Feb 252012
 

Midnightmares is certainly not the most delayed album on my mental “most eagerly awaiting” list. No one can take that honor away from Necrophagist. But still . . .

In October 2010, I wrote a post about Dreaming Dead’s video for a song called “Overlord” from that Midnightmares album. I referred to the fact that the album had been recorded as a three-piece, while the band continued to hunt for a second guitarist (who frontwoman Elizabeth Schall wanted to be female). I noted: “We haven’t seen any definitive release date, and the band may be holding that up in an effort to find a label who would distribute it.”

Over the next year I wrote about the band a couple more times, including a piece about Elizabeth Schall shredding with a potential second guitarist (Stephanie Pickard) at the NAMM trade show (that partnership apparently didn’t work out) and another one about a second song from the album (the title track) being streamed temporarily last September.

And then last October I got a press release stating that the band were “readying to unleash their long-awaited new full-length Midnightmares“. It included the Travis Smith album cover you see above and a track list. Well, here we are near the end of February . . . and still no album. But in the meantime, we’ve gotten another new song and a video that reminds us why it’s still worth waiting, plus a bit of updated news.

The video actually isn’t brand new. It was posted late last November, and in fact TheMadIsraeli urged me to watch it back then, but I forgot to follow up . . . until yesterday when the band re-posted it on their Facebook page. So, obviously, I’m the last person in the world who should be carping about someone else suffering a lapse.

“Lapse” happens to be the name of the song from Midnightmares that the band play in this video. It was recorded from multiple camera angles during a live performance at The House of Blues in West Hollywood, with Nita Strauss joining the band as a fill-in second guitarist. The sound quality is pro-standard, and the finished product was professionally edited, so it’s some pretty good eye candy — and not just because Elizabeth Schall and Nita Strauss are front-and-center.

One of the comments on the YouTube clip asked, “Did Chuck Schuldiner have a daughter?” Clever comment, and a logical question, too, because this song is indeed reminiscent of Death’s more progressive forays late in that legendary band’s sadly truncated existence.

Elizabeth Schall is a very talented guitarist, and this song showcases her abilities, but I also really liked the bass work of Juan Ramirez in this clip, too. Michael Caffell also deserves a shout-out — he’s really locked in tight on the drumming in this performance. In a nutshell, this is a fine song that explains why — despite a lapse — I’m still really eager for this album to drop.
 


 

Now for the bit of news, though of course taken with a grain of salt: On Feb. 13, the band answered a Facebook inquiry about the whereabouts of Midnightmares with this comment: “The new album is actually done. We’re just looking for a label to release it. Haven’t had too much luck with that, but we’ll definitely and FINALLY have a new release date within the next couple weeks. Standby!”

  10 Responses to “LAPSE”

  1. Finally a firm commitment. I expect an update post by COB Monday.

  2. Why, with the miracle of the intertubes, do they need a label to release it? I only mean: they have it finished recording, so what will a label do besides market it? Couldn’t the band, conceivably, do that themselves? I have no freaking clue, so I’m not trying to be a dick…though I play one on shitty YouTube videos.

    Good guitaring and bassing and growly-voice-making. Though it didn’t really hit the spot for me. Perhaps it needs another listen….

  3. why does the camera keep panning to the drummer during the guitar solos! come on!

  4. I’ve been looking forward to the new album for awhile, but I guess I missed the song when it was posted. Sounds like the album will be a good one.

  5. The first Dreaming Dead had promise but overall it was a bit meh. The songs were repetitive in nature, lacking that critical mass of killer riffs, and there was fuck-all in the way of solos which seemed to undermine the fact that Schall can shred like a demon. This however was much better so I’ll be keeping an eye out.

    Speaking of bands with label issues, I’m still hoping that Earache will stop fucking over Anata and that Rune Foss will stop playing in a 90s death metal rehash band and get back to recording songs with Reclusion (the band released one album on Listenable, were subsequently dropped and recorded a second album that never saw the light of day. Bah).

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