MIDAS are a Hard Rock/Metal band from Detroit whose influence is very much in the 70s and early 80s. This is their debut album and is released on No Remorse Records

If I had to use one word to sum up this album, it would be 'boring'. I always listen to an album twice to give it a fair crack of the whip but this was a real trawl to get through the first time, let alone the second.

The biggest problem is that the vocalist just isn't that good. The first track "Slave To The Night" has his vocals too low in the mix but on hearing them, it reminded me of a karaoke singer having a go at singing metal. The songs all have a THIN LIZZY vibe but the vocalist lacks passion, energy and any OOMPH for you to give a shit and on an opening track that's not a good start.

The second song "Nobody Gets Out Alive" is just boring and the lyrics depict a man about to cause some real shit to go down but it's sung in such a lacklustre way, any connection to the song is lost. I want to hear attitude, I want to hear aggression but I hear a whimper. Even the guitar sounds bored and I have a theory that the only reason 'nobody gets out alive' is because they've died of boredom. Ho Hum.

"Hellfire" sounds like a TENACIOUS D outtake from the "Pick of Destiny" but without the passion of a Jack Black behind the lyrics, it just sounds ridiculous, particularly when the spoken word comes in.

The sound of the wind at the start and end of "Eyes In The Cold" at least adds some atmosphere but there's some horribly echoey vocals.

Also, up to this point the guitar playing just sounds lifeless, insipid and dull. Much of the solo work is the guitar in the left channel playing a different key to the guitar in the right channel and it just sounds uninteresting and horribly predictable.

"Hell Has Frozen Over" (which is what will have to happen before I listen to this album again) at least has some better lead with some wah-wah guitar over a chugging riff. It's a faster track and musically is slightly better.

"Running Scared" has the vocals way down in the mix compared to the previous track so production isn't great either. Though the track is a faster track this doesn't hide the fact it's dull and the only word I had in my notes for "Golden Chariots" was 'yawn'.

Whilst this is a debut album, it has nothing of note to really recommend it because there are way better bands out there to listen to. The vocals are dull, the guitar work, apart from a couple of moments, sounds bored and uninspired and the production, particularly on the vocals, isn't great.

There are some great debut albums out there, but this isn't one of them.