Black Midi has proved themselves to be one of the most forward-thinking rock groups of the decade, so forward-thinking in fact, that even classifying them as “rock” seems reductive. 2019’s Schlagenheim and 2021’s Cavalcade are not perfect albums, but they are, completely unique and singular in their fields; album’ that seemed destined for cult status on first release. Hellfire on the other hand, seems destined for that same cult status, albeit amongst Black Midi’s very own fans.
The reason being, for the first time it seems the band’s ideas have overshot their grasp. Throughout the album there are still touches of greatness, whether it be the drama of the incendiary “Welcome to Hell” or the calming oasis’s of the progressive country jam “Still” and the Scott Walker-esque “The Defence”. Elsewhere though, the band’s efforts are scattershot, finding diminishing returns from the mathier parts of “Sugar/Tzu” to the detriment of its own showmanship.
The more chaotic elements were often where Black Midi shined and those softer and sweeter moments, where the band showed their versatility. Now, it seems the band has reversed course, making those quieter tracks the most compelling and the frantic ones, less dissimilar. Take “The Race is About to Begin” a frustratingly nervous track that always seems destined to build to a particular catharsis, but instead routinely descends into a breezy, finger-picked requiem that’s both captivating and once the busy drum work kicks back in, nostalgic.
These moments are frustrating, not because the disparate elements on incongruous, but because they used to be so much more effective. “Dangerous Liaisons”, one of the final tracks here, does find the right balance though. As a slow-building track, even Geordie Greep’s sweetest croons, have an oft-putting bite, and Morgan Simpson has an uncomfortable edge to every drum fill, hinting at the blaring horns that will eventually straddle the mix.
Hellfire is a decent album, one where on at least half the tracks come from the Black Midi we remember, always on the cusp of something brilliant and humbling and confounding in the best way possible. On the other half though, they are lost in their own precision, echoing their better work and confusing ability with purpose. There is no doubt that Black Midi are still great, and deserve to be the torch bearer’s they are, on Hellfire, they’ve simply loosened their perfectionism.
