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MIDAS
Midas

No Remorse (2022)
Rating: 8.5/10

A glut of bands have been trying to sound 80s over the last few years and many have failed miserably, but Detroit, Michigan-based metallers Midas are a breath of fresh air.

Beginning life in 2018, the combo released a couple of demos – Solid Gold Heavy and Still Hungry – the following year. Although, as with a lot of bands, I’m sure the worldwide pandemic stopped them in their tracks, but now the quartet is back, brighter and fresher than ever.

This debut full-length album slays, and dishes up eight delicious cuts of straight up metal that is very much in the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal vein. Vocalist Joe Kupiec has a nice tone with a hint of gravel, while his axe work alongside the lead of Casey O’Ryan sizzles nicely throughout.

All the tracks on offer are fluid, breezy and anthemic. Opener ‘Slaves Of The Night’ instantly hooks in, trundling nicely in creaky, vintage fashion, and ‘Nobody Gets Out Alive’ reeks of the early 80s, sublime in its harmonized yet rainy Britishness.

However, as the album unravels there’s a hummable quality, with the clearness of the bass and the driving percussion. Everything sparkles in steely homage to, say, Cirith Ungol or Brocas Helm, ploughing steadily through early to mid 80s glory as the glinting ‘Hellfire’ billows smoke and casts off specks of grease, while ‘Break The Chains’ chugs with menace and those vocals sublimely hit the sweet spot.

The record just mesmerizes, somehow remaining tinged with that 80s Euro-Goth gloominess which resides behind the veil of fiery expression. ‘Eyes In The Cold’ gets the blood and fists pumping, providing extra steel to its framework, and ‘Hell Has Frozen Over’ rattles like a more metalized Pentagram.

‘Running Scared’ clanks to the timely tumult of Breck Crandell’s belligerent percussion that retaliates to the equally formidable drive of Anthony Franchina’s bass. It’s wonderful heavy metal culminating in the fizzing ‘Golden Chariots’.

Mention must also go to Bambi Guthrie who is responsible for the album artwork, wrapping this thunderbolt of an album in further vintage atmosphere.

Midas really has conjured up an authentic rock n’ roll outing that I’ve had on repeat for days. If you like your metal catchy, melodic and fired, up then make this your go-to album. This is how heavy metal should be played.

Neil Arnold

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