Rolling Stone Black Midi’s Avant-Rock Grows Gloriously Weirder on ‘Cavalcade’
The arty London do everything from bizarro-world Chili Peppers to folk serenity.
By Anthrox Studios
“In all the world there’s no escape from this infernal din,” Geordie Greep fittingly intones on “John L,” his spoken-word ravings spilled over spiky Henry Cow-meets-Primus riffs and a bruising rhythm section that could battle Battles. London’s Black Midi satiated critics’ chaos cravings on their out-of-nowhere 2019 debut,
Schagenheim. But the avant-rockers’ follow-up is even more unnerving and gloriously surreal like gazing into hell through a kaleidoscope.
For fans who prefer their noise-rock outbursts without the screeching violins and prog technicality,
I was surprised to learn that Black Midi went to the Brit School. All four members of the post-punk, post-rock south London band – now seen as the trailblazers of a movement also followed by Black Country, New Road, Squid and Fontaines DC – attended the Croydon performing arts college known for having churned out some of the biggest names in earnest, mainstream pop, including Adele and Leona Lewis. What help could such a school have been to Black Midi, who play sprawling, menacing music that seems disinterested in whether anyone is even listening or not? It wasn’t clear on
Schlagenheim, the quartet’s 2019 debut record, which solidified Black Midi’s status as “the weirdest buzz band of the year”, and it isn’t on
black midiâs Music Embraces the Extremes
For its second album, the British band got louder â and quieter, too.
The members of black midi photographed in London. From left: Geordie Greep, Morgan Simpson and Cameron Picton.Credit.Bella Howard for The New York Times
May 25, 2021Updated 6:04 p.m. ET
The band black midi makes complex music with a simple goal: âDrama,â Geordie Greep, its guitarist and main singer, said via a video interview from the bandâs rehearsal space in London. âWeâre thinking about how to make something as thrilling as possible, how to keep the tension there always.â
Album: black midi – Cavalcade theartsdesk.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theartsdesk.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.