MIDAS
“Midas”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

9.5/10

Midas are a heavy metal band from the USA formed in 2018, releasing their debut E.P. ‘Still Hungry’ in 2019, and their debut full length album ‘Midas’ in 2022.

Capturing the essence of the glorious sound of eighties heavy metal and hard rock, Midas aim to bridge the gap between the two genres. Their debut album is eight songs and thirty three minutes of adrenaline pumping metal and rock – bursting into life with a cracking NWOBHM sounding guitar riff, as ‘Slaves To The Night’ storms in and marches on at a traditional “foot on the monitor” pace. And for someone who lived and breathed the eighties metal scene, listening to bands such as Angel Witch, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Raven define the sound of what is now called the old school style of heavy metal, ‘Slaves To The Night’ is a perfect time travelling arc – I need simply close my eyes and let Midas transport me back to the greatest decade for heavy metal evolution. A simply breath taking start to the bands debut full length album…

…which gets even better with ‘Nobody Gets Out Alive’. The old school flavour is still there, with the band introducing the “chugging” guitar style. Midas may be four thousand miles away from where this style of metal began, but boy have they captured it perfectly. Traditional metallers everywhere will be dripping with excitement after the opening double delight! Which becomes a triple treat with ‘Hellfire’ – a heavier, much more bustling tune. ‘Hellfire’ is so old school I don’t even need to close my eyes to feel the eighties! Where was Midas forty years ago? Oh, that’s right – they weren’t even fucking born then! I forgot for a moment I was an old bugger!

‘Break The Chains’ moves the album in a much more melodic direction, attracting all the hard rock fans into the bands soundscape. Since the album began, it’s been head bang-able to the max – with feet stamping and fists raised high in the air. Just one look at the albums cover and you instantly know what you’re gonna get – is there a more iconic guitar shape than the Flying V to denote heavy metal! ‘Eyes In The Cold’ brings the anthemic style of metal to the fore – think Saxon and Manowar, and you’ll have some of idea of where Midas are heading. The more mid tempo foot stomping pace allows for a short breather from the electrifying intensity of the albums relentless foot on the monitor march.

Pace lights up the album in the mighty shape of ‘Hell Has Frozen Over’. The meld of NWOBHM with traditional heavy metal is perfection – ‘Hell Has Frozen Over’ a pace changing, tempo altering swagger of infectious heavy metal. If you’re a lover of traditional metal and you’re not loving this one, then I reckon you’re incapable of love. Full on pace accelerates into sight with the fast and furious ‘Running Scared’ – livening mosh pits up with a heavier intensity than heard anywhere else on the album. Midas showing they’re equally adept at fast and mid paced numbers. And the anthemic style too! Now then, as we know, all good things come to an end, and so does this album – but what an end! The final hurrah ‘Golden Chariots’, is the heaviest and most infectious gallop of all the tunes on offer. And that chorus is gonna be sung by everyone. All together now “on gilded chariots, we’ll fly away from here, on golden wings we take the sky”. Pure gold.

Overall, a red hot scorcher of an album full of high energy traditional heavy metal.

TRACKLIST

Slaves To The Night
Nobody Gets Out Alive
Hellfire
Break The Chains
Eyes In The Cold
Hell Has Frozen Over
Running Scared
Golden Chariots

https://midasbanddetroit.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/MidasDetroit/

This review is the property of Iron Mathew and Metal Gods TV. It is strictly prohibited to copy any part of this review, unless you have both of the parties’ permission, or are the band/record label/PR company in question. Failure to adhere to these instructions will be considered as Plagiarism and you will be reported to the appropriate authorities

---