with EXODUS, OBITUARY, POWER TRIP, and DUST BOLT. As it turns out, the gig comes five years and 10 months to the day of the band's first demo release show, which also featured OBITUARY.
Review by Kaj Roth of RothNRoll, published December 28th, 2013
3 out of 5
New Jersey based Midnite Hellion takes you back to the late 70´s/early 80´s and classic heavy metal with bands like Judas Priest, Accept and Virgin Steele. They debuted with "The Fever" EP in 2011 and followed up with "Enter the unknown in 2012, a new full length is in the works and will be out in 2014 but first the band fire it up with the 2 track single "Hour of the wolf".
These new songs are reminiscent of Judas Priest anno 1979 and they really nailed it, you could fool anyone with this being an old heavy metal recording. I think both songs are good and I will await their next record with anticipation, bring out the wolf!
3 out of 5
New Jersey based Midnite Hellion takes you back to the late 70´s/early 80´s and classic heavy metal with bands like Judas Priest, Accept and Virgin Steele. They debuted with "The Fever" EP in 2011 and followed up with "Enter the unknown in 2012, a new full length is in the works and will be out in 2014 but first the band fire it up with the 2 track single "Hour of the wolf".
These new songs are reminiscent of Judas Priest anno 1979 and they really nailed it, you could fool anyone with this being an old heavy metal recording. I think both songs are good and I will await their next record with anticipation, bring out the wolf!
Review by T.J. Fowler of Skullbanger Media, published December 24th, 2013
Several months ago I got the opportunity to review the first LP ‘Into the Unknown’ from New Jersey metal band Midnite Hellion. In that review I mentioned how I thought the band was a solid NWOBHM styled group with a vocalist that I thought was good at singing in the mid range area but was lacking in the higher range notes and this was one of the areas I thought Midnite Hellion could improve upon. Well they certainly improved in the vocal department…by completely changing the singer altogether.
Now sporting a new lead singer by the name of PJ Berlinghof, Midnite Hellion I feel has not only addressed the issues of the previous singer but it has also allowed them to take that next step from being a band in Jersey to being a band FROM Jersey who can now start working on the next step of their career.
With PJ in the lineup the band sounds more confident, the songs are played tighter as a group and everyone sounds more sure of their playing than on ‘Into the Unknown’. When listening to PJ sing I’m somewhat reminded of Ann Boleyn from Hellion as they have a similar vocal range and style. Both singers have a very solid mid range vocal and can hit some higher notes if needed as long as they do not try to sing 120 octaves above what any human should attempt. As a result Midnight Hellion plays to the strength of PJ and PJ sings to the strength of the songs written for her vocal style which as a result gives us a very solid song called ‘Hour of the Wolf’
The single ‘Hour of the Wolf’ really showcases how the band has matured in their songwriting from the previous release. The song is solid, played well, has strong vocals and sounds like a NWOBHM song that we somehow missed back in the 80’s. Great song and great classic or retro sound.
If I had to level a complaint for this EP is that there will be some people who will not like the old analog sound Midnite Hellion use here. The sound is warm and insulated and as a result it can seem a bit padded and the song can lose a little of punch. This is still something I feel can be worked on though as the band progresses. Otherwise I think ‘Hour of the Wolf’ is a great gem of a single to have that promises us something great to come with a new vocalist that has given the band a kick in the ass to get them to the next level.
Several months ago I got the opportunity to review the first LP ‘Into the Unknown’ from New Jersey metal band Midnite Hellion. In that review I mentioned how I thought the band was a solid NWOBHM styled group with a vocalist that I thought was good at singing in the mid range area but was lacking in the higher range notes and this was one of the areas I thought Midnite Hellion could improve upon. Well they certainly improved in the vocal department…by completely changing the singer altogether.
Now sporting a new lead singer by the name of PJ Berlinghof, Midnite Hellion I feel has not only addressed the issues of the previous singer but it has also allowed them to take that next step from being a band in Jersey to being a band FROM Jersey who can now start working on the next step of their career.
With PJ in the lineup the band sounds more confident, the songs are played tighter as a group and everyone sounds more sure of their playing than on ‘Into the Unknown’. When listening to PJ sing I’m somewhat reminded of Ann Boleyn from Hellion as they have a similar vocal range and style. Both singers have a very solid mid range vocal and can hit some higher notes if needed as long as they do not try to sing 120 octaves above what any human should attempt. As a result Midnight Hellion plays to the strength of PJ and PJ sings to the strength of the songs written for her vocal style which as a result gives us a very solid song called ‘Hour of the Wolf’
The single ‘Hour of the Wolf’ really showcases how the band has matured in their songwriting from the previous release. The song is solid, played well, has strong vocals and sounds like a NWOBHM song that we somehow missed back in the 80’s. Great song and great classic or retro sound.
If I had to level a complaint for this EP is that there will be some people who will not like the old analog sound Midnite Hellion use here. The sound is warm and insulated and as a result it can seem a bit padded and the song can lose a little of punch. This is still something I feel can be worked on though as the band progresses. Otherwise I think ‘Hour of the Wolf’ is a great gem of a single to have that promises us something great to come with a new vocalist that has given the band a kick in the ass to get them to the next level.
Review by Metal To Infinity, published May 9th , 2013
Midnite Hellion contains five Metal heads from out of New Jersey / USA. After they released a demo in 2011 they came up with their first official debut, an EP under the name of “Enter The Unknown”. It’s a four song EP you really should try to lay your hands on because these youngsters are totally under the spell of traditional Metal. I suppose they were born in the era that Heavy metal was at its best but they worship it, be sure! The singer of this band already left the band, so don’t focus too much on it…
“1903” is the opening track and makes clear Iron Maiden is, as for tons of bands, a source of inspiration. This is another band that doesn’t jump out of the box but stands for good Heavy Metal. Varied mid-tempo tracks that might have been a bit more powerful if you would ask me. Some more intensity and a bit sharper riffs would change the tracks that are, I must admit, good qua song writing. What excites is the fact that the band uses different tempi and so they keep the attention of the listener. Good leads, great bass tunes and good rums. When the band gears up the tempo, they play sharper, proves me right I suppose.
The vocals aren’t bad at all but with a better singer Midnite Hellion will steal more souls. It’s a point to work on but as I’ve said before the band is busy with it. It makes me curious about what will be released in the future. “The Fever” is another good track that contains also all elements of what we call old school Metal. “Cross The Line” starts furious and that fits the band well. The band changes again the tempo and sound but the Thrashy touch is overall present, sounds good. Not that I want this band to be a Thrash metal band but the fury and aggression they use in this particular song is what I am looking for. I hope their next singer will be able to deliver high-pitched screams as well…
“Enter The Unknown” is a good debut EP for this American band. There’s still a lot of work to do but the enthusiasm of this band is what we, true Metal fans, really want. This youngsters are on the good path and you can order this EP at http://www.midnitehellion.com.
