May 9, 2022

black midi - "Welcome to Hell"


The third album from UK post-punks black midi is out this summer, but today the band say "Welcome to Hell."

It's been less than a year since black midi dropped their scorching sophomore record Cavalcade, but today they've announced that they're wasting no time and have a new one primed and ready to roll. The album's lead single, "Welcome to Hell," is chock-full of everything we've come to love from the band and furthers their industrial approach as the luminaries of their newly celebrated scene. This one starts off with a rather straight-forward drum beat and the typical speak-sing lyrics that have dominated their sound. Soon, metallic, angular guitars join and things start to pick up before the track pulls a 180 and frantic, complex rhythms take over the song. This is a brutal and urgent as anything we've heard from the group in the past and proves they still have a lot in the tank ready to unleash on their fans. "If Cavalcade was a drama, Hellfire is like an epic action film," said the band’s Geordie Greep in a press release, and it feels apparent that the rest of the record is sure to pack a similar punch. black midi have risen to the top as one of the most engaging and visionary young bands in a scene that is bursting at the seams and each new release only adds to their momentum. In some cases, putting out new music at such a rapid clip can come with grievances and half-baked results, but in this case it's clear that black midi's cup is over-flowing with ideas and they're doing everything in their power to capture everything in the moment before it spoils or becomes over-produced. Lucky for us, their fire is still burning with intense passion and an introduction to hell has never felt so welcomed.

Hellfire is out July 15 via Rough Trade.

No comments: