Another entry in the traditional metal with power classification that brings a lot of old school throwback elements to new audiences comes from Florida unit Midnight Vice. Soaring vocal melodies, driving riffs, energetic bass and drum action – it’s all in their and more through the band’s debut, self-titled EP release. We got the chance to speak with vocalist Tyler Gray who filled us in on his musical upbringing, the origins of Midnight Vice, how the EP took on multiple recordings before finally receiving release, lots of NWOTHM talk, some glam / melodic metal discussion, and woodshedding into future shows, tours, and recordings.
Dead Rhetoric: Can you tell us a little bit about what your life was like growing up during childhood? How did you end up discovering heavy metal – and eventually gain the confidence / desire to perform in your own bands?
Tyler Gray: Oh man, that’s funny. When I was growing up, I got into heavy metal through my dad. My dad was a big Headbangers Ball kind of guy – always has the VH1 Classic channel on every Saturday morning. All of that classic glam stuff playing, and I also grew up skateboarding. Through skateboarding I was exposed to a variety of different styles of music. I got into punk, early heavy metal like Iron Maiden, Metallica and stuff. From there I just developed this infatuation with this – I dug deeper and deeper into it, I got into more of the obscure stuff when I was older.
I didn’t even decide I wanted to be in a band until I was 21, that’s when I wanted to start a band. I had a cover band, and I was also doing an 80s hard rock/glam thing that didn’t last too long. That band eventually broke up, so I took the remaining members of that band and started Midnight Vice. After that we got (guitarist) Sam (Bean) and (drummer) Dennis O’Sullivan into the band – and that solidified everything for us.
Dead Rhetoric: What do you remember most about starting Midnight Vice in 2020 – and how did you evolve from those initial jam / rehearsal sessions to the sound that you possess with the current lineup?
Gray: It was fun. There wasn’t a lot of expectations from it – so we weren’t really taking it too seriously. Which is arguable some of the most fun – we were doing a lot of covers and writing without having the responsibility of writing. It was a little looser. And then I think people started to develop some expectations of us, and we started to develop some expectations of ourselves as well. We decided to take it a bit more seriously, and that’s when we recorded the EP. We did it more so because we wanted to hear something that we weren’t really hearing at the time. We wanted to make the heavy metal record that we’ve never heard, essentially. And we were amazed with how well it did when it came out – I don’t think any of us were expecting that, the reaction we got for a debut release.
Dead Rhetoric: In mid-2023 you released this self-titled EP that has now been reissued on Rock of Angels Records. What were the songwriting and recording sessions like for this set of material – and how do you feel about the final product in terms of response and satisfaction personally now given the passage of time?
Gray: It was really hard. A lot of people don’t know this, but we recorded (that EP) multiple times. We recorded it three times total, and the third time was when we got it right. We didn’t want to cut any corners, so we went to a legit studio. We had tried recording this a couple of different ways with a couple of different people, very DIY with a low scale budget, friends helping us out. We got some good demos out of it, but it wasn’t a product that I was comfortable putting out on a streaming platform. I decided that it would be better to spend the money, make it sound really good. We spent five months recording this time, just because we all have day jobs.
Some guys were working on the weekends, some guys were off on the weekends, so it was really hard for all of us to be in a room together to record this. We were also super nitpicky with it, on top of that – especially Sam, he has a really good ear for imperfections in recordings. That is a big strong suit of his. We were over the moon with it- how things sounded, it was everything we wanted and more.
Dead Rhetoric: Did you think it was important to make a good first impression? A lot of times a band’s first product isn’t necessarily like what is representative of how they will sound down the line…
Gray: Yes. I feel very strongly about that. I have a lot of younger kids ask me what they think that they should be doing. I think the overall idea of creating a demo to submit to labels – the thing with labels nowadays, they don’t really want to develop a product. They want a product that’s ready to fly off the shelves. A lot of these big bands I feel make the mistake of spending time and effort to make these demos – I feel it’s better to come off really strong especially now, because people are more nitpicky with their music selection, because of how widely things are available nowadays, especially with streaming platforms like Spotify. Getting your song skipped is effortless – people can do it in within a fraction of a second.