My points: 79 / 100
Review by Sir Lord Doom of Hellion Records, published April 15th, 2013
Once again I have the great pleasure to share a recently discovered US heavy metal band with you, my brothers and sisters. This is classic US underground metal as it can be heard from current bands like HIGH SPIRITS, BORROWED TIME and some others, with both feet rooted deeply in European, mostly British soil. MIDNITE HELLION are youngsters who are still in a phase to experiment, to try things out, to have fun while discovering and to be wild, free and innocent. You can hear that from the bright, youthful vocals, you can feel it from the totally loose songwriting that really hits you and sticks with you. Indeed, these cats write great tunes that may last long with you. You get everything a great heavy metal band needs. Ballsy riffs with a catchy approach, multiple layers of melodic lead guitar lines here and there, nice galloping rhythms or hard driving kick ass eruptions that come close to speed and thrash metal but always show some more love to experiment with other truly metallic aspects at the same time. These tunes on the MIDNITE HELLION EP are of course sketches, shapes of things to come but they already show what beauty may be unleashed upon mankind if MIDNITE HELLION will be able to grow and mature from where they are now. Let us pray to the metal god they will for these songs here have it all. Charmingly unfinished they sound, but this makes the EP even more classy as you get grass roots heavy metal music that sounds and feels just real. We will hopefully hear again soon from this band, they have the talent and the guts to play HEAVY METAL!!!!!
Review by Zodijackyl of Contaminated Tones, published March 22nd, 2013
Midnite Hellion are a talented band that clearly worship Iron Maiden but haven't yet found a vocalist who can pull it off. These are some catchy, memorable songs, there's no doubt that "1903" pops into my head more often than any other recent retro heavy metal bands, but it's a lot better when I imagine Bruce Dickinson singing it. The instrumentalists in the band interact well, they write very strong, cohesive, and memorable songs, but they also play a style that relies heavily on the lead vocalist. Much like Iron Maiden stood out due to their exceptional and distinctive vocalist, Midnite Hellion are confined by their lack of that type of vocalist. Don't let that put you off the band though, the music is quite interesting, strong enough that I'm looking forward to the band's future after two good four-track releases, each featuring an underwhelming vocalist.
The production on this EP is quite restrained, it sounds like it could have come out of the early 80s, it's not dull, but it doesn't place a ton of emphasis on distortion and impact - it's sort of like early Iron Maiden and it fits their style quite well. A bit more impact could complement their style, but when they're playing like it's 30 years ago, they nail the sound like it's 30 years ago. The guitar tone isn't too sharp, it has a bit of crunch and bite, not a ton. The drums sound good but not overdone nor fake/triggered, which is nice too. At first I thought the production was too thin, it's not too good to listen to on treble-heavy speakers, but it sounds good on a decent set of speakers/headphones.
The bottom line is that this is some very memorable melodic heavy metal that's better than most of the retro stuff recently. It feels more authentic, they carry the spirit and feeling of older heavy metal well, without the disruption of trying to thicken it up, make it heavier, or make it a modern take. It's enjoyable to listen to, but the way they play leaves a desire for a vocalist that has the same energy and intensity that the band does. Check this one out and look for their next release as they have already parted ways with this vocalist - third time's the charm, right?
Review by T.J. Fowler of Skullbanger Media, published February 15th, 2013
I recently was contacted by a band called Midnite Hellion hailing from Trenton, New Jersey asking me if I would mind reviewing their ep Enter the Unknown. Well of course I don’t mind. If I did I wouldn’t be a music reviewer now would I?
After reviewing Zamboni’s ep Sucks! The Stupid Ep I was unsure what I was going to get out of Jersey these days…after all it is the home of Aqua Teen Hunger Force and we all know how ef’ed up that is…and how metal it is too. So should you Enter the Unknown with Midnite Hellion or be a grammar Nazi and autocorrect their name right now? Read on!
What kind of band do we have with Midnite Hellion? Is it a retro band? Is it a talented band? Is it a band on the verge of something special? Well the answers to these questions are a traditional metal band that has good solid talent that with a little more time and experience could be a band that makes a name for themselves.
Midnite Hellion is at its core a New Wave of British Heavy Metal Band which, with bands like Holy Grail, White Wizzard, Enforcer and Skullfist and some others seem to be making some sort of comeback.
Midnight Hellion’s sound has catchy melodies, the old school sound but with a bit of modern touches in their production and a vocalist that goes between midrange growls to trying to hit the high end notes. You have two guitarists that you will hear compliment off each other at times and songs that talk about supernatural and horror elements that some of those old NWOBHM bands would sing about.
I think Midnite Hellion have the core ingredients to maybe get them signed to a label with a few caveats. The first is the vocalist. The first song on the EP is 1903. In nearly the whole song he seems to be trying to sing out of his range and it really took me out of the song. However, the other 3 songs on the Ep he reverts to a more mid-range growl vocal style which I thought sounded amazing and helped the songs really hit and I thought he complimented the songs really well when he did this. He would also revert back to trying to sing high like the old NWOBHM bands would, like Praying Mantis, and it just did not work. I’m not saying this to bash the singer anyway.
Being a singer is tough, and he may mature into singing in the high range more effectively as time goes on and I can even see where such a style would sound good in the song if implemented properly. Can anyone remember what James Hetfield sounded like on those first Metallica albums? Yeah. So anything is possible.
As of right now though, I think when he sang in the mid range areas the songs were so much stronger and he reminded me a bit of Armored Saint’s John Bush. If he can get the high range vocals down then we might have a force to reckon with here.
The only other thing is I wish the songs had a bit more “PUNCH” to their sound but overall we have good song compositions and I think with a little more time Midnite Hellion can mature and find a niche for themselves. Which I hope they do. I’m really interested to see what a few more years together can produce from these guys as I think they can break through and get a deal.
Keep it rocking guys.
Review by Chris Forbes of Metal Core Fanzine, published October 2012
MIDNITE HELLION/Enter The Unknown (Self Released) 4 tracks of solid heavy metal with some power metal mixed in. Great head banging riffs that are catchy and heavy and have that crushing guitar crunch as well. The singer has a clean voice, but he is not annoying and actually fits the band’s sound as well. Production is on the money and this band keeps torturing me with EP’s. We need a full length lol. If your into Deadly Blessing, Omen and any pure heavy metal sound this band is your ticket.
