The album starts strong with opener Midnight Blitz. The guitars do the work, the drum and the bass slowly add their touch to the song. Two guitars play a melody that smoothly flows through each other. The riffs throughout the verses are solid and create the finishing touch to this heavy metal opening song. Tears in Rain starts with a pounding drum and a melody that calmly dances on top of it. In comes the voice of lead singer Craig Cairns. It stays calm but the pressure is building. Then comes the very harmonic chorus that perfectly fits the vibe of the verses.

‘Now it’s time to take control’.

The drums welcome you once again in Follow Me in Death. A fast riff carries the powerful message this song wants to tell you; Be together even when fate strikes. Death Until Dark welcomes you with the title of the song being sung at you. Melodic clean vocals dance on top of a bed of drums, that later gets joined by guitars that lead the melody of the song. A catchy song about all that’s happening in the dark. Do you know what it is that’s after us?

Barren Lands and Seas of Red starts with a strong palm-muted riff that leads us into the song. This time, lead singer Craig Cairns shows the more raspy side of his voice. The chorus is more melodic, but keeps the sturdiness of the verses. Of course, another killer solo is here to accompany the song. In War in Heaven (feat. Adam Wakeman) we are greeted with a mysterious sound. A synth leads our ears into mystery. Soon, a clean electric guitar joins us too. The calm voice of Adam Wakeman appears. It calmly leads us further throughout the song. This power ballad is very powerful and switches between calm parts and strong and loud parts.

Blood Sacrifice comes at us with a steady pace. palm-muted power chords enter our earbuds with some powerful words on top;

White heat, blinding, deadly, lights up the sky. Hail to divine king, the night screams; Blood sacrifice!

Night Raids has what sounds like an alarm at the beginning of the song. You start wondering what will come next. When you are focused, the band comes in loud and clear; melodic singing on a bed of heavy metal and power metal guitars with a kick-ass solo. This seems to be the formula of Tailgunner, and it’s solid and addictive.

Second-to-last song Eye of the Storm has a single guitar open up for us. Soon the next one joins on the same melody. The guitars lead you through this melodic intro to the calm and mysterious verse. That one builds up to the chorus that goes all out. A great buildup that perfectly fits the title of the track. Closer Eulogy seems to open very calm, but a loud and clear palm-muted guitar begs to differ. Another guitar starts a melody on top of that, and another one follows. The drums pop their heads in too, and soon the bass follows. A great build-up to the last song of the album, that has a fitting name for the end of an album. Luckily, the title says nothing about Tailgunner themselves. They rise to the top of my playlist with this amazing album.

Midnight Blitz is an amazing album. It is very melodic on a bed of heavy and powerful guitars. The album does sound like it comes from the 80’s or 90’s, like it was right there when heavy metal was at its best. A great album that I would highly recommend if you listen to bands who are a part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM), like Iron Maiden and Saxon.

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