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MIDNIGHT VICE
Midnight Vice EP

Self-released (2023)
Rating: 8.5/10

Not to be confused with the long running Canadian metallers of the same name, the Midnight Vice I speak of here is a Tampa, Florida-based four-piece that started out three years ago. This release is their debut EP and consists of six excellent tracks pumped with 80s nostalgia. However, this isn’t mere throwback metal but a sizzling display that buzzes with a freshness and power.

The melodies here are massive, cleanly expressed by frontman Tyler Gray whose style effortlessly soars between white hot glam and dark powerhouse metal. Think Savatage and Judas Priest flecked with a vamped up Vain and modern rockers Wings Of Steel. Y’know, bombastic fired up metal that is straight down the line and straight for the throat but boasting flashes of flamboyancy.

The axe work is wonderfully executed in its crispness, as are the potent drums and hefty bass lines, but there is no soulless contemporary gloss here. Instead, you’re swept up in the sea of blood, sweat n’ tears as Midnight Vice serves up catchy yet driving anthems stinking of leather and fuelled by fire.

I was introduced to these guys by the track ‘Baptized By Fire’, a raucous smorgasbord of full throttle riffs that fuse power metal with speedier dynamics, and as Tyler Gray screams “I’m gonna watch you burn” one experiences the strong nostalgic odours but also the authenticity that suggests that Midnight Vice could be the next band to take the world by storm.

It’s the fact that such compositions are so genuine that one cannot help but revel in the dim light of the atmosphere these guys construct. I guess due to the pace of tracks like ‘Strike In The Night’ and ‘Spellcaster’ one gets to compare such a speeding onslaught to a band like Skullfist, except Midnight Vice boasts more oomph. Then there are the steadier, dark swaggers of the superb ‘Excalibur’ and the bewitching ‘Mysteria’, although those racier speed metal elements are never far away.

This is a rollicking outing that gatecrashes the party and leaves a trail of destruction in its wake but never outstays its welcome. Like all quality metal bands, Midnight Vice leaves you wanting more.

Neil Arnold

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