Review by Jon Norberg of Contaminated Tones, published September 18th, 2012
I waited to review this for far longer than I promised so I apologize to Midnite Hellion and Drew for the long period of absent reviewing. That said, I did so because I wanted to wait until the final copy sold out of my distro and, hopefully, their stock. I maintain the belief that it's not proper to review product I am trying to sell for fear that my opinions may influence someone to not buy a release. In the case of Midnite Hellion's debut demo, The Fever, this most likely would be the case. The Fever is not a bad demo, in fact it's a very good demo in some regards but it does have some major flaws, flaws similar to the Horrifier album I reviewed a few months back. The fact that the bands share members, and share styles could be discussed deeper but I'm not going to waste time with the minutia of describing Midnite Hellion as a response to Horrifier. The under currents between the two bands are known to those in the area so whatever that may imply is up to those involved to consider.
Midnite Hellion are an awesome live band. They really hit the nail on the head if that nail was being used to build a stage or show-prop or a doghouse. I was excited to hear the demo, hoping it would capture that energy on tape which, unfortunately it doesn't. At the demo release show they really hit it out of the park - their stage show was exciting and fun to watch, there was headbanging galore and the intoxicated nature of the whole thing was a definite blast into the ever increasingly distant golden age of metal. The main problem though was covered up; Sonny Zackeo is a great live performer but on record, he truly falls short. Falls very short, in fact. He falls flat on his face - and his notes - and is forced to drag himself through a mire of uneasiness and hesitance that is audibly equivalent to watching a good friend get shut down constantly by everyone around him. In the time since this demo was released, the band has changed vocalists and I have not had a chance to get out to see the new vocalist. If they can get that position filled with someone with some serious chops, the band have a good chance of being a local favorite. I don't think that world domination is within their grasp yet though.
To return to discussion of Midnite Hellion as a response to Horrifier, While I felt Horrifier was a confused example of a prodigal possibility, Midnite Hellion is the opposite. Midnite Hellion is a totally focused though mediocre entity at it's heart. The standout performance on the demo falls solely on bassist Bill Dripps with Dan Sclavi and Amadeus Zajac presenting strong - but average - guitar performances. Drew, as a drummer, is not going to do anything that will make you want to struggle through rewinding the tape or picking your head up from the morning crossword puzzle. He's a simple yet effective drummer as were the vast majority of NWOBHM drummers but to stand out, there needs to be more. The standout track on the demo is Cross the Line, but only because it really doesn't fit. It's a fast, thrashy piece that no one seems like they wanted to record. It would have fit better on the Stench album (There's some connections here too) with a song title about dipping children in a toilet full of vomit and excrement or some other ridiculous thing that Amadeus would talk about outside one of the many shows I see him at across NJ and PA.
The strongest song here is the second track, 1903. A bass intro opens the track, displaying some of Bill Dripps' talents. The song crisscrosses between verse and choruses with some gang vocals and solos. It's structured well, stays interesting and has Sonny's best performance as well. In a few places for about three seconds he almost comes across as a student of James Rivera that really didn't take class seriously. The other highlight is the cover of Invaders. Now, most of you don't know this but all my immediate friends do: I loathe that song. It's the biggest pet peeve track of all time for me. The almost lackadaisical and poorly thought out ascending and descending chorus section makes me want to slap my face with large slate slabs covered in vomit and urine. The pain of such an impact would be far less torturous than Bruce Dickinson's whiny vocal explorations. Hearing Sonny attempt those shrill high parts created stiffening fear and curdling blood in all parts of my body upon the thought that I was about to hear my least favorite song get redone by Midnite Hellion, of all possible people. Fortunately, Sonny did something great... he didn't try to hit the glass-shattering high pitched shrieks that Bruce made criminal. The result, a tolerable version of my most hated track! Midnite Hellion do in fact have some things going for them. They are good song writers, and the tracks, with some additional production standards and vocal improvements could in fact be significantly better. The demo's faults aren't really a fault of the band but a fault of what might be a rushed effort to get material recorded and released.
Although the poor production may have been a blessing in disguise, for some reason my tape was panned entirely to the left, with no sound on the right. I tested the other tape I had at the time and it was the same issue... on three tape players, each with two separate tape decks, and a portable walkman. The guitar tone is fairly weak though the separation of instruments is perfect. You can hear the bass clearly, though the bass sounds a bit limp. I don't know how they recorded this so I can't point to anything particularly but the overall feeling I get from the production is that it may have been a four track recording or something in a basement. Ultimately, with a new EP being released in a few weeks and a new singer present, Midnite Hellion may have improved considerably in the time between this demo and the show I saw them play. I plan on being at their EP release show in about a month so, I can only hope that their new EP and singer add the Midnite Hellion the pieces they need to become the awesome band that those guys deserve - they are all awesome people and I wish them the best. I'm definitely going to pick up the EP because with minor adjustments, it could turn out to be an awesome set of songs.
Review by Zodijackyl, published June 5th, 2012
Midnite Hellion sound like they're straight out of the 80s, playing heavy metal that shows an edge of US power metal and speed metal. Despite being formed and recording this demo in 2011, the production and music both hail back a few decades quite convincingly, avoiding many pitfalls of retro bands. They're a young band that shows a lot of potential, with great interplay between the guitars, bass, and drums. The songwriting is strong - they know what to do as a band, not only as individuals.
The demo is a little bit rough, certainly not polished. The guitars have a sound reminiscent of Judas Priest's live recordings of the early 80s, and they leave room for the bass. The bassist is impressive, and while not being showy, he is steady and helps drive the songs throughout, laying back under the guitar riffs when needed, and fulfilling Steve Harris' legacy on the Maiden cover at the end. The drums aren't fancy, not are they stagnant. Simple fills are fit into the songs perfectly, helping progress the song without having guitar leads and fills at the end of every part. The tones have a practice room vibe, certainly not hi-fi 80s stuff there, but it works out really well and it fits their music bigger than a huge snare sound would. There's nothing to complain about with the instruments for a demo, and it would've been a pretty good demo for the 80s.
The guitar riffing is impressive on all three original songs. It's a mix of the standards like Maiden and Priest, with some strong USPM and speed metal moments. The first two comparisons that come to mind would be Lethal and Heavy Load - there's some serious riffing there, so take that as a high compliment to the band. The bassist knows when to stick with unified riffing, and when to let loose and take the song a bit further. The drums are also in sync with this, sticking to simple, driving beats when the guitars or bass need the focus, complimenting them nicely and picking the right spots to take over for a moment. The songwriting is very strong and the instrumentalists seem to be a dynamic group who can play off of each other nicely.