I think it’s super important to have a strong debut release. Have something that’s going to hook the listener in. I think it’s a super big thing that people make a lot of mistakes on. I understand there are a lot of people that have the low-fi thing going for them, and that works. Interceptor is a great example of that – it’s low quality but works for the style of music that they are doing. For traditional heavy metal, I like that strong, heavily produced sound.
Dead Rhetoric: You pay tribute to fellow Tampa, Florida metal legends Savatage with your cover of “White Witch” from the Hall of the Mountain King album. Tell us what this band and their discography has meant to you personally – have you had the chance to interact with members of the band to find out what they think of your tribute to them through this song?
Gray: No, actually we haven’t. We did a bunch of Savatage covers when we first started out. Sam is a big fan of Criss Oliva, and Dakoda and I are huge Savatage fans as well. Sam being the main composer of our music, a lot of his influences are the primary things that lead into the writing of our songs. You can hear a lot of Criss Oliva in the EP. When we were first getting started with our sound – we had “Baptized by Fire” when Sam came in, and he re-worked it. In the process of writing the other songs, we learned a bunch of covers. It was a very early Metallica dynamic of having one original song, and a bunch of covers. We did that for a while – we had three Savatage songs in our queue. We would do “White Witch”, “Strange Wings” and “Hall of the Mountain King”.
When we decided to record the EP, we said we wanted to have a cover. During the time of recording the EP, none of us could agree on which one. We all wanted to do different covers; everyone had a different one. After we got out of the studio and the pressure dropped, we were presented with the opportunity to record a single. So, we were all able to agree on “White Witch”, which I think was a great cover to record. It fits so well with the energy of the EP. On top of that, Savatage is a Florida band, and we feel like we are carrying the Floridian flag, you could say.
Dead Rhetoric: How would you describe the traditional scene in Florida now? People may remember the death metal scene most, but some forget the impact artists like Crimson Glory, Nasty Savage, and Iced Earth had beyond Savatage…
Gray: It’s pretty minimal over here. The only other band here that I consider in that same traditional vein would be Antagonizör. They just released an album, and they are doing super well. Aside from that, that’s pretty much it for bands that are out right now. As you said, we have all these traditional heavy metal legends like Nasty Savage, Crimson Glory, Siren is another one. As far as I’m aware, Siren is still active. It’s heavily overlooked because of the death metal aspect in Florida. Understandably so, given what an insane movement that was. So, I can understand how the traditional side of things would get swept under the rug.
Dead Rhetoric: Where do you see the major differences between the NWOTHM that you are a part of and the original artists that develop this material during the 70s and 80s?
Gray: You know, I don’t even think I ever really felt like there was a big transition. Even throughout the 90s, a lot of those 70s/80s heavy metal bands were still putting out solid records. And then in the early 2000s, you got into bands like 3 Inches of Blood, Goathorn which turned into Cauldron. It’s almost like it never really went away. There was always a band that would fill the gaps. Bands like Enforcer, Cauldron, Skull Fist, they just took it a step further to where now, that was a different era of the New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal scene. There are so many bands now – ridiculous amounts. I got into Enforcer, Skull Fist, and Cauldron probably back in 2016.
From what I was aware of, that was all I really saw. The next wave of bands came along which were Haunt, Riot City, and the next wave, and we came out with a bunch of other bands. It’s a big increase of bands – it’s the biggest scene that it’s ever been since the 80s. It’s really cool to see this big outburst after it died down a bit, blowing back up again. It’s super cool.
Dead Rhetoric: What would you like to achieve with Midnight Vice? Do you believe it’s going to be a balancing act between pursing your musical endeavors while also having a career outside of music – or do you believe that there is way to achieve a full-time career through music?
Gray: I think everybody has a different path. I know a lot of bands that are very successful in this style of music, they go out on tour and then go home to their day jobs. I think everybody has the same endgame here. Being able to perform this style of music and being able to write and perform and travel with your best friends, all while paying your rent. Like anybody else, that is what I would want for Midnight Vice. It’s a different scene nowadays, so nobody ever really knows.
