Filthy, belligerent and obnoxious, Midnight make music to start fights to. Since 2003, one-man-band Athenar has been churning out an ungodly racket, dropping countless demos, splits and EPs – and in 2022 he returns, delivering a catchy mixture of black metal, speed metal, and dirty punk rock. “I always want it to be loud and nasty,” he asserts. “That kinda thing never gets old with me. How funny will that look to see me at age 77 – if I reach that point – sitting on the porch blasting Hellhammer?”
The title is a combination of the song titles “Let There Be Sodomy” and “Szex Witchery”, Athenar wanting to maintain the tradition of using six syllables. Lyrically, the record is “unfiltered savage animalisticness”, and the deeper the listener delves, the dirtier they get, which is just the way it should be. When it came to tracking the record, Athenar returned to Mercenary Studios in Cleveland, OH and producer Noah Buchanan, who makes it very easy for him to cut loose and make noise, choosing to once again record all the instruments himself despite having a live band that could step in and help out. “It’s still just me and my science project gone awry. I realize I’m musically handicapped, but there’s a charm to it.”
Mulling over the question as to why anyone should actually give a shit about Midnight, he once again comes up with a typically Athenar answer: “If I were to give actual good advice, I would say stay clear of anything to do with Midnight. But I’m not a rational thinker, so as usual, I will give terrible advice and say punish your earholes and play this album as loud as your stereo goes, go out to a gig and mingle with others that you don’t know, lick their faces and rub upon each other’s sweaty torsos to the hellish, neanderthalish noise of a band called Midnight! You gotta release your demons somehow! That’s why you should give a shit, or two.”
Let There Be Witchery track-listing
1. Telepathic Nightmare
2. Frothing Foulness
3. In Sinful Secrecy
4. Nocturnal Molestation
5. More Torment
6. Let There Be Sodomy
7. Devil Virgin
8. Snake Obsession
9. Villainy Wretched Villainy
10. Szex Witchery
Shortly after record release, Midnight will hit the road with Mayhem and Watain for the “Sanguine Sodomy of North America” tour, before heading to Europe and the UK for an extensive trek with Night Demon. See below for all dates!
“Sanguine Sodomy of North America” tour dates
w/ Mayhem, Watain, Midnight
March 7, 2022 – San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom
March 8, 2022 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
March 9, 2022 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Nile Theater
March 11, 2022 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
March 12, 2022 – Denver, CO @ The Summit Music Hall
March 14, 2022 – Dallas, TX @ Amplified Live
March 15, 2022 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk
March 16, 2022 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
March 18, 2022 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
March 19, 2022 – Tampa, FL @ Orpheum
March 20, 2022 – Charlotte, NC @ The Underground
March 22, 2022 – Montreal, QC @ Club Soda
March 23, 2022 – Toronto, ON @ The Phoenix
March 25, 2022 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
March 26, 2022 – New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
March 27, 2022 – New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
March 29, 2022 – Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage
March 30, 2022 – Pittsburgh, PA @ The Roxian
March 31, 2022 – Detroit, MI @ The Majestic
April 1, 2022 – Chicago, IL @ The Vic
April 2, 2022 – Minneapolis, MN @ Skyway Theatre
April 3, 2022 – Joliet, IL @ The Forge
Midnight European tour dates
w/ Night Demon
May 24, 2022 – Eindhoven, NL – Dynamo
May 25, 2022 – Hamburg, DE – Logo
May 26, 2022 – Oberndoprff, DE – Metalheadz Open Air
May 27, 2022 – Kirchdorf bei Haag, DE – Bavarian Battle Open Air
May 28, 2022 – Vienna, AT – Viper Room
May 29, 2022 – Whittlebury, GB – Manor Rest
May 31, 2022 – Ljubljana, SK – Orto Bar
June 1, 2022 – Milano, IT – Slaughter Club
June 2, 2022 – Martigny, CH – Les Caves Du Milano
June 3, 2022 – Weinheim, DE – Café Central
June 4, 2022 – Oldenburg, DE – Amadeus
June 5, 2022 – Gelsenkirchen, DE – Rock Hard Festival
June 7, 2022 – Berlin, DE – Lido
June 8, 2022 – Leipzig , DE – Neumanns
June 9, 2022 – Prague, CZ – Morda Voice
June 10, 2022 – Schonberg Kubelberg, DE – Iron Fest
June 12, 2022 – Hasselt, BE – MOD
June 13, 2022 – Bristol, GB – The Exchange
June 14, 2022 – Glasgow, GB – Audio
June 15, 2022 – Manchester, GB – Academy3
June 17, 2022 – Derry, IE – Frost & Fireland
June 20, 2022 – Brussels, BE – Magasin4
June 21, 2022 – Aarau, CH – Kiff
June 22, 2022 – Lyon, FR – Rock n’Eat
June 23, 2022 – Barcelona, ES – Boveda
June 24, 2022 – Cartagena, ES – Rock Imperium Festival
June 25, 2022 – Bilbao, ES – Stage Live
June 26, 2022 – Clisson, FR – Hellfest |