The vocalist leads the song "1903" with melodic mid-ranged singing, showing some power and attempting to lead a dynamic song that's styled similarly to Lethal's "Programmed". Despite these valiant efforts, the singer can't pull off what he's trying to do, having very shaky intonation and lacking the sheer power to manage what is being attempted. The arrangements and songwriting are strong, but every time the band is led by the singer, it is extremely apparent that he is the weak link. Nowhere is this more apparent than on the cover of Iron Maiden's "Invaders", where he comes up far short on the high notes, and sounds like third-place on karaoke night rather than a guy fronting a talented band.
Fortunately, between the release of this demo and this review, Midnite Hellion parted ways with their vocalist, which is a huge improvement for the band. Cut out the vocalist and the Iron Maiden cover and this would be a much better release, showing that the band isn't all the way there yet, but the pieces they have are solid. I'm impressed not only by the individual instrumentalists, but with how well they interact and put together good heavy metal with a bit of variation, but a complete lack of the overproduction and overtechnicality that plagues many modern bands. The demo production makes them feel like the real deal, not a robotic retro machine.
Midnite Hellion show a huge upside with lots of potential, and the upside is wide open in their search for a new vocalist. This is worth a listen (minus the Maiden cover), and whether they rework this or write new material, their next release is on my radar.
Review by Keith Carney of Falloutzine, published March 21st, 2012
Captured within the confines of this plastic cassette tape are four solid tracks of old school heavy metal worship at its finest, something that could easily have been pulled straight from that pile of heavy metal tapes your dad has been hording in the basement for all these years. You’d actually never know the difference if I hadn’t told you. With three original tracks topped off with a cover of Iron Maiden’s ‘Invaders’ this little gem, with a hand numbered limited pressing of only 100, has already sold out and is on it’s way to a second pressing. The sound quality is what you’d expect from a demo tape yet these guys still manage to demonstrate their power & ability. With a bassmaster on the four strings comparable to Steve Harris plucking away, classic power vocals, a duel guitar attack on the verge of ‘crossing the line’ into speed/thrash and solid drumming this 5 piece has raised the flag high for Heavy Metal and it’s time for you to answer the call!
Review by Bernd Henksmeier of Cross Fire, published March 12th, 2012
Midnite Hellion come from Trenton, New Jersey / USA, are greatly influenced by Iron Maiden, without sounding like a clown Cover and have their demo tape as brought out what is really oldschool. The songs sound fresh and are technically played great, the vocals can convince, although there is still safe to get a better increase in production. Internet standard, the band is also represented, as you can see below. I recommend you to see the complete recording on YouTube. My favorite on this demo is "Cross The Line" as it is for me the hardest / best piece. "1903" would have fit well on an early Maiden album because this song captures the spirit of the 80s.
Review by Dom Portera, published February 25th, 2012
This demo is, of course, a demo, so I must treat it as one and not as a full professional release. Yes, the production is shoddy and the vocals feel a little bit out of place as the review before me had mentioned, but I don't think that that bumps this demo down so low. Personally I like the vocalist and I think he has a lot of potential, and he sounds great live. I don't think he was mixed very well into the demo though of course, as I often found one of my ears hurting as he panned too much onto one side of the tape, but that's simply the realities of a basement demo, which this is. (It was recorded on a 4-track.)
Instrumentally, this demo is a gem. The band is always keeping things interesting. The guitars harmonize well and have some pretty killer riffs and the bass is always supporting more uniquely than you'll find in other nwothm/thrash bands. It creates a very diverse sound while you listen and so the music never gets monotonous. They know how to go to mid-paced groovy heavy metal to thrashing instrumental sections with great solos at the turn of a single beat. There's never a time where a transition seems sloppy or unfitting, it all flows very well to me. Excuse me for excluding the drummer, who also keeps himself in line instead of overly obtrusive like many new thrash bands are known to do. Overall It's a great instrumental lineup.
Once or twice though I heard some familiar things, for instance in one of the tracks I heard a snippet of D.O.A. by Havok, which they probably used subconsciously. That distracted me from the track a bit but overall the song is still very well composed, even if your attention is diverted a bit.
They also covered Iron Maiden's Invaders on this demo, which is probably the most disappointing. They sped up the song some, which I like, and the bassist kept the song interesting, however this is where the vocalist messes up some. He can't hit Dickinson's highs so he had to compensate with slightly distracting lower notes. It's a damn shame because the rest of the cover is pretty damn good.
Overall it's not a perfect release, as they very well know, but I feel it's a fantastic start to any band's career and I hope to see them go far. I'll definitely be picking up the upcoming EP.
Review by Adam of The Metal Advisor, published February 17th, 2012
Looks like traditional heavy metal and its various hybrids are back en masse - Midnite Hellion is part of the movement, though they aren't strictly traditional heavy metal, but a fusion of it and speed metal. In 2011, the band released their first demo, The Fever, solely on cassette limited to 100 copies, making it a small collector's piece. I've never been a huge fan of the cassette due to superior formats existing in terms of ease of use and sound quality, but when a band does it for a limited demo such as this, I can deal with it. Delightfully cheesy, the cover art is charming and perfect because it presents itself as an excellent illustration of the decade the music appears to have to come from - the 1980s.
The Fever owes its nostalgic mid eighties feel to, not only the scant, unrefined production, but the music itself, a careful reconstruction of heavy metal of the time. Despite bringing in extra influences, Midnite Hellion faithfully mirrors their idols, a modest tribute to those who walked the metal earth 25 years ago. I hear snippets of USPM (U.S. power metal) acts and similar groups that were scattered across the United States in the mid to late '80s, in addition to standard heavy and speed. Tonally, the band captures the decade in a jar, shoves it onto tape, and offers it only to the hardcore. Sounds familiar, right? Definitely. These are the kinds of bands that made me wish I lived in the 1980s because I would have experienced the unknowns that didn't survive the decade. Already we have something special with Midnite Hellion, but I might just be longing for something I never experienced.
So, the band and I are off to a positive start because I'm reminded of my favorite time period for metal. But there's one glaring flaw that drags the release down significantly: the vocals. Generally, they're shrill and unpleasing to the ear because, more often than not, they're out of tune. It's really a shame because I love the instrumental part of Midnite Hellion, but the music fights with Sonny Zackeo's voice, constructing a proverbial wall between the listener (me!) and the tracks. Though I assume he could improve with training, as it stands, I'm not a fan of his vocals because they're weak, lack power, and don't mingle with the music at all.
