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So, unless you’ve been out of touch in the metal world for the last 15 years \u2014 or you just hate fun and are really uptight \u2014 you know who Midnight<\/a><\/strong> is. And you also know what they’re about. After all, the band put it perfectly on the opening track of their 2020 album, Rebirth by Blasphemy<\/em>: “Fucking speed and darkness!!!” And that’s what they continue to deliver on Hellish Expectations<\/em>.<\/p>\n How you feel about the album depends largely on how you feel about the band. After a series of early demos, splits and EPs, the band established itself as a fiery metal force on 2011’s Satanic Royalty<\/em>. The many releases since then have largely been variations on the same theme. Sure, there have been standout moment over the years like “Evil Like a Knife,” “Crushed by Demons,” and, my own personal favorite, “Warning from the Reaper.” But these are not aberrations, rather examples of Midnight<\/a><\/strong> doing what they do best.<\/p>\n And what is that? It’s their own hook-laden blend of Mot\u00f6rhead<\/a><\/strong>, Venom<\/a><\/strong>, speed metal, street punk, and that tinge of black metal to give it that extra taste of evil. I hope you like barked vocals, catchy riffs, and d-beat drums, cause you’re gonna get a lot of that from these guys.<\/p>\n \n