Once described as “powerful yet fragile, devastatingly beautiful and beautifully devastating” by The Founder Magazine, UK-based quartet MIDAS FALL have carved a distinctive and captivating sound, fusing elements of electronica, post-rock, shoegaze and alternative rock with progressive and gothic undertones to create taut, shimmering soundscapes led by the hauntingly melancholic vocals of Elizabeth Heaton.
Forged in Edinburgh, Scotland and now based in the north of England, the eclectic collective – founding members Heaton and Rowan Burn (guitar, piano) with Steven Pellatt (drums/percussion/piano) and Chris Holland (bass) – has spent the past year composing the follow-up to their 2013-issued Wilderness full-length. Titled The Menagerie Inside, MIDAS FALL‘s third long player was captured live at Red Wall Studios, mastered by Seattle legendary engineer Ed Brooks (Pearl Jam, Caspian, Fleet Foxes et al) and offers up ten sprawling tracks of sonic enormity. From the sorrowing echo of wilting violins in “Counting Colours,” to the emotionally gutting close of “Circus Performer,” the forty-six-minute epic is as heavy sonically as it is cerebrally. An introspective journey through dark and light, The Menagerie Inside is atonce graceful, urgent and star-gazingly compelling. Cascading riffs ebb, flow and surge into rich, ethereal piano crescendos, the weight of Heaton’s delicate angelic resonance adding depth to her every echoing word. With The Menagerie Inside, MIDAS FALL manifests a sound and atmosphere that’s organic, emotionally stirring and habitually awe-inspiring, further verifying the strength of their songcraft and musicianship.
Comments the band of their latest creation,”We wanted to capture the energy of our live shows, so we took a different approach this time by recording the album live.”
The Menagerie Inside is set for worldwide release this September. In the meantime, sample a live video for seventh track, “Tramadol Baby.” The clip was filmed at the Blue Room in Blackpool by Weird Wolf Media and available for your viewing pleasures below.
The Menagerie Inside Track Listing:
1. Push
2. Afterthought
3. Circus Performer
4. Counting Colours
5. Low
6. The Morning Asked And I Said No
7. Tramadol Baby
8. Half A Mile Outside
9. A Song Built From Scraps Of Paper
10. Holes
Founded in 2009, MIDAS FALL‘s independently-released EP of early demos caught the attention of renowned UK DJ, Tom Robinson, at BBC Radio 6Music, who featured the track “Century” on his BBC Introducing Program. By 2010, the band joined the Monotreme Records roster for the release of debut LP, Eleven. Return And Revert. Likened to Portishead and Explosions In The Sky, the record enjoyed critical acclaim internationally. Verbicide Magazine gushed, “It’s bold, it’s tense, it’s melodic, haunting, driven, and, best of all, intriguing. All this is coupled with the striking vocals of Elizabeth Heaton. It’s the kind of singing that echoes somewhere close to the heart, maybe the mind, but perhaps more appropriately, the spine,” while Rock Sound championed Heaton noting, “she surprises with a strong display of vocals, asserting her position throughout the album… an engrossing listen.” Opening number, “MovieScreens,” was featured on the BBC TV drama, Lip Service soundtrack, which charted in the UK’s Top 20 and has since been released in Canada and Australia, increasing the bands overseas recognition. The following year saw MIDAS FALL complete their first-ever European tour which included a slot at Belgium’s Dunk!Cinema!, Germany’s Dark Spring Festival and sold-out shows in Athens, Sofia, Glasgow, Manchester and London. The band also secured endorsements with JHS Hornby (Fret King Guitars), Diago, DiPinto Guitars, Dava Picks and Lion Cajon Drums, no small feat for a relatively “new” band.
Momentum continued through 2012 when MIDAS FALL performed at Switzerland’s prestigious Deadline Festival, shared the stage with labelmates 65daysofstatic and Reigns In London at the Monotreme Records 10th Birthday showcase, performed headline slots in London and Budapest and supported We Were Promised Jetpacks and Her Name Is Calla around the UK. Later that year, the ensemble unleashed the As Our Blood Separates EP. Called an “intriguing listen,” and applauded for their meticulous fusions of, “haunting, electronic post-rock, catchy alt rock, and shoegaze,” in 4.5/5 review by Decoy Music, the EP served as a precursor to their critically-applauded second full-length, Wilderness, released in April of 2013. Sputnik Music hailed the record’s, “undeniable beauty,” while The Skinny issued, “Wilderness succeeds on the weight of its emotional punch,” further praising Heaton’s, “dramatic, impassioned vocal performances.” In November that year they followed up with the Fluorescent Lights EP, which With Guitars commended for their combination “of thundering melodic rock guitar with electronic flourishes and Elizabeth Heaton’s soaring melancholic vocals,” accompanied by a full European tour.
MIDAS FALL continues to transcend genre boundaries with The Menagerie Inside. The record will be released worldwide September 4th, 2015 on CD and digital download formats, as well as a limited edition 180-gram vinyl LP in translucent purple with black splatter, with a free album CD and poster inside. Preorder the album today at THIS LOCATION. Fans of Cocteau Twins, Caspian, Daughter, Immanu El, A Perfect Circle, Jenniferever, Aereogramme, Evanescence etc. pay heed.
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