I essentially end up being torn between what I dislike and like on The Fever. On one hand, the demo contains great guitar riffs surely any rocker would be proud to add to their collection, but Sonny's vocals play devil's advocate, testing my patience with the overall presentation. Bleh. It's true what they say, vocals can make or break a band for a listener. Others may genuinely like them or find it in their hearts to ignore them, but it's tough to do so because I analyze music as a complete package. Nevertheless, Midnite Hellion is hard at work on their first EP, so I hold hope in my heart that the situation will improve, and Sonny steps up his game. This is a demo, perhaps not indicative of the band's full potential, but I'll reserve judgement until then. Let's just hope they keep on dishing out those classic riffs.
Review by Chris Forbes of Metal Core Fanzine, published December 9th, 2011
Oh 4 great tracks of thrash and heavy metal that had me thinking I was at Lamour's in Brooklyn, NY. Also a cool cover of Iron Maiden's "Invaders" is on here as well. The band just play honest to goodness straight ahead heavy metal with some old school thrash metal thrown in. Sort of take bands like Armored Saint, Running Wild and throw them in with Anvil and Raven and throw some Wargasm in as well. The singer has a cool voice as he belts out the lyrics and the guitar crunch is there too as I was banging along with the 4 tunes on this. The 4 tunes on this are very good and I hope to a full length form these guys is in the future.
Review by O'RIFFS, published December 7th, 2011
(Translation from French to English by Francisco Dias and Dawn Cuccinello)
I'm reviewing a tape, yeah! Fuck, as if that’s so rare nowadays! The artwork is ridiculously taken out of the 80’s; however, that’s the charm of it! We are here to have fun! We are wankers and we all finish in hell, and we know it, that’s it! It sounds retro, and even has a retro-looking logo! In brief, everything is there for looking back into the past…HIFI, that’s it! The sound is the same like in ’85; the riffs are 100% Heavy/Speed, and the vocals are 100% old school Heavy Metal. Okay, it’s true, my first thoughts were that I will listen to some good Thrash. But, I was wrong! They are really in the 80’s with hellish Heavy Metal! The guys have arrived too late, or perhaps they’re pure fans of retro and wish to pay a tribute to their Gods, because, sincerely, what has aspired here is 100% retro. It has become a blast from the past and the in-thing now is Extreme Metal, so the veterans of Speed Metal will be pleased by this as it brings back the feeling from the 80’s. But, the problem is that they have invented nothing. Thousands of Speed Metal bands in the 80’s never made it to the stage of releasing a second demo, which is a shame for them. To me, Midnite Hellion doesn’t have their own sound or riffs; it’s just an homage to what Metal was thirty years ago. The guys believe in their music and they have fun, but for this demo, the review stops here. The purpose is for pure fun, after all. You go guys!
Officer Nice of Midnite Hellion contains five Metal heads from out of New Jersey / USA. After they released a demo in 2011 they came up with their first official debut, an EP under the name of “Enter The Unknown”. It’s a four song EP you really should try to lay your hands on because these youngsters are totally under the spell of traditional Metal. I suppose they were born in the era that Heavy metal was at its best but they worship it, be sure! The singer of this band already left the band, so don’t focus too much on it…
“1903” is the opening track and makes clear Iron Maiden is, as for tons of bands, a source of inspiration. This is another band that doesn’t jump out of the box but stands for good Heavy Metal. Varied mid-tempo tracks that might have been a bit more powerful if you would ask me. Some more intensity and a bit sharper riffs would change the tracks that are, I must admit, good qua song writing. What excites is the fact that the band uses different tempi and so they keep the attention of the listener. Good leads, great bass tunes and good rums. When the band gears up the tempo, they play sharper, proves me right I suppose.
The vocals aren’t bad at all but with a better singer Midnite Hellion will steal more souls. It’s a point to work on but as I’ve said before the band is busy with it. It makes me curious about what will be released in the future. “The Fever” is another good track that contains also all elements of what we call old school Metal. “Cross The Line” starts furious and that fits the band well. The band changes again the tempo and sound but the Thrashy touch is overall present, sounds good. Not that I want this band to be a Thrash metal band but the fury and aggression they use in this particular song is what I am looking for. I hope their next singer will be able to deliver high-pitched screams as well…
“Enter The Unknown” is a good debut EP for this American band. There’s still a lot of work to do but the enthusiasm of this band is what we, true Metal fans, really want. This youngsters are on the good path and you can order this EP at http://www.midnitehellion.com.
My points: 79 / 100
Review by Sir Lord Doom of Hellion Records, published April 15th, 2013
Once again I have the great pleasure to share a recently discovered US heavy metal band with you, my brothers and sisters. This is classic US underground metal as it can be heard from current bands like HIGH SPIRITS, BORROWED TIME and some others, with both feet rooted deeply in European, mostly British soil. MIDNITE HELLION are youngsters who are still in a phase to experiment, to try things out, to have fun while discovering and to be wild, free and innocent. You can hear that from the bright, youthful vocals, you can feel it from the totally loose songwriting that really hits you and sticks with you. Indeed, these cats write great tunes that may last long with you. You get everything a great heavy metal band needs. Ballsy riffs with a catchy approach, multiple layers of melodic lead guitar lines here and there, nice galloping rhythms or hard driving kick ass eruptions that come close to speed and thrash metal but always show some more love to experiment with other truly metallic aspects at the same time. These tunes on the MIDNITE HELLION EP are of course sketches, shapes of things to come but they already show what beauty may be unleashed upon mankind if MIDNITE HELLION will be able to grow and mature from where they are now. Let us pray to the metal god they will for these songs here have it all. Charmingly unfinished they sound, but this makes the EP even more classy as you get grass roots heavy metal music that sounds and feels just real. We will hopefully hear again soon from this band, they have the talent and the guts to play HEAVY METAL!!!!!
Review by Zodijackyl of Contaminated Tones, published March 22nd, 2013
Midnite Hellion are a talented band that clearly worship Iron Maiden but haven't yet found a vocalist who can pull it off. These are some catchy, memorable songs, there's no doubt that "1903" pops into my head more often than any other recent retro heavy metal bands, but it's a lot better when I imagine Bruce Dickinson singing it. The instrumentalists in the band interact well, they write very strong, cohesive, and memorable songs, but they also play a style that relies heavily on the lead vocalist. Much like Iron Maiden stood out due to their exceptional and distinctive vocalist, Midnite Hellion are confined by their lack of that type of vocalist. Don't let that put you off the band though, the music is quite interesting, strong enough that I'm looking forward to the band's future after two good four-track releases, each featuring an underwhelming vocalist.
