Tailgunner
Midnight Blitz
Napalm Records
When I was a young thrasher, a band like Anthrax were a gateway drug: I got into so much cool stuff through the bands they mentioned, the songs they covered and the t-shirts they sported. I imagine Tailgunner are having a similar effect on a new generation and are kind enough to wear their influences on their collective sleeve (their name: Iron Maiden, album title: Krokus, producer: KK Downing). Tailgunner’s credentials are impeccable and the air raid siren (could anything be more metal?) which heralds the arrival of opening (and title) track acts as both a warning and a comforter. With twin lead guitars dualling like a pair of sword fencers, a rhythm section firing with machine gun precision, along with glass shattering vocals, makes this a full on metal fest and ensures Midnight Blitz delivers all the thrills of a Red Arrows display team over 35 furious minutes. Unashamedly heavy metal, this album has an accessibility that’ll welcome new converts to the fold whilst simultaneously being hard enough to sate those of us with memories longer than our hair. By producing an album that celebrates metal’s illustrious past, Tailgunner have signposted themselves a bright future.
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Review by Peter Dennis.