Review Summary: The new guns do the old guns proud
As a listener in my early thirties my journey to the world of rock and metal music was overwhelmingly kickstarted by the Nu-metal of the early 2000's. As such I bypassed many of the earlier foundational acts which paved way for the myriad of genres we enjoy in the space today. Sure, I've always been aware of the heavy metal trailblazers like
Black Sabbath,
Iron Maiden,
Judas Priest and many more, but I never circled back to truly give them their due attention. However, having very recently listened to the two latest Priest albums and enjoying them immensely, my music platform algorithms picked up on this and serendipitously recommended the latest
Tailgunner record -
Midnight Blitz.
Tailgunner are a recent five-member formation out of England, having released their first full length record in 2023. Fast forward to early 2026 and the band has signed with Napalm Records to release their follow-up. The step up from their first record is noticeable in all respects - pretty much every aspect of this package has been cranked up - production, song writing, vocals, musicianship, energy. It's all here in abundance making for a much more engaging product than predecessor
Guns for Hire, which I have not engaged with as deeply (yet) as a result.
In performing
Midnight Blitz,
Tailgunner are clearly inspired by the tentpole acts of the classic heavy metal scene like those mentioned in the opening paragraph. Genre-wise the closest match appears to be "NWOBHM". However, since that label stretches back as far as the 70's, I feel "New
est wave of British Heavy Metal" would be more relevant here.
Tailgunner's style features blistering drumming and driving bass lines accompanied by constantly varied and equally high tempo shredding which would be familiar to fans of any of the aforementioned acts and their like, and therefore requires no elaboration at length here. The majority of songs bring this high tempo classic metal energy relentlessly, the kind that inspires busting out the air guitar and bumping along to an almost irresistible degree. The vocals are all clean, not showing as wide a range of techniques and vocal registers as someone like Halford or the like, mostly sticking to a more simplistic delivery which suits my tastes perfectly. That said, vocalist Craig Cairns' performance is ceaselessly tight and clear, often soaring high with power and projection.
Soaring is apt here - as
Midnight Blitz features lyrics that depict the perspectives of an aircrew of a Flying Fortress-like aircraft flying into bloody all out battle. Such an endeavor would undoubtedly be fraught danger and thrill - and this is consistently borne out through the pace of the music and lyrical imagery. This is to my view is a rather unique spin on the genre which often deals with classical themes of good versus evil depicted via imagery of demons and angels going to battle and other DnD style visuals. This thematic styling is no more clear than on the title track opener about flying out on a sortie, gunning down the enemy without reproach. The song starts with the sound of an air-raid siren and a energy building instrumental featuring some clever changes up in the rhythm of the drum parts. The lyrics are then unleashed employing short, evocative belted lines filled with clear imagery - rain pouring, thunder striking, engines roaring and gunfire ringing out, coupled with the speedy instrumentation and a towering guitar solo from each of the guitarists make for a blazing, adrenalin-filled opener. In that regard the guitar work of both Rhea Thompson and Zach Salvini is incredibly enjoyable throughout the record and was notable even against the brilliant performance of all the members. In staying with the styles of genre the lyrics are thoroughly direct and literal, without much room for interpretation or contemplation, surely by design. The idea here is painting a clear mental picture and bringing surging energy and fun.
The majority songs follow the same sort of style and progression as
Midnight Blitz overall, demonstrating plenty of unique riffing and drumming patterns to keep things interesting - with solos liberally sprinkled throughout as in "Barren Lands and Seas of Red". "War in Heaven" is the only truly slower, more atmospheric track, opening with some classic synth sounds (which are used sparingly throughout the record) and evoking a
Guns 'N Roses ballad feel, filled with the beautiful, apocalyptic imagery of all out air-war in a more contemplative manner than the rest of the record. The closer "Eulogy" is also a standout track, beginning with a beautiful Priest-esque riff, drums which start slowly and build to the most rapid pace yet, climaxing in a belting sing-along chorus, engaging throughout the more than six minute duration.
I honestly find very little to fault here, as I found this record to be incredibly well made and difficult to put down. However, circling back to my opening thoughts, this genre is rather novel to me and as such this album gripped me effortlessly. Contrastingly I expect that long standing fans of classic British metal may find
Midnight Blitz to be a tad safe and derivative, yet I maintain that even if this is the case, they will have to admit a competent execution all round here. Further, while I found the theme of air combat genuinely appealing and intriguing throughout - I feel they will need to expand their lyrical thematics in future records to avoid becoming an all-out gimmick band. There is not much variation in the pace of the music either, staying very 'pedal to the metal' most of the time. This is in keeping with the inherently action driven material and is quite possibly intentional. That said, I would have loved another song in the style of "War in Heaven".
Tailgunner are an exciting band of talented young musicians skillfully carrying the torch of some of the most influential acts in rock and metal history and I wholeheartedly recommend you give this record a listen.
