“No matter what other shit is happening in your life, metal is there as an escape” – interview with Tailgunner

Tailgunner released their second album “Midnight Blitz” on February 6 via Napalm Records. The band, who broke through in 2022, draws heavily from classic British heavy metal on the new record, but like their influences, they are also determined to push their sound forward. Chaoszine had a chat with the band’s bassist Bones about the new album’s release.

Greetings, Tailgunner! How has your year started and who shall be answering to our questions?

Bones: Hey, Bones here! I’m good, this year has been crazy so far, we just finished the opening leg of the Midnight Blitz tour, around southern Europe and the UK.

Your new album “Midnight Blitz” is about to drop—how are you feeling in these final days leading up to the release?

Bones: The response has been crazy! We’re thrilled by the chart positions but more importantly, the fan reactions have been really cool. We worked like hell on this album.

The album title feels very cinematic and high-energy. Is there a story behind the name?

Bones: The title came from KK, he suggested we needed something that tied into the bands name, like we had on the debut album.

Compared to your debut, how would you say “Midnight Blitz” shows your growth or evolution as musicians and songwriters?

Bones: Every aspect is better. Writing, playing, production. There’s more diversity on this new album, and songs we could never have written around the time of the debut.

Was there something you consciously wanted to do differently this time?

Bones: When we made the debut, we’d never played live. By the time we hit the stage, we realised we played so much faster live than we recorded the songs, so this time around we made sure to record at full throttle.

Were there any moments in the studio that really changed a song or your approach?

Bones: Originally, ‘Barren Lands and Seas of Red’ was around 14 minutes long, we cut it down to the 6 minute mark. I was torn between having it super long, or cutting it down to be more impactful for a year or so. It’s something I spent a lot of time talking to KK about, and he convinced me to make a shorter edit, that’s the one we went with.

You worked with K.K. Downing on this record. Did he bring something out in you that maybe you didn’t even realize was there?

Bones: KK really pushed us to pay attention to every single detail, no matter how small. Every note and every second counts as much as any other. Plus, when you’re tracking and a legend like that is in the room, it brings an extra gear out of you, you don’t play shitty in front of someone like that.

The track “War In Heaven” also features Adam Wakeman. How did that collaboration come together, and what did his contribution add to the song?

Bones: Adam played on the Back to the Beginning Sabbath show, on the cover of “Changes“. Of course, KK also played that show so it stemmed from that. It was killer to have another Metal icon like that work on the album, Adam having played from Sabbath, Ozzy etc. and he did such a cool job on “War in Heaven“.

If someone has never heard of Tailgunner before and “Midnight Blitz” is their first introduction, what do you hope they walk away feeling?

Bones: Empowered. That’s how Heavy Metal should make you feel, like you can take on the world, no matter what other shit is happening in your life, Metal is there as an escape.

With the album out soon and momentum building, what’s next for Tailgunner? Any future plans you can share?

Bones: Let’s take “Midnight Blitz” all over the world! We want to be out on the road as much as possible reaching new territories and new heights.

Thank you for your time! Would you like to add something to your fans and our readers?

Bones: Heavy Metal for eternity!