The production on this EP is quite restrained, it sounds like it could have come out of the early 80s, it's not dull, but it doesn't place a ton of emphasis on distortion and impact - it's sort of like early Iron Maiden and it fits their style quite well. A bit more impact could complement their style, but when they're playing like it's 30 years ago, they nail the sound like it's 30 years ago. The guitar tone isn't too sharp, it has a bit of crunch and bite, not a ton. The drums sound good but not overdone nor fake/triggered, which is nice too. At first I thought the production was too thin, it's not too good to listen to on treble-heavy speakers, but it sounds good on a decent set of speakers/headphones.
The bottom line is that this is some very memorable melodic heavy metal that's better than most of the retro stuff recently. It feels more authentic, they carry the spirit and feeling of older heavy metal well, without the disruption of trying to thicken it up, make it heavier, or make it a modern take. It's enjoyable to listen to, but the way they play leaves a desire for a vocalist that has the same energy and intensity that the band does. Check this one out and look for their next release as they have already parted ways with this vocalist - third time's the charm, right?
Review by T.J. Fowler of Skullbanger Media, published February 15th, 2013
I recently was contacted by a band called Midnite Hellion hailing from Trenton, New Jersey asking me if I would mind reviewing their ep Enter the Unknown. Well of course I don’t mind. If I did I wouldn’t be a music reviewer now would I?
After reviewing Zamboni’s ep Sucks! The Stupid Ep I was unsure what I was going to get out of Jersey these days…after all it is the home of Aqua Teen Hunger Force and we all know how ef’ed up that is…and how metal it is too. So should you Enter the Unknown with Midnite Hellion or be a grammar Nazi and autocorrect their name right now? Read on!
What kind of band do we have with Midnite Hellion? Is it a retro band? Is it a talented band? Is it a band on the verge of something special? Well the answers to these questions are a traditional metal band that has good solid talent that with a little more time and experience could be a band that makes a name for themselves.
Midnite Hellion is at its core a New Wave of British Heavy Metal Band which, with bands like Holy Grail, White Wizzard, Enforcer and Skullfist and some others seem to be making some sort of comeback.
Midnight Hellion’s sound has catchy melodies, the old school sound but with a bit of modern touches in their production and a vocalist that goes between midrange growls to trying to hit the high end notes. You have two guitarists that you will hear compliment off each other at times and songs that talk about supernatural and horror elements that some of those old NWOBHM bands would sing about.
I think Midnite Hellion have the core ingredients to maybe get them signed to a label with a few caveats. The first is the vocalist. The first song on the EP is 1903. In nearly the whole song he seems to be trying to sing out of his range and it really took me out of the song. However, the other 3 songs on the Ep he reverts to a more mid-range growl vocal style which I thought sounded amazing and helped the songs really hit and I thought he complimented the songs really well when he did this. He would also revert back to trying to sing high like the old NWOBHM bands would, like Praying Mantis, and it just did not work. I’m not saying this to bash the singer anyway.
Being a singer is tough, and he may mature into singing in the high range more effectively as time goes on and I can even see where such a style would sound good in the song if implemented properly. Can anyone remember what James Hetfield sounded like on those first Metallica albums? Yeah. So anything is possible.
As of right now though, I think when he sang in the mid range areas the songs were so much stronger and he reminded me a bit of Armored Saint’s John Bush. If he can get the high range vocals down then we might have a force to reckon with here.
The only other thing is I wish the songs had a bit more “PUNCH” to their sound but overall we have good song compositions and I think with a little more time Midnite Hellion can mature and find a niche for themselves. Which I hope they do. I’m really interested to see what a few more years together can produce from these guys as I think they can break through and get a deal.
Keep it rocking guys.
Review by Chris Forbes of Metal Core Fanzine, published October 2012
MIDNITE HELLION/Enter The Unknown (Self Released) 4 tracks of solid heavy metal with some power metal mixed in. Great head banging riffs that are catchy and heavy and have that crushing guitar crunch as well. The singer has a clean voice, but he is not annoying and actually fits the band’s sound as well. Production is on the money and this band keeps torturing me with EP’s. We need a full length lol. If your into Deadly Blessing, Omen and any pure heavy metal sound this band is your ticket.
Review by Jon Norberg of Contaminated Tones, published September 18th, 2012
I waited to review this for far longer than I promised so I apologize to Midnite Hellion and Drew for the long period of absent reviewing. That said, I did so because I wanted to wait until the final copy sold out of my distro and, hopefully, their stock. I maintain the belief that it's not proper to review product I am trying to sell for fear that my opinions may influence someone to not buy a release. In the case of Midnite Hellion's debut demo, The Fever, this most likely would be the case. The Fever is not a bad demo, in fact it's a very good demo in some regards but it does have some major flaws, flaws similar to the Horrifier album I reviewed a few months back. The fact that the bands share members, and share styles could be discussed deeper but I'm not going to waste time with the minutia of describing Midnite Hellion as a response to Horrifier. The under currents between the two bands are known to those in the area so whatever that may imply is up to those involved to consider.
Midnite Hellion are an awesome live band. They really hit the nail on the head if that nail was being used to build a stage or show-prop or a doghouse. I was excited to hear the demo, hoping it would capture that energy on tape which, unfortunately it doesn't. At the demo release show they really hit it out of the park - their stage show was exciting and fun to watch, there was headbanging galore and the intoxicated nature of the whole thing was a definite blast into the ever increasingly distant golden age of metal. The main problem though was covered up; Sonny Zackeo is a great live performer but on record, he truly falls short. Falls very short, in fact. He falls flat on his face - and his notes - and is forced to drag himself through a mire of uneasiness and hesitance that is audibly equivalent to watching a good friend get shut down constantly by everyone around him. In the time since this demo was released, the band has changed vocalists and I have not had a chance to get out to see the new vocalist. If they can get that position filled with someone with some serious chops, the band have a good chance of being a local favorite. I don't think that world domination is within their grasp yet though.
To return to discussion of Midnite Hellion as a response to Horrifier, While I felt Horrifier was a confused example of a prodigal possibility, Midnite Hellion is the opposite. Midnite Hellion is a totally focused though mediocre entity at it's heart. The standout performance on the demo falls solely on bassist Bill Dripps with Dan Sclavi and Amadeus Zajac presenting strong - but average - guitar performances. Drew, as a drummer, is not going to do anything that will make you want to struggle through rewinding the tape or picking your head up from the morning crossword puzzle. He's a simple yet effective drummer as were the vast majority of NWOBHM drummers but to stand out, there needs to be more. The standout track on the demo is Cross the Line, but only because it really doesn't fit. It's a fast, thrashy piece that no one seems like they wanted to record. It would have fit better on the Stench album (There's some connections here too) with a song title about dipping children in a toilet full of vomit and excrement or some other ridiculous thing that Amadeus would talk about outside one of the many shows I see him at across NJ and PA.
