Hellfire

black midi

I was truly surprised to hear the announcement for Hellfire just before the one year anniversary of the exhilarating Cavalcade. In interviews, the band has joked about having already written several albums in their incredibly dry, sarcastic tone. However, with how quickly we are getting a follow-up, I think we can conclude that the band wasn't entirely kidding around. The album announcement came attached with a new single Welcome to Hell, a song that has quickly grown to be my favourite song of the year (thus far). And this is thanks to very sharp guitar work from Geordie Greep, who pumps out one memorable chromatic riff after another. Morgan Simpson continues to astound with his jazz fusion drumming chops, somehow always managing to play the perfect strokes at exactly the right time. The track is also seasoned with so many unique passages that are pulled from a myriad of genres. A carnival shuffle, sinister big band explosions straight from a James Bond film, and a blistering punk passage just to name a few. This already sounds like it's going off the rails, but there's a theatrical and narrative thread that ties everything together beautifully. With excitement levels practically busting, I refused to look more into the album's subsequent singles and decided to digest this thing completely upon release.

I've sat with the album for a little while now, and I do like it, but I can't say I'm enjoying it as much as Cavalcade. There are just as many stunning musical passages like the dizzying, accelerated arpeggios and explosive finish to Sugar/Tzu. There's the serene, flute-led final moments of Still. The aggressive, vulgar, screamed passages performed by Cameron Picton at the end of Eat Men Eat are enthralling. The jarring ascending guitar on The Race Is About to Begin is an oddly anchoring motif in the otherwise warped take on cabaret. I adore all these elements, although I can't help but feel like black midi's indulgences have gotten the best of them this time around. There are so many highs throughout the album, and yet, Hellfire has difficulty maintaining momentum. The quieter detours, while pleasant, can be a tad long winded and I begin to lose interest until the next sonic explosion occurs. My attention em is especially tested with the last four tracks. The band does the show tune and cabaret sound justice, but I must admit that this is not my favourite element of their sound. These influences come out quite heavily in the album's last leg without a truly explosive moment or memorable guitar hook to get the brain juices flowing.

Hellfire helped me understand better what it is about black midi I really enjoy, and what I don't. I like the raw, chaotic, energy and the angular riffs supported by wild and spontaneous drum performances. Not so much the lavish, indulgent and calmer sides to the band, although I recognize that they are incredibly adept at pulling off both the chaotic and refined. The band's two sides battled for supremacy on this one and while I think there was enough of a spark to keep me mostly entertained, I can see the scales beginning to shift to this more melodic and theatrical direction. I'm curious to see if this is a direction the band will continue to explore or if the band is already looking ahead to something different. Either way, I'll be waiting.