Album Review: Modern Life Is War - 'Midnight In America'

12 October 2007 | 8:01 pm | Staff Writer
Originally Appeared In

Not bitter, just better…

More Modern Life Is War More Modern Life Is War

There reached a point a couple

of years ago where my interest in hardcore was starting to wane. Bands

were peddling uninspired riffs and singers were running out of things

to say. I mean c’mon, how many songs do we really need about our friends

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and family!? And then I heard Modern Life Is War and my faith was restored. 


Taking standard song structures

and completely disregarding them, MILW found a way to craft heavy, intense

and inspiring songs… while completely ignoring the breakdown and “Midnight

In America” is another impressive chapter in the MLIW story. 


While not as instantly catchy

as “Witness” (the band’s last record), “Midnight In America”

is every bit as hard hitting as I had hoped it would be. From the opening

drum roll right through to the final chords you, the listener, can hear

first hand what 5 average American kids think of the world around them…

and it’s not a pretty picture. 


The opening cries of cut through

the haze, the loneliness won’t last sound so desperate on record

that I can only imagine what a MLIW live show would be like (that’s

a hint tour promoters). The constant drum roll only adds to the tension

and where a lesser band would move towards breakdown territory the songs

drops down to an almost twangin sounding guitar part and staggered beat.

“Screaming At The Moon” is MLIW at their finest. The song is catchy

without resorting to standard half time beats and the riffs just suck

you in.  


I’m putting it out there…

“Stagger Lee” is the best song Modern Life Is War have ever (and

quite possibly will ever) write. Even though the drum beat never

really moves past a crawl and the guitars don’t play muted open D

chords (shock horror) it is without doubt the most powerful song in

MLIW’s repertoire. It’s been said that a picture’s worth a thousand

words but whoever penned that quote obviously hasn’t read anything

that Jeffrey Eaton has written. If the world is a just place then the

MLIW wordsmith will go down as one of the most poignant writers of our

time. I’m not going to attempt to describe the images that fill my

head when listening to “Stagger Lee”, just listen to the song for

yourself and you’ll see what I mean.


I could give a play by play of

every track on this record but I don’t think it’s necessary. Quite

simply, “Midnight In America” is a must have release… not just

for the hardcore kids, but for anyone who appreciates music delivered

with passion and sincerity.  


I’m going to leave you with

a lyric from the album’s title track… 


“Everyone is fucked, everyone

is dead, but no one will open their eyes”.


  1. Useless Generation
  2. Screaming at the Moon
  3. Stagger Lee
  4. Big City Dream
  5. Fuck The Sex Pistols
  6. Pendulum
  7. These Mad Dogs of Glory
  8. Night Shift At The