The strongest song here is the second track, 1903. A bass intro opens the track, displaying some of Bill Dripps' talents. The song crisscrosses between verse and choruses with some gang vocals and solos. It's structured well, stays interesting and has Sonny's best performance as well. In a few places for about three seconds he almost comes across as a student of James Rivera that really didn't take class seriously. The other highlight is the cover of Invaders. Now, most of you don't know this but all my immediate friends do: I loathe that song. It's the biggest pet peeve track of all time for me. The almost lackadaisical and poorly thought out ascending and descending chorus section makes me want to slap my face with large slate slabs covered in vomit and urine. The pain of such an impact would be far less torturous than Bruce Dickinson's whiny vocal explorations. Hearing Sonny attempt those shrill high parts created stiffening fear and curdling blood in all parts of my body upon the thought that I was about to hear my least favorite song get redone by Midnite Hellion, of all possible people. Fortunately, Sonny did something great... he didn't try to hit the glass-shattering high pitched shrieks that Bruce made criminal. The result, a tolerable version of my most hated track! Midnite Hellion do in fact have some things going for them. They are good song writers, and the tracks, with some additional production standards and vocal improvements could in fact be significantly better. The demo's faults aren't really a fault of the band but a fault of what might be a rushed effort to get material recorded and released.
Although the poor production may have been a blessing in disguise, for some reason my tape was panned entirely to the left, with no sound on the right. I tested the other tape I had at the time and it was the same issue... on three tape players, each with two separate tape decks, and a portable walkman. The guitar tone is fairly weak though the separation of instruments is perfect. You can hear the bass clearly, though the bass sounds a bit limp. I don't know how they recorded this so I can't point to anything particularly but the overall feeling I get from the production is that it may have been a four track recording or something in a basement. Ultimately, with a new EP being released in a few weeks and a new singer present, Midnite Hellion may have improved considerably in the time between this demo and the show I saw them play. I plan on being at their EP release show in about a month so, I can only hope that their new EP and singer add the Midnite Hellion the pieces they need to become the awesome band that those guys deserve - they are all awesome people and I wish them the best. I'm definitely going to pick up the EP because with minor adjustments, it could turn out to be an awesome set of songs.
Review by Zodijackyl, published June 5th, 2012
Midnite Hellion sound like they're straight out of the 80s, playing heavy metal that shows an edge of US power metal and speed metal. Despite being formed and recording this demo in 2011, the production and music both hail back a few decades quite convincingly, avoiding many pitfalls of retro bands. They're a young band that shows a lot of potential, with great interplay between the guitars, bass, and drums. The songwriting is strong - they know what to do as a band, not only as individuals.
The demo is a little bit rough, certainly not polished. The guitars have a sound reminiscent of Judas Priest's live recordings of the early 80s, and they leave room for the bass. The bassist is impressive, and while not being showy, he is steady and helps drive the songs throughout, laying back under the guitar riffs when needed, and fulfilling Steve Harris' legacy on the Maiden cover at the end. The drums aren't fancy, not are they stagnant. Simple fills are fit into the songs perfectly, helping progress the song without having guitar leads and fills at the end of every part. The tones have a practice room vibe, certainly not hi-fi 80s stuff there, but it works out really well and it fits their music bigger than a huge snare sound would. There's nothing to complain about with the instruments for a demo, and it would've been a pretty good demo for the 80s.
The guitar riffing is impressive on all three original songs. It's a mix of the standards like Maiden and Priest, with some strong USPM and speed metal moments. The first two comparisons that come to mind would be Lethal and Heavy Load - there's some serious riffing there, so take that as a high compliment to the band. The bassist knows when to stick with unified riffing, and when to let loose and take the song a bit further. The drums are also in sync with this, sticking to simple, driving beats when the guitars or bass need the focus, complimenting them nicely and picking the right spots to take over for a moment. The songwriting is very strong and the instrumentalists seem to be a dynamic group who can play off of each other nicely.
The vocalist leads the song "1903" with melodic mid-ranged singing, showing some power and attempting to lead a dynamic song that's styled similarly to Lethal's "Programmed". Despite these valiant efforts, the singer can't pull off what he's trying to do, having very shaky intonation and lacking the sheer power to manage what is being attempted. The arrangements and songwriting are strong, but every time the band is led by the singer, it is extremely apparent that he is the weak link. Nowhere is this more apparent than on the cover of Iron Maiden's "Invaders", where he comes up far short on the high notes, and sounds like third-place on karaoke night rather than a guy fronting a talented band.
Fortunately, between the release of this demo and this review, Midnite Hellion parted ways with their vocalist, which is a huge improvement for the band. Cut out the vocalist and the Iron Maiden cover and this would be a much better release, showing that the band isn't all the way there yet, but the pieces they have are solid. I'm impressed not only by the individual instrumentalists, but with how well they interact and put together good heavy metal with a bit of variation, but a complete lack of the overproduction and overtechnicality that plagues many modern bands. The demo production makes them feel like the real deal, not a robotic retro machine.
Midnite Hellion show a huge upside with lots of potential, and the upside is wide open in their search for a new vocalist. This is worth a listen (minus the Maiden cover), and whether they rework this or write new material, their next release is on my radar.
Review by Keith Carney of Falloutzine, published March 21st, 2012
Captured within the confines of this plastic cassette tape are four solid tracks of old school heavy metal worship at its finest, something that could easily have been pulled straight from that pile of heavy metal tapes your dad has been hording in the basement for all these years. You’d actually never know the difference if I hadn’t told you. With three original tracks topped off with a cover of Iron Maiden’s ‘Invaders’ this little gem, with a hand numbered limited pressing of only 100, has already sold out and is on it’s way to a second pressing. The sound quality is what you’d expect from a demo tape yet these guys still manage to demonstrate their power & ability. With a bassmaster on the four strings comparable to Steve Harris plucking away, classic power vocals, a duel guitar attack on the verge of ‘crossing the line’ into speed/thrash and solid drumming this 5 piece has raised the flag high for Heavy Metal and it’s time for you to answer the call!
Review by Bernd Henksmeier of Cross Fire, published March 12th, 2012
Midnite Hellion come from Trenton, New Jersey / USA, are greatly influenced by Iron Maiden, without sounding like a clown Cover and have their demo tape as brought out what is really oldschool. The songs sound fresh and are technically played great, the vocals can convince, although there is still safe to get a better increase in production. Internet standard, the band is also represented, as you can see below. I recommend you to see the complete recording on YouTube. My favorite on this demo is "Cross The Line" as it is for me the hardest / best piece. "1903" would have fit well on an early Maiden album because this song captures the spirit of the 80s.
