"NWOBHM revivalists Tailgunner are in top form on "Midnight Blitz," the title track and opener from their forthcoming 2026 album. One of the strongest traditional metal cuts we've heard all year, it checks all the boxes for premium throwback metal: surging power metal energy in the '80s vein, tasteful lead work from guitarists Rhea Thompson and Zach Salvini, plus melodic high-register vocals from Craig Cairns."
"Downing was so impressed by Tailgunner when the upstart British act opened for a recent KK's Priest tour, he took the band under his wing. That's a mighty endorsement from heavy metal royalty, and Tailgunner rise to meet the expectations that come with a production credit as esteemed as Downing's. He only helped invent heavy metal as we know it. Here, he passes the proverbial torch."
""They are loud and proud, and totally descended from everyone in metal that has gone before - their energy and rawness, together with their brand of metal, incorporates all of the godfathers and much more," enthused Downing in a press release. "Maiden, Priest, Motörhead, Def Leppard - the list is endless. The band has a youthful freshness and a uniqueness that will no doubt elevate them to being a true metal favorite of the fans.""
Tailgunner's "Midnight Blitz" is the title track and opener for a forthcoming 2026 album and marks a high point in NWOBHM revivalism. The song pairs surging '80s-style power metal energy with tasteful lead work from Rhea Thompson and Zach Salvini and melodic high-register vocals from Craig Cairns. K.K. Downing produced the sessions after recruiting the band following a KK's Priest support slot, offering a significant endorsement and studio influence. Downing likens their sound to Maiden, Priest, Motörhead, and Def Leppard and praises the band's youthful freshness and uniqueness; Evergrey's "OXYGEN!" receives an honorable mention.
Read at Consequence
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