black midi: Hellfire [ROUGH TRADE]

Why you'll love it

This edition comes in a gatefold sleeve with the lyrics printed inside. Hellfire entered the UK Albums Chart at No. 22, the London band's highest placing, and was met with wide critical acclaim.

This edition

• Gatefold jacket
• Lyrics printed inside gatefold
• Poly-lined inner sleeve

About the album

Geordie Greep described Hellfire as an action film, with Cavalcade as the drama that came before it. Fair enough: the record is packed with scoundrels, narrators who can't be trusted and plot twists that land every forty seconds, all of it played at a speed that makes most bands look like they're reading the manual.

Written while the band was isolating in London and road-tested on the Cavalcade tour, the bulk of it was recorded in thirteen days with producer Marta Salogni, plus Kaidi Akinnibi on saxophone and Seth Evans on keys. "Welcome to Hell" is a frantic war story, "Sugar/Tzu" is set at a boxing match, "Eat Men, Eat" adds flamenco guitar, and "The Defence" is a lush, crooning ballad. Cabaret, country and show tunes all get a turn, and "27 Questions" closes the curtain like the finale of a very strange musical.

Critics heard prog rock, jazz fusion and art rock in it, and they were all correct at once. Few records have managed to sound this rehearsed and this unhinged in the same breath, and frankly we'd love to see the rehearsal schedule.

Also at Kops: more black midi on vinyl · browse Alternative

Tracklist

Listen

On Rough Trade (cat# RT0321LPE), the 2022 album.