Album Review: Tailgunner - Midnight Blitz (2026, Napalm Records)
- Stuart Ball
- 3 minutes ago
- 6 min read
Written: 31st January 2026
My introduction to Tailgunner came at Stonedead Festival in 2024. Second band of the day, they took the stage by storm, setting a standard for all that followed and drawing a rapturous reception from the sold out crowd. Thunderous, melodic and explosive, they encapsulated everything that is so endearing about classic heavy metal. Following their performance – which was mainly culled from their debut album Guns For Hire but also included a stunning cover of Dio’s Don’t Talk To Strangers – I set off to the merch tent to meet the band and buy their album.
An extremely likeable group of people as well as a full throttle heavy metal quintet, Tailgunner are about to unleash their second album, Midnight Blitz and they have a huge fan in metal legend K.K.Downing who wanted to produce the album after Tailgunner supported his own band. “Tailgunner is a band we should have seen emerge years ago from the UK. They personify everything that is heavy metal. They are loud, 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. 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 favourite of the fans.”
The album opens with the title track; an air‑raid siren cuts the air before Craig Cairns immediately reaches skyward, signalling the full‑force attack ahead. Midnight blitz – we strike! As the introduction grows and the main riff descends, we are already in classic heavy metal heaven. Iron Maiden and Judas Priest devotees will lap up the galloping rhythm and razor‑sharp twin guitars; it absolutely delivers on the band’s mission to hit you hard from the very first second. “Whilst touring our debut album, we shared stages with members of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Accept – we watched, we learned and we put it all down on tape. The aim behind Midnight Blitz was to craft an all time album opener, like Aces High, Painkiller, Welcome To The Jungle and Hells Bells. Everyone remembers the first time you hear the opening track on an album that changes everything.” An anthemic, hook-laden beginning to the album, Midnight Blitz shows listeners what Tailgunner are all about and it is fair to say that if you like this one, then this is a collection of songs for you.
Second track Tears In Rain – lyrically if not stylistically inspired by the famous monologue in iconic sci-fi film Blade Runner – adopts a slightly different approach and is just as entertaining as its predecessor. Scintillating guitar motifs, a throbbing bass line and a chorus that is destined to become a fan favourite in the live arena all contribute to the melodic thunder which Tailgunner conjure. The drumming is infectious and the guitar solos - from Rhea Thompson and Zach Salvini – incendiary. Follow Me In Death – a rallying crying of fearless resolve - has volcanic, blisteringly fast riffs that embrace speed metal influences. It is part Maiden, part Motörhead, all delivered with soaring vocals and driving double‑bass drumming. One of the key elements to Tailgunner’s appeal is that they know exactly what sort of band they want to be. Yes, they wear their classic metal influences proudly on their sleeves but they deliver them with a modern edge and songwriting confidence that makes the whole thing feel vital rather than merely vintage.
Dead Until Dark begins with synths and atmosphere straight from the eighties, a sound that some might consider simple nostalgia. However, Tailgunner deliver it with such confidence and ballistic verve that it impossible not to be swept up in it all. A fast, energetic track, it is inspired by The Lost Boys as heavy metal meets retro, cinematic storytelling. At night we come to life / Here to terrify / As the sun departs / Dead until dark / Hunters in the night / Beware the fading light / As the sun departs / Dead until dark. Tailgunner strike the perfect balance between punchy, irresistible hooks, full‑force power and dynamic twists that keep you locked in. At over six minutes, Barren Lands and Seas of Red demonstrates their ability to carry bigger ideas across a longer track without sacrificing momentum or focus. Odd moments are reminiscent of Iron Maiden’s The Nomad while others bring the machine-gun guitars of Judas Priest to mind. The rhythm section — bassist Bones and drummer Eddie Mariotti — are relentless in their seismic attack, laying down a rock‑solid foundation for the guitar acrobatics of Thompson and Salvini. Tempestuous and defiant, Craig Carns is a commanding frontman whose presence will no doubt help Tailgunner climb to the next level as this album cycle unfolds.
Further demonstrating the album’s breadth, War In Heaven emerges as a finely constructed ballad, opening with shimmering synths and delicately picked guitar as Carns’ gentler vocal draws you into something altogether different. It is another track that would happily sit on many eighties rock albums but it settles naturally into the album’s landscape, strengthening the sense of diversity rather than disrupting it. Getting back to full metal mode, Blood Sacrifice ramps the pace up once more, delivering an electrifying surge that practically demands you throw a fist in the air and roar along. Thunder brings a deafening roar / The sky is falling down / With disbelief and tragedy / Burned to the ground. While Night Raids and penultimate track Eye of the Storm tread in territories that echo some of what has come before, it feels less like repetition and more like a band still sharpening their steel and honing their craft. Crucially, none of this undercuts the tracks themselves - both earn their place here. There is also a palpable sense of a band having a riotously good time.
Album closer Eulogy echoes the ambitions of Barren Lands and Seas of Red but takes it much further. There are power metal elements at play here and it is no surprise that the band name some giants of the genre as motivation for the track. "Eulogy is the most epic release of our career so far. Inspired in particular by our heroes in Helloween and Blind Guardian, it's Tailgunner at full throttle, telling an epic journey into the afterlife.” Eulogy brings everything Tailgunner excel at crashing together in one final blaze of glory. Drawing on everything they have sharpened since their debut - bolder dynamics, tighter songwriting, a stronger sense of drama - the band deliver their fastest, most adrenaline‑charged performance on the record. Craig Cairns gives one of his most commanding vocal displays to date. Despite the sheer velocity, the track never loses its melodic focus and the moments where the tempo drops show a band increasingly confident in how to shape tension and release. Some bands end albums with slower tracks or even ballads but Tailgunner end Midnight Blitz urgently, triumphantly and completely fired up. As a closer, it does not just conclude the album - it elevates it.
Midnight Blitz shows a band utterly certain of their path. Tailgunner make no attempt to mask the lineage they spring from, nor do they tiptoe around the giants whose shadows they step into; instead, they lean into that heritage with absolute conviction, turning long‑loved traditions into something that feels immediate and vibrant. Some listeners will inevitably argue about familiarity but that misses the point entirely; Tailgunner’s commitment to the spirit of classic heavy metal is not merely homage but the foundation on which to build their own approach.
In the band’s own words, “Whilst touring our debut album, we were described by one roadie as ‘The bastard child of Maiden & Priest’ and that became the ethos for our new album Midnight Blitz. Just like our fore bearers, we are determined to push forward, always crafting our sound and building on what we have, whilst never compromising on what we started with – pure heavy metal! We are not just worshipping at the altar of those who have gone before but determined to stand upon it and be the heroes for a whole new generation!” Midnight Blitz is bold, unfiltered and produced with the sort of self‑belief that marks a band ready to push further. With an album like this behind them, their ascent feels not just possible but inevitable. Join the blitz here…
Midnight Blitz is released on 6th February 2026
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