Midnight Reign- Breathe on Me

ARTIST: Midnight Regin

ALBUM: Breathe on Me

LABEL: Self-released

REVIEWER: Matthew J.

DATE: 6-20-07

This CD is a bit of a surprise, because it's not often that you come across an act with such an unabashed love for retro Hollywood glam metal. "Breathe On Me," a free promotional single for Midnight Reign's debut album, starts off with a showy guitar solo and then progresses into what might be described as Iron Maiden with a strings section. It's done surprisingly well; unlike most modern bands inspired by the epic sound of '80s heavy metal, it seems to be done without a hint of irony, and the spooky vocals, gothic violins, and wailing finger-tapped guitars work perfectly together, creating an atmosphere of darkly glamorous rock 'n' roll. Second track "666 (Is My Area Code)" doesn't fare nearly as well. Despite a blistering pace and suitably overdriven power chords, its growly aggression and deliberately offensive lyrics come off more puerile than threatening, and the violins just seem out of place. Still, the unexpected quality of the first track outweighs the juvenile posturing of the second at least enough to make you curious about what the new album will offer.

Visit www.midnightreign.net for more information about this release.