LIZZY BORDEN
My Midnight Things
Metal Blade Records
He’s Loved You To Death. He brought you the Metal Murderess Road Show and later became the Master of Disguise. He has brought you more than 30 years of innovative, liquid metal and he is the darling of the Metal Blade Records catalog. He is Lizzy Borden and he’s back with his first album since 2007’s Appointment With Death.
My Midnight Things delves into the psyche of Borden’s twisted mind and proves yet again that he is a musical genius. This record is fluid and flawless. Borden and his brother and drummer Joey Scott have presented the listener with music that is classic LIZZY BORDEN with a modern flair. It is as ostentatious as one would expect it to be with Borden behind the microphone and smacks of his signature style.
The album opens with the title track and seamlessly morphs into “Obsessed With You” and “Long May They Haunt Us”. These songs are very polished, which is typical for Borden. His recordings are lush and his live show follows suit. Everything he produces is of the finest theatrical quality.
The album segways into “The Scar Across My Heart” and “A Stranger to Love” and the vocals are overlaid in a way that sounds as if Borden has a full chorus behind him. The melodies are sumptuous and well-rounded and the instrumentation is opulent. Borden has stated that he looks forward to playing these songs live and listeners are excitedly looking forward to hearing them and will have high expectations for the stage show.
Currently, Borden is putting together his touring band and has said that he feels that he has numerous options and will choose only the best. A tight touring package is something Borden excels in creating and with this album he will need the best musicians due to the complexity of the arrangements.
“The Perfect Poison” and “Run Away With Me” continue the album and take on Borden’s often-lovelorn themes of angst, torment and revenge. Some of the songs are reminiscent of the tunes found on his 1987 release Visual Lies; yes, I’m referring to the album that brought you “Me Against The World” and told you it was okay to wear silver lipstick and fingernail polish in public, which I did….to school…and very promptly got sent home and told to wash it off.
But I digress…
The album ends with “Our Love is God” and an acoustic reprise of “My Midnight Things” in addition to the final cut, “We Belong To the Shadows”, a tune that has a synthesized groove that is a bit out of the ordinary for Borden but adds strength to the album in its elegant decadence. It is something new for Borden without taking away his signature touches.
Borden is arguably one of the most noticeable vocalists of his genre and one of the finest in the metal world. He is easily distinguishable from other singers and has not lost the richness of his vocals over the years. He has an effortless talent that has enabled him to succeed where others have failed. He stands the test of time and his talent has withstood years of changes in the heavy metal world. He is still relevant, adored and sought after as an entertainer and this album proves that his lineage in the metal world still defines him as Metal Blade royalty.
The album hits the shelves on June 15th…go get it!
5.0 Out Of 5.0
