Review by Phil Rozier for MPM
I love music. Like, I really love it. I’ve loved metal and rock since I could hold a guitar. And despite only knowing how to break the headstock by dropping the damn thing, I could hold it long before I could play it. Why? Even writing this, I’m getting goosebumps at the thought of listening to some brand new music. It’s a privilege and an absolute joy to spend time listening to freshly crafted rock, fifty years after the genre first exploded.
And that joy isn’t just mine. It’s shared by millions worldwide. Heavy metal, like all great genres, gives people an outlet, an experience, even hope when they need it most. Music is powerful. For many, it is life.
Tonight, I get to listen to Tailgunner’s second album, Midnight Blitz. So what’s so special? Well, I’ll tell you what’s so special: these guys are pretty damn cool. And that’s before I’ve even hit play.
A couple of years back, I was lucky enough to be rocking out at Stonedead Festival. Me, my great pals Viv and Keith, and a knackered old camper van were pitched up and ready to record interviews for a well known podcast. During our Blaze Bayley interview (clang! – sorry, that was the sound of a name drop), a promoter handed me a flyer for the next band on stage.
“Tailgunner.” Cool graphics, I thought. And like any wannabe professional, I checked my watch, sorry, the clock on my phone and realised, “Ooh, they’re on in ten minutes… who the hell are these guys?”
Pushed for time and with barely any tinterweb signal, I skim read something like: “80s inspired rockers, influenced by Maiden, Priest and the NWOBHM…”
I was gone. Up there. Already crushing my ribs on the barrier before Tom Hewson and the crew raced onto the stage. And I mean raced, proper Bruce Dickinson style sprinting, leather and denim Priest energy. Even their name nods to a Maiden track.
You can imagine my joy when a band who were all pretty ‘junior’ in age were proudly raising the flag for classic British metal.
Now, two years later, their second album is about to drop. Midnight Blitz, presumably named after the invasion it references, kicks off exactly like a Maiden tune: inspired by real events, introduced by an air raid siren, and accompanied by soaring vocals and a double kick assault.
The opening track, already released as a single, absolutely smashes the tone and sets the vibe for the rest of the album.
Nine tracks to go. What have we got in store for the next hour or so?
Tears In The Rain – the thump of a bass drum, the pitch of a lead guitar. Yup, I’m already digging it. Here comes the chug of a palm mute and a screech of the vocal. That’ll do nicely. What’s next?
Follow Me In Death is fast and widdly (yes, that’s a word. As in “a widdly guitar solo”). Double bass fury with the attitude of Motörhead, Maiden style harmonies, and duelling guitars straight out of the history metal playbook. It’s a belter. So fast it’s over before I’ve even finished this paragraph.
Track 4: Dead Until Dark. Ooooh, slower start, echoing voice box effect. Hang on, let me grab the phone… the 80s called and want their chorus/echo effects back. It’s another cracker. Fast, articulate guitar breaks, isolated drum rolls, and a thunderous bass rhythm.
Like I said, this album moves fast. Halfway through the ten track assault and we’re thundering into Barren Lands and Seas of Red. Not wildly different in style from the earlier tracks, but who’s complaining? Loud, blisteringly quick, and packed with soaring vocals to match the Maiden esque soloing from Rhea and Zach. Eddie Mariotti must be exhausted behind the kit. Fair play, he’s outstanding on the tubs.
War In Heaven starts with a peaceful intro before dropping into a delay soaked 80s keyboard riff. I had to check if Stranger Things was still playing on my TV. Alas, series 5 is over but my appetite for 80s inspired entertainment is still very much being fed.
Blood Sacrifice makes me jump as the triplets smash through the speakers. “Creature of fire, rising from the heat,” Craig roars. Honestly, you don’t need much more than that. Those lyrics tell you everything.
With just three tracks left. Night Raids, Eye of the Storm, and Eulogy. I’m suddenly reminded of the Netflix Mötley Crüe film The Dirt. Remember when Vince Neil’s girlfriend hears the band practising for the first time? As Mick Mars and Tommy Lee thunder through “Live Wire,” the camera zooms in on her face… and two words sum up a sound that would soon conquer the world:
“Holy shit.”
Pre-order Midnight Blitz here: https://lnk.to/TailgunnerMidnightBlitz/napalmrecords
Tailgunner’s new album, Midnight Blitz, isn’t reinventing the wheel. The influences and references I’ve mentioned make it clear this is a reaction to, and celebration of, the greats. But not everyone is as old as me. An entire generation has never heard brand new music with such a classic British heavymetal vibe.
And these guys nail it, to the stars and back.
Outstanding work, Tailgunner. Well done.
See you on tour later in 2026.
TAILGUNNER are:
Craig Carns – Vocals
Rhea Thompson – Lead Guitar
Zach Salvini – Lead Guitar
Bones – Bass Guitar
Eddie Mariotti – Drums
TAILGUNNER online:
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
NAPALM RECORDS