Review by Dom Portera, published February 25th, 2012
This demo is, of course, a demo, so I must treat it as one and not as a full professional release. Yes, the production is shoddy and the vocals feel a little bit out of place as the review before me had mentioned, but I don't think that that bumps this demo down so low. Personally I like the vocalist and I think he has a lot of potential, and he sounds great live. I don't think he was mixed very well into the demo though of course, as I often found one of my ears hurting as he panned too much onto one side of the tape, but that's simply the realities of a basement demo, which this is. (It was recorded on a 4-track.)
Instrumentally, this demo is a gem. The band is always keeping things interesting. The guitars harmonize well and have some pretty killer riffs and the bass is always supporting more uniquely than you'll find in other nwothm/thrash bands. It creates a very diverse sound while you listen and so the music never gets monotonous. They know how to go to mid-paced groovy heavy metal to thrashing instrumental sections with great solos at the turn of a single beat. There's never a time where a transition seems sloppy or unfitting, it all flows very well to me. Excuse me for excluding the drummer, who also keeps himself in line instead of overly obtrusive like many new thrash bands are known to do. Overall It's a great instrumental lineup.
Once or twice though I heard some familiar things, for instance in one of the tracks I heard a snippet of D.O.A. by Havok, which they probably used subconsciously. That distracted me from the track a bit but overall the song is still very well composed, even if your attention is diverted a bit.
They also covered Iron Maiden's Invaders on this demo, which is probably the most disappointing. They sped up the song some, which I like, and the bassist kept the song interesting, however this is where the vocalist messes up some. He can't hit Dickinson's highs so he had to compensate with slightly distracting lower notes. It's a damn shame because the rest of the cover is pretty damn good.
Overall it's not a perfect release, as they very well know, but I feel it's a fantastic start to any band's career and I hope to see them go far. I'll definitely be picking up the upcoming EP.
Review by Adam of The Metal Advisor, published February 17th, 2012
Looks like traditional heavy metal and its various hybrids are back en masse - Midnite Hellion is part of the movement, though they aren't strictly traditional heavy metal, but a fusion of it and speed metal. In 2011, the band released their first demo, The Fever, solely on cassette limited to 100 copies, making it a small collector's piece. I've never been a huge fan of the cassette due to superior formats existing in terms of ease of use and sound quality, but when a band does it for a limited demo such as this, I can deal with it. Delightfully cheesy, the cover art is charming and perfect because it presents itself as an excellent illustration of the decade the music appears to have to come from - the 1980s.
The Fever owes its nostalgic mid eighties feel to, not only the scant, unrefined production, but the music itself, a careful reconstruction of heavy metal of the time. Despite bringing in extra influences, Midnite Hellion faithfully mirrors their idols, a modest tribute to those who walked the metal earth 25 years ago. I hear snippets of USPM (U.S. power metal) acts and similar groups that were scattered across the United States in the mid to late '80s, in addition to standard heavy and speed. Tonally, the band captures the decade in a jar, shoves it onto tape, and offers it only to the hardcore. Sounds familiar, right? Definitely. These are the kinds of bands that made me wish I lived in the 1980s because I would have experienced the unknowns that didn't survive the decade. Already we have something special with Midnite Hellion, but I might just be longing for something I never experienced.
So, the band and I are off to a positive start because I'm reminded of my favorite time period for metal. But there's one glaring flaw that drags the release down significantly: the vocals. Generally, they're shrill and unpleasing to the ear because, more often than not, they're out of tune. It's really a shame because I love the instrumental part of Midnite Hellion, but the music fights with Sonny Zackeo's voice, constructing a proverbial wall between the listener (me!) and the tracks. Though I assume he could improve with training, as it stands, I'm not a fan of his vocals because they're weak, lack power, and don't mingle with the music at all.
I essentially end up being torn between what I dislike and like on The Fever. On one hand, the demo contains great guitar riffs surely any rocker would be proud to add to their collection, but Sonny's vocals play devil's advocate, testing my patience with the overall presentation. Bleh. It's true what they say, vocals can make or break a band for a listener. Others may genuinely like them or find it in their hearts to ignore them, but it's tough to do so because I analyze music as a complete package. Nevertheless, Midnite Hellion is hard at work on their first EP, so I hold hope in my heart that the situation will improve, and Sonny steps up his game. This is a demo, perhaps not indicative of the band's full potential, but I'll reserve judgement until then. Let's just hope they keep on dishing out those classic riffs.
Review by Chris Forbes of Metal Core Fanzine, published December 9th, 2011
Oh 4 great tracks of thrash and heavy metal that had me thinking I was at Lamour's in Brooklyn, NY. Also a cool cover of Iron Maiden's "Invaders" is on here as well. The band just play honest to goodness straight ahead heavy metal with some old school thrash metal thrown in. Sort of take bands like Armored Saint, Running Wild and throw them in with Anvil and Raven and throw some Wargasm in as well. The singer has a cool voice as he belts out the lyrics and the guitar crunch is there too as I was banging along with the 4 tunes on this. The 4 tunes on this are very good and I hope to a full length form these guys is in the future.
Review by O'RIFFS, published December 7th, 2011
(Translation from French to English by Francisco Dias and Dawn Cuccinello)
I'm reviewing a tape, yeah! Fuck, as if that’s so rare nowadays! The artwork is ridiculously taken out of the 80’s; however, that’s the charm of it! We are here to have fun! We are wankers and we all finish in hell, and we know it, that’s it! It sounds retro, and even has a retro-looking logo! In brief, everything is there for looking back into the past…HIFI, that’s it! The sound is the same like in ’85; the riffs are 100% Heavy/Speed, and the vocals are 100% old school Heavy Metal. Okay, it’s true, my first thoughts were that I will listen to some good Thrash. But, I was wrong! They are really in the 80’s with hellish Heavy Metal! The guys have arrived too late, or perhaps they’re pure fans of retro and wish to pay a tribute to their Gods, because, sincerely, what has aspired here is 100% retro. It has become a blast from the past and the in-thing now is Extreme Metal, so the veterans of Speed Metal will be pleased by this as it brings back the feeling from the 80’s. But, the problem is that they have invented nothing. Thousands of Speed Metal bands in the 80’s never made it to the stage of releasing a second demo, which is a shame for them. To me, Midnite Hellion doesn’t have their own sound or riffs; it’s just an homage to what Metal was thirty years ago. The guys believe in their music and they have fun, but for this demo, the review stops here. The purpose is for pure fun, after all. You go guys!