black midi: “Hellfire” (Album Review)
Genres: Avant-Prog, Brutal Prog, Art Rock
black midi once again proves to be one of the few modern rock bands to boldly take risks and create something that feels wholly unoriginal. Hellfire sticks out like a sore thumb when compared to other albums of today, refusing to follow popular trends. black midi dismisses the idea of staying within their comfort zone, constantly creating new boundaries just to break them down. The incredible authenticity that this record is filled with helps the band to flourish.
What does this album cover depict? I wouldn’t be surprised if black midi themselves had no idea. Through the mix of harsh shapes with lines of various thicknesses, some details of figures can be made out. Hellfire presents a similar musical experience, with a clear structure hidden within the crazed instrumentation. There is always a sense of purpose, even if the songs aren’t dressed up neatly and made to look clean. In this way, the tracks feel like an organic form of expression by the band. The chaotic elements aren’t forced and arbitrarily mixed in, they’re a breathing part of the record. Dynamic sounds, polyrhythms, and truly furious instrumentation are mixed together to create something beautiful. Absurdity doesn’t make black midi harder to enjoy, if anything, it does the opposite. Allowing yourself to be taken on the wild ride offered by black midi is how you understand the method to their madness.
The one word to best describe Hellfire is “passionate”. Whether it’s the overpowering drums on “Welcome To Hell”, or Cameron Picton’s growls of “burning! Burning!”, there’s a sense of ferocious energy permeating through the album. Part of why this makes for such an enjoyable listening experience is how easy it is to be caught off guard and shocked by just how intense the band can get. While this intensity is one of Hellfire's strengths, it feels like black midi struggles to properly utilize it. One of my favorite moments on Hellfire is the fast-paced rapping on "The Race Is About To Begin". However, this moment becomes slightly soured, as the extended outro provides a rest from the insanity, but ends up being drawn out. The highs of the adrenaline-fueled music fizzle out in a way that doesn’t feel complete. It feels like the band understands that breaks are needed from the climaxes, but don't provide these breaks satisfyingly. However, this isn’t the case with every song, as “Sugar/Tzu” is structured perfectly, with the highs and lows matching perfectly with the song’s narrative. Chaos and experimentation are powerful tools but can present their own set of challenges. No song on the album is ruined because of this, but moments of awkward stiffness are created nonetheless.
black midi refuse to limit themselves by playing it safe, choosing to make something so different from what is commonly accepted by the mainstream. While some might argue that the band is just being different for the sake of being different, I can recognize the creativity needed to enter new territory and to do so in a satisfying way. With experimentation, there always lies the risk of “going too far” or creating something new in a way that isn’t constructive. Even though black midi occasionally does fall into these pitfalls with Hellfire, the quality of the album as a whole is so tight that it isn’t the undoing of the record. The structure of individual songs is by no means perfect but fits together as a cohesive project. Hellfire can be likened to a raging inferno, with flames so viscous that methods of controlling them often fail. And at the end of the day, you just can’t help but to watch on in awe.
Favorite Tracks: Sugar/Tzu, The Race Is About To Begin, Welcome To Hell, Hellfire
Least Favorites: n/a
Enjoyment: Low 9
Critically: Low 9
Arbitrary Number: 9.1/10
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