Review by Brexaul on February 18, 2026.

Tailgunner comes back with their second offering, the first release from Napalm Records after turning some heads in the underground scene with their great debut in 2023. The question in my mind when I heard they signed with Napalm Records was if they would keep (and further refine) their straight NWOBHM worship or attempt to tap into a bigger audience, and this album clearly shows their intention.

On face value and on the first couple of spins, there’s plenty to admire. Twin-guitar harmonies along with Craig Cairns’ clear and powerful voice are the backbone of “Midnight Blitz”. Cairns especially sounds amazing, offering his best performance to date, with a great sense of control and emotion while staying convincingly “metal”. The rhythm section is tight, and both Zach Salvini and Rhea Thomson offer an outstanding performance with nice chemistry in the twin leads. Lots of earworm choruses, easy-to-follow structures (more on that later), and a crystal clear production pave the way for a very pleasant and at times nostalgic dive into our beloved 80s metal sound as taught by the masters. Judas Priest meet early Iron Maiden, and for you who prefer more contemporary comparisons, Enforcer meet Haunt while jamming to Helloween. And make no mistake, while Tailgunner proudly wear their influences on their sleeve, at no point do they become a cheap copy; they keep their laser-sharp focus on their vision, something I highly appreciate.

There are some fantastic songs in here like the Maidenesque opener title track or the closing speed metal banger 'Eulogy', or even the excellent mid-album ballad 'War In Heaven', and Tailgunner deliver everything with such confidence that it’s obvious all my upcoming complaints and nitpicks are conscious choices from the band’s effort to become bigger in today’s metal scene, rather than lack of inspiration or talent.

So, what’s stopping this from scoring even higher?

Well, my main problem with this new-era Tailgunner is that their high-energy, old-fashioned heavy metal gave more room to easy hooks and “safe” songwriting, avoiding any kind of structural surprise and at times missing the grit that made the debut feel alive. What’s difficult for me to accurately convey here is the mild sense of disappointment I was left with after my 10th or so listen, because Midnight Blitz is in no way a bad album. It’s a very competent -hell- even occasionally excellent record. It ultimately feels like a step sideways, cleaner and more “commercial”, but slightly less compelling and fresh than “Guns For Hire”. If you prefer a modern take on classic heavy metal with a polished production and easy hooks, you’ll find plenty to enjoy here and might as well disregard this review altogether.

The problem is that the result is so comfortable and predictable that it too often ventures into generic, and I expected more, making me wish they would lean back to their mercenary days (Guns for Hire, see what I did there?).

Rating: 7.5 out of 10