Review: Midnite City – Bite The Bullet
Pride & Joy Music (November 21st, 2025)
Reviewer – Jason Hopper
Of all the hard rock bands to come onto the scene this century, one of the top tier that exude that classic 80s sound is Midnite City. I had the pleasure of reviewing their last two releases, ‘Itch You Can’t Scratch’ (review here) and ‘In At The Deep End’ (review here). Both releases were fantastic, with ‘In At The Deep End’ being one of my top albums of 2023. The band was elevating their output, with each new release topping what came before. I had high hopes for latest release, ‘Bite The Bullet’. Sadly, this album is a bit of a step back in their progress and much of this falls on the production.
The album sounds overproduced with a pop sheen that takes a bit of an edge away. I was surprised to find it was mixed by Chris Laney, who has done some stellar productions for other bands. The guy knows his way around the knobs, so what gives? It is interesting that in the press release, it states that he mixed the album and does not denote a producer. The last album was also mixed by Chris and produced by the band. Regardless, in a press release, it’s an unusual omission.
There was a decision made to make keyboardist Shawn Charvette more prominent in the mix, with the levels being on par or at times overtaking Miles Meakin’s guitar output. This can be used to great effect for certain tracks, but its prominence makes for a more pop rock, rather than a hard rock, feel.
This is used to great effect in some songs. ‘Worth Fighting For’ is pure bubblegum unapologetic glam rock, and it kills! It’s uplifting and energetic in all the right ways, with a chord progression that is hook laden and irresistible.
‘Seeing Is Believing’, is the better of the two ballads on the album. The guitar takes a bit of a backseat, but it suits the track. The keyboards and drums sound huge on this, and for a power ballad, it works beautifully. Singer Rob Wylde vocals denote a bit of longing and struggle, which gets you in the feels. That’s exactly what a ballad should do.
Closer ‘When The Summer Ends’ is drenched in keyboards and its pop sensibilities are comfort food to the ears. It has a Van Halen ‘Dreams’ atmosphere. It’s positive, uplifting vibe is a great way to send the album out on a positive note.
My favorite track, which has a perfect mix of keys and guitar, is ‘Running Back To Your Heart’. This is the balance this album should have struck with the rest of the songs. The guitars are punchy, the key strikes pushed forward at all the right times, and melodic vocables to close it out. One of the band’s best songs in their catalog.
Of the few songs that are more guitar based, ‘Lethal Dose of Love’ is an interesting track. Without having the benefit of reading who wrote the song, if I had to make a bet, I would say it was written by Danny Rexon of Crazy Lixx. It’s a strong rocker, but the song structure apes off that band so much that it’s uncanny. If you’re a fan of that band, and most who listen to Midnite City would be, then you’ll surely dig this track.
I’m not crazy about first single ‘Heaven In This Hell’. It has a great buildup, but then Rob drops an octave to start the chorus and I’ve never been a fan of choruses with minor chord elements. Also, the use of toy sound effects before the solo (bombs dropping, sirens going off) is childish and diminishing.
The band has a formula. As with the last three albums, the third song on the album is the big power ballad. After three previously stellar power ballads, where that formula was producing tracks that topped each other, there was bound to be a drop off. ‘It’s Going To Be Alright’ is a decent track but does not hold a candle in comparison to the previous power ballads. It’s got a sing-songy chorus that does not make your heart soar or your emotions swell.
I feel an obligation to warn listeners when bands throw tracks onto an album that are not songs, but interludes. With all due respect to whomever Archer is, ‘Archer’s Song’ is one minute and eight seconds of keyboards and ambient noise. In a world where streaming is the norm, this makes no sense to me. No one is going to want to seek this out. As an instrumental, it’s too short. Musically, it’s at best music played right before a band hits the stage. It serves no other purpose.
This album is favored over their first two releases, but not their last two, falling square in the middle of their recording output. It’s not a bad album by any means, but it could have been stronger had there been a better separation and/or balance to the keys and guitar. If that type of sound is what you want from the band, then you’ll love this release. I was expecting pop elements along with songs that were more guitar based, but the album has much less compared to prior releases.
Tracklist:
- Live Like Ya Mean It
- Worth Fighting For
- It’s Going To Be Alright
- Heaven In This Hell
- Running Back To Your Heart
- Lethal Dose of Love
- Archer’s Song (Interlude)
- Seeing Is Believing
- No One Wins
- Hang On Til Tomorrow
- When The Summer Ends
Line-up:
Rob Wylde (vocals, guitar)
Miles Meakin (lead guitar)
Josh Williams (bass guitar)
Ryan Biggs (drums)
Shawn Charvette (keyboard)
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