Midnight – Satanic Attack Live!
Midnight – Satanic Attack Live!
Metal Blade
Release date: 6/11/26
Review by Jon Deaux
7.5/10
“Satanic Attack Live!” sounds like Satan has taken control of a piss-soaked hole of a dive bar, banned all fire escapes, and booked fifteen rounds of black ‘n’ roll violence for a crowd that sees sobriety as a hate crime.
There are live albums, there are bootlegs, and then there is Satanic Attack Live! – like getting out of bed in the morning to find yourself covered in somebody else’s blood inside a public toilet stall with hearing problems in one ear and legal problems in the other. Made during two consecutive sold-out shows in Hollywood’s Knucklehead in May 2026, Midnight’s ode to Satanic Royalty not only manages to preserve the ambiance of the concert but also brings it directly into your house, burns down your living room, and asks if you want another beer. Obviously, you do. You have already taken quite a few risks tonight; why stop now?
It seems that Athenar believes that the best way to commemorate fifteen years as Satan’s kings is to maintain it in its original, unfiltered form; sweaty, dirty and completely oblivious to whether you are actually having a good time. Bless them. As we are now living in a time when live albums are meticulously polished so much that it sounds as if it has been rehearsed by fifteen accountants in a sterile office environment, I’m glad that Midnight have enough balls to keep it real. Lost lyrics? Fast and dirty? Wrong notes? Awesome. There is nothing more rock ‘n roll than a bunch of guys who don’t think anything of maintaining evidence that humans played their part in it.
As mentioned previously, Satanic Royalty is compiled in order of appearance. These opening tracks – “Unholy and Rotten,” “Evil Like a Knife,” and “Satanic Royalty” – leave no doubt about how Midnight can help you. No, they will not cure your inner child – Midnight is here just to acquaint it with alcohol, bad company, and tattoos it is going to regret later on in life. “You Can’t Stop Steel,” and “Rip This Hell” continue to push their way with the gracefulness of a drunk rhinoceros in a knife store, while “Lust Filth and Sleaze” feels like the manifesto written by a hygienophobic anarchist.
Best of all? It fucking moves. Black metal’s nastiness, speed metal’s problems with its engine, and heavy metal’s knuckle-dragging cockiness are all squashed together in this great music collision. Midnight realizes that filthiness is not an artistic technique – it is a philosophy. You almost feel the smell of stagnant beer, hot sweat, and the kind of deodorant that comes in aerosol cans the size of fire extinguishers. Gross. Thrilling. It’s probably not very good for carpet.
But the bonus tracks – “Holocaustic Deafening,” “Shock Til Blood,” “T.A.P.,” “Fucking Speed and Darkness” and “F.O.A.L.” – keep pounding away even though any sane person would’ve called for help by now. That’s how these additional cuts transform what could’ve been just another routine anniversary album into a record that gains second breath, when many other live records would’ve been panting backstage and asking for fruit salad. There is no fancy, radio-safe bullshit on this record, no fake crowd sounds on top of the studio recording, no musical version of an apology letter by your favorite rock star prepared by his lawyers.
Mark Borders and Zach Rippy deserve some credit, too, for bringing the racket to life without smoothing away all of its imperfections. There’s a reason why this music is recorded the way it is — there’s an intention behind it, which means making the performance immediate, not perfect. This does mean, of course, that any lack of precision can be felt from time to time. And if you’re looking for perfect clarity, razor-sharp delivery and a sound that is broad enough to accommodate a car, then you should check out Steely Dan. The people at Midnight have already explained their stance on that.
Is it flawless? Not really. While the crudeness that makes Satan Attack Live! unique is responsible for a few moments of sounding on the verge of falling apart, some people will enjoy the wonderful sense of immediacy, while others will probably detect a rock band with no respect whatsoever for the idea of a sound check. And if you are unaware of the band Midnight, listening to fifteen songs of constant black ‘n’ roll nastiness can easily end up feeling like getting beaten to death by a guy who’s just found out what energy drinks are.
That’s the whole purpose of the band, right? Midnight are not trying to convince the sceptics, get the approval of the dinner party set, or be the background music to an elegant night of artisanal cheese consumption. Their purpose is to make good folk uncomfortable and bad folk feel understood. “Satanic Attack Live!” embodies that spirit well, capturing the magnificent imperfection of a band that sounds more authentic than expensive.
Not even beautiful chaos can get away without a bit of a kick in the ass, but after fifteen songs of such, you’ll end up feeling like you’ve spent your weekend in a dumpster at the site of a heavy metal festival. But what a great dumpster. While “Satanic Royalty” is the party invitation card, “Satanic Attack Live!” is the footage from the surveillance cameras that will lead to the closure of the venue.
TRACKLISTING:
01. Unholy and Rotten (Live)
02. Evil Like a Knife (Live)
03. Satanic Royalty (Live)
04. You Can’t Stop Steel (Live)
05. Rip This Hell (Live)
06. Necromania (Live)
07. Black Damnation (Live)
08. Lust Filth and Sleaze (Live)
09. Violence on Violence (Live)
10. Savage Dominance (Live)
11. Holocaustic Deafening (Live)
12. Shock Til Blood (Live)
13. T.A.P. (Live)
14. Fucking Speed and Darkness (Live)
15. F.O.A.L. (Live)
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Jon Deaux and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