Dead Rhetoric: How would you describe Midnight Vice when it comes to your live performances? What can you tell us about some of the more memorable performances – to the good or bad – that you’ve had to date?
Gray: We try to keep it raw and pure. Somewhat theatrical – we don’t do it as much as some of the other bands do. There are other bands out there who we know do a great job with the stage theatrics. We try to get everybody fired up. Everybody that is in a venue, we want your attention – and we are going to do whatever we can to get it. We want everybody to go home with a sore neck, essentially.
We just played the Whisky, and that was one of the highlights of anything that we’ve done live. Such a surreal experience, to stand on the same stage as a lot of our idols have. That was mind-blowing for us. We played with Lynch Mob last month, the same thing. A super energetic crowd, the room was packed. That is always a good thing. Every musician loves to walk out on stage and see a full house.
Dead Rhetoric: Do you have a preferred format for enjoying heavy metal as far as physical or digital media? And what would you consider some of your most prized possessions when it comes to the genre?
Gray: I am a vinyl guy. Big vinyl guy. Some of my most prized possessions – I have Skid Row – Slave to the Grind first pressing, signed by all the original members of Skid Row. I have a Bathory – self-titled album, a Black Mark pressing. That was one of the most recent editions. I have Carnivore – self-titled. Those are my big ones right now. All of the Megadeth albums, first pressings of the 80s albums- I just need to get the first one.
Dead Rhetoric: Where do you see the state of heavy metal across the United States compared to other parts of the world? Do you believe there need to be any changes for the greater good of all parties involved to keep this movement alive and thriving?
Gray: I think all of us know that things are better in Europe than they are in the United States. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have great heavy metal bands here in the United States. Haunt of course, Mean Mistreater in Texas, every time I get asked this question, I forget all the great US bands (laughs). Saber out in California, Savage Master, trying to rattle them off. Especially those that have come out recently. You can go to Europe, throw a rock and you’ll find an awesome traditional heavy metal band. I feel it’s a more traditional culture, so they treasure this style a bit more than in the USA. The United States is very trend heavy; people tend to cling to what’s popular right now.
Dead Rhetoric: Do you have any specific tricks of the trade to keep your high-octane voice and delivery in shape?
Gray: I drink a lot of water. Water and sleep are the two important things I’ve learned. Your voice is a muscle, you have to use it frequently. If you are not (singing) at least a couple of times a week, you lose a little bit of your chops. Just like anything else, you have to make sure you practice – the things you are supposed to do. You have to learn the proper techniques, so you aren’t over exerting yourself and shredding your voice. If you get off stage and you can’t talk, you are doing something wrong. I’ve never had lessons, but I’ve worked with a vocal coach here in Florida. He’s taught me a couple of things – but I learned how to do things without hurting myself.
Dead Rhetoric: I understand you also have a love for glam metal – who are some of your all-time favorites, and who would you consider an underrated act or two that you believe more people need to invest more time/energy into their discography?
Gray: Oh man, there are so many. In the Midnight Vice camp, we love those late 80s, kind of grittier glam metal bands. Skid Row is my biggest one of all time. I love Sebastian Bach. Killer Dwarves was a super underrated (band). They had awesome songs, super talented guys. Shotgun Messiah, I like them a lot. Second Coming, that album. Shark Island. Those less fluffy bands, not really like Poison. We love Dokken, bands like that. It takes a lot of talent to play that style of music – especially when you get down to the nitty gritty of the songs. A lot of people don’t want to admit it – especially the thrash guys. That’s inspired a lot of our music too. Stone Fury was another band that didn’t get the credit they deserved. There were so many bands coming out at the same time, the ones that had clout stayed on top.
Dead Rhetoric: What’s on the agenda for anything related to Midnight Vice over the next twelve months?
Gray: We’ve got some stuff coming up. We are doing a little Florida run with Void – awesome band! Those guys are killer. We’ve got a couple of dates with Interceptor in the summer. Other than that, we are writing and recording. We are shooting to have this next album full tracked by late this year. This year is more for woodshedding than traveling, as we are working on that next album.