LAPSE

Midnightmares is certainly not the most delayed album on my mental “most eagerly awaiting” list. No one can take that honor away from Necrophagist. But still . . .

In October 2010, I wrote a post about Dreaming Dead’s video for a song called “Overlord” from that Midnightmares album. I referred to the fact that the album had been recorded as a three-piece, while the band continued to hunt for a second guitarist (who frontwoman Elizabeth Schall wanted to be female). I noted: “We haven’t seen any definitive release date, and the band may be holding that up in an effort to find a label who would distribute it.”

Over the next year I wrote about the band a couple more times, including a piece about Elizabeth Schall shredding with a potential second guitarist (Stephanie Pickard) at the NAMM trade show (that partnership apparently didn’t work out) and another one about a second song from the album (the title track) being streamed temporarily last September.

And then last October I got a press release stating that the band were “readying to unleash their long-awaited new full-length Midnightmares“. It included the Travis Smith album cover you see above and a track list. Well, here we are near the end of February . . . and still no album. But in the meantime, we’ve gotten another new song and a video that reminds us why it’s still worth waiting, plus a bit of updated news.

The video actually isn’t brand new. It was posted late last November, and in fact TheMadIsraeli urged me to watch it back then, but I forgot to follow up . . . until yesterday when the band re-posted it on their Facebook page. So, obviously, I’m the last person in the world who should be carping about someone else suffering a lapse.

“Lapse” happens to be the name of the song from Midnightmares that the band play in this video. It was recorded from multiple camera angles during a live performance at The House of Blues in West Hollywood, with Nita Strauss joining the band as a fill-in second guitarist. The sound quality is pro-standard, and the finished product was professionally edited, so it’s some pretty good eye candy — and not just because Elizabeth Schall and Nita Strauss are front-and-center.

One of the comments on the YouTube clip asked, “Did Chuck Schuldiner have a daughter?” Clever comment, and a logical question, too, because this song is indeed reminiscent of Death’s more progressive forays late in that legendary band’s sadly truncated existence.

Elizabeth Schall is a very talented guitarist, and this song showcases her abilities, but I also really liked the bass work of Juan Ramirez in this clip, too. Michael Caffell also deserves a shout-out — he’s really locked in tight on the drumming in this performance. In a nutshell, this is a fine song that explains why — despite a lapse — I’m still really eager for this album to drop.
 

Now for the bit of news, though of course taken with a grain of salt: On Feb. 13, the band answered a Facebook inquiry about the whereabouts of Midnightmares with this comment: “The new album is actually done. We’re just looking for a label to release it. Haven’t had too much luck with that, but we’ll definitely and FINALLY have a new release date within the next couple weeks. Standby!”