If you had to give a prize to the Dundee band which has progressed the quickest from a band you wouldn't have stepped outside your front door to see, to one that, given the time, you'd now cross all the way over Scotland to see, then the Middens are it. If you've followed their history according to Dead Earnest over the time I've been reviewing their concerts and demo, you'll see that consistency was not previously in their vocabulary and the word "lemming" was paramount. No more, no more - the Middens in concert are now awesome - that this debut CD is now also essential listening, is a testament to the belief and strength of determination, allied to writing and arranging qualities, that this band posseses by the truckload.
Tagged now as "horror-punk", the band deliver an audio-visual feast of flying entertainment in concert, and the opening track on here, "Welcome To Zombietown" is pure early Alice Cooper with a slightly more hardcore attitude. Vocalist Lee has all the qualities you'd expect from that description as he delivers a song that ticks all the boxes for its effect - titanium strength guitar riffing, hard-hitting lurching rhythms and a vocal that mixes the Cooper sneer with hardcore holler to riveting and enjoyable degree. It's an immediate song that mixes intensity with evil yet rises up from the depths to ensnare you in its charms and twist your soul - a perfect opener. But then we explode into "Dead By Dawn" as the band smashes down on the punk button and delivers this supercharged song that is both commercial and lyrically superb, its horror qualities the pefect thing to make you smile as the music rips out your throat and Lee's vocals are on fire, full of urgency and yet total clarity, while the band rage forth an Kenny's guitar solo ignites the set to lightning proportions, the only minus note being a lack of depth on the backing vocal for th first couple of choruses, but that's being ultra picky. It's a stunner of a song and no mistake.
But that's only the start as the band proceed to unleash a barrage of punk-rock proportions, the first being the powerful adiction that is the fast-paced "Land Of The Dead", this time Lee's combination of strangled and strong, strident vocals mixing with soaring backing vocals, a chorus to die for, solid and tight bass work, driving drums and searing heat guitar, all kept absolutely economically tight, short, sharp and to the point. After this, "Softly Softly" slightly takes down the pace, maintains the intensity, rumbles into life and explodes into its hook with the efficacy of a needle to the veins, as a slice of super-commercial hardcore punk drives into your heart and delivers the goods in a lurching blaze of guitars-driven delight.
"She's Mine" returns to their trademark surging spiral of punk-rock power as the song is unleashed with all the force of a tornado, Lee providing yet another vocal that is filled with emotion, passion and strength as that voice tears right at you to glorious effect, this time the song being more of a listener than a leaper, though no less effective in its enjoyment and excitement, the way it turns into its monster finale of driving riffing and urgent vocals above crashing rhythm section, nothing short of economic genius.
You simply can't resist the smile that is induced as the ear-to-ear grin of the old classic "Purple People Eater" erupts into life and if this ain't top-ten punk in every sense of the word, then there just ain't no justice - this should be blaring out of every radio from Land's End to John O'Groats, as its utterly addictive chorus and powerful delivery ooze enjoyment from every pore. "Carnival Of Disgrace" returns to the early Alice Cooper sensibilties, as that sneering vocal veers from powerful to supernova over a sea of buzz-saw guitar rifing, occasional lead guitar heat an fiery rhythmic foundations, the song a mix of punk and rock 'n' roll metal with a soaring guitar lead popping in and out for extra effect, the song itseld delieverd with the emotive power and passion that you've now realised is the thing that this band can achieve with ease and effectiveness.
"Blood Sex Rock And Roll" ups the anti with a red hot roar an a song that tears its way through a slice of ultra-commercial horror-rock-punk with all the enjoyment that you now have come to expect from what is one stone cold stunner of a punk-rock debut. Another slice of irresisitible songwriting, this makes its presence felt then, with barely a pause for breath, launches into the final attack that is "Bring Back The Revamp", unleashing a fiery brew of powerful potency where the punk-rock explosion lights up the sly before the whole thig disappears in a blink, the final film sample (something used so effectively throughout the album) brings to close what has been one wild and faultlessly enjoyable ride from a band that breathes new life into punk-rock and delivers it with style, emotion, power and an evil grin.