Midas Fall -‘Wilderness’ (Monotreme)

Following on from their fine debut, 2010’s Eleven, Return and Revert, and the As Our Blood Separates EP, Midas Fall return with their sophomore album. It’s a welcome return and a step forward.

Support slots with the likes of Mono, 65daysofstatic and We Were Promised Jetpacks might led the unitiated to assume them to be another noisy post-rock/alternative band, but the thing that has always set Midas Fall apart from other bands is their use of electronica and what might once have been called trip-hop. But it’s topped off with the spectacular guitar work of Rowan Burn and above all, the vocals of Elizabeth Heaton.

When I first heard Midas Fall, I’d been wary after the press release had used words like ‘haunting’ and wondered if this was going to be lazy shorthand for bland. Then I heard Elizabeth’s voice and realised that haunting and ethereal were compliments here. Truly she owes as much to Elizabeth Fraser and Kate Bush as any other vocalist.

And it all adds up to an album that mixes so much in and begs to be played again and again. ‘BPD’ appeared on the EP -and it’s great to hear it again here. Album opener ‘the Unravelling King’ and the track doing the rounds for a few months ‘Your Heart,Your Words, Your Nerves’ are amongst the highlights.

This is an unjust world, and Midas Fall are still yet to receive the recognition that is truly due to them. When faced with injustices, we are obliged to challenge them. You know what to do…

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Wilderness is out now on Monotreme, with the download available from next week