• New Music Reviews
• |
• Archives
• |
• News
• |
• Submissions
• |
• About
• |
• 
• |
• 

April 2024

• Vanden Plas: The Empyrean Equation Of The Long Lost Things
• Praying Mantis: Defiance
• King Zebra: Between The Shadows
• About Us: Take A Piece
• Blue Oyster Cult: Ghost Stories

March 2024

• Cruzh: The Jungle Revolution
• Whom Gods Destroy: Insanium
• The Prog Collective: Dark Encounters
• Lords Of Black: Mechanics Of Predacity
• Lipz: Changing The Melody
• The End Machine: The Quantum Phase
• Stargate: Escaping The Illusion
• Turbulence: Binary Dream
• Sonata Arctica: Clear Cold Beyond
• D'Luna: Monster
• Big Big Train: The Likes Of Us
• Benjamin Croft: We Are Here To Help

February 2024

• Traveler: Prequel To Madness
• Lionheart: The Grace Of A Dragonfly
• Honeymoon Suite: Alive
• Durbin: Screaming Steel
• Smoking Snakes: Danger Zone
• Revolution Saints: Against The Winds
• Striker: Ultrapower
• Show N Tell: The Ritual Has Begun
• Robert Hart: Circus Life

January 2024

• Corvus: Immortals
• Caligula's Horse: Charcoal Grace
• Grand: Second To None
• Neal Morse: The Restoration - Joseph - Part Two
• The Rods: Rattle The Cage
• Gotus: Gotus
• Metalite: Expedition One
• Cobrakill: Serpent's Kiss
• Jack Russell & Tracii Guns: Medusa
• Jim Peterik & World Stage: Roots & Shoots Vol. 1
• The Grandmaster: Black Sun

[ More Music Reviews ]

Midnight Sin: Sex First

Melodic (Sleaze) Hard Rock

3.5/5.0

Facebook Twitter YouTube
Bakerteam Records
Words: Craig Hartranft  Added: 08.10.2014

This band gives everything away from the start. Everything you need to know about the Midnight Sin is revealed, not only with its name, but also in the title to it's first album Sex First, the artwork and the band photo.

Midnight Sin: more victims of Photoshop.

Yep. Hailing from Italy, home to European sleaze rock and the Pope, Midnight Sin is another 21st century interpretation of classic Eighties melodic hard rock of the Sunset Strip sleaze variety. And, frankly, they're actually pretty good at the genre. Strong melodies and vocal harmonies, big guitars, solid rock groove, a singer with a bit of a punkish snotty sound, and the normal trashy lyrical content fill this album. To make it even more palatable, they package it in an AOR wrapper.

Excepting a few lighter songs, most everything rocks, and that's basically the fundamental requirement for classic sleaze rock. The punch of groove and fire of guitar solos are the highlight of Midnight Revolution, Feed Me With Lies, and Rise & Yell, by example. You Piss Me Off is a bit more low key rock, but humorous nonetheless. 'till It's All Gone Away and No Matter rock, but with heavier riffs and feeling. Code 69 and Sweet Pain are the two lighter songs. Working mostly from acoustic guitar, they might be called ballads, especially the latter.

Overall, Sex First is a fine first effort. You can say what you will about the sleaze rock genre. That it's derivative or cliche, easy to clone and that's why bands do it. But, at the very least, Midnight Sin didn't screw it up.

Midnight Sin - Feed Me With Lies (Lyric Video)

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

Midnight Sin is another 21st century interpretation of classic Eighties melodic hard rock of the Sunset Strip sleaze variety. And, frankly, they're actually pretty good at the genre.

Alphabetical Index

Three years have passed since Sweden's Cruzh dropped their second long-player, Tropical Thunder, also introducing their new singer, Alex Waghorn. Now the band returns with The Jungle Revolution ... [ Read More ]