Release Date September 25th, 2026
Format CD/LP
Genre Heavy Metal
Origin Germany
Midnight Prey started out in 2012 in the Black Forest and relocated to Hamburg in 2015, a power trio made up of Winston Ziller on guitars and vocals, Daniel Friesen on bass and Hannes Ruhland on drums. Their first decade went to grinding in the underground, until “Uncertain Times” arrived in 2019 and grew into a modern classic in its own corner, an effortless, cool blend of ’70s hard rock, ’80s traditional metal, classic punk and speed metal. In 2020 the band split for a couple of years, then returned in 2023 with the “Black Cat/Sword and Shield” EP, reprised on the “Gathered Under Open Skies” split with German labelmates Firmament.
“Jenseitsritt” lands on CD and vinyl LP through Dying Victims Productions, seven tracks, wrapped in artwork by Ludwig Missal. The guitar tone is what you catch first, bright and airy with a ghostly shimmer, every strum and bend ringing out with a pull aimed straight at the gut. The German title points to a ride beyond the grave, and that spectral shimmer backs the idea up. Underneath, bass and drums run restless and raw, shoving the punk, rock and metal blend into a wild rush, so the album reaches the body before it reaches the head.
The melodies twist, break and rebuild at speed, the songwriting never lets a track sit idle, and a strangely poetic calm runs under the frenzy and ties the seven tracks into one ride. The mix leaves all three players exposed, and the playing has the heat of a stage show. The tone stays light and airy across all seven tracks, and crushing low end is not on the menu. Three players and one guitar can only stack so much, so everything rides on the melodies and the nerve of the playing, with no studio trickery to hide behind. A very good album, played with real fire and easy to spot after a few bars, and it stops just short of greatness.
|7.5
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