TAILGUNNER ANNOUNCE MIDNIGHT BLITZ – NEW ALBUM PRODUCED BY K.K. DOWNING

Rising British Heavy Metal band Tailgunner has announced their sophomore album, Midnight Blitz, which is scheduled for release on February 6, 2026, through Napalm Records. Metal icon K.K. Downing produced the record. The title track, “Midnight Blitz,” begins with air-raid sirens and features fast, “blitzkrieg drums” and “screaming twin-lead guitars,” serving as a clear “statement of intent from a band carrying the torch of classic Heavy Metal into the present day.” Tailgunner calls this track their all-time opener, aiming “squarely at the lineage of Aces High, Painkiller, Welcome To The Jungle and Hells Bells.”

K.K. Downing says Tailgunner “personify everything that is Heavy Metal.”

The band noted their growth while touring their debut, stating, “Whilst touring our debut album, we shared stages with members of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Accept – we watched, we learned, and we put it all down on tape.”

They described the feeling they aimed for with the opener: “Everyone remembers the first time you hear the opening track on an album that changes everything. The hair stands up on the back of your neck and you know from this moment onwards, nothing will ever be the same. The launch sequence on the next era of Tailgunner has been hit.”

Tracklist:
Midnight Blitz
Tears In Rain
Follow Me In Death
Dead Until Dark
Barren Lands And Seas Of Red
War In Heaven
Blood Sacrifice
Night Raids
Eye Of The Storm
​Eulogy.

Across the ten tracks, the record delivers a sound that channels “Maiden-esque grandeur, Thrash-tinged riffing and massive choruses,” ranging from the epic tracks “Tears In Rain” and “Follow Me In Death,” to the power-ballad “War In Heaven” and the Speed Metal of “Eulogy.” Midnight Blitz will be available in multiple formats, including vinyl LPs, digipack CD, cassette, and digital.

The band will support the release by touring extensively in early 2026 with HammerFall and as support on Fozzy’s Eyes On You UK run, followed by appearances at major summer festivals like Sweden Rock, Download, and Dynamo Metal Fest.

K.K. Downing, who has been following the band, also said, “The band has a youthful freshness and a uniqueness that will no doubt elevate them to being a true Metal favourite of the fans.”

Tailgunner emphasized their ambition, declaring, “We are not just worshipping at the altar of those who have gone before, but determined to stand upon it and be the heroes for a whole new generation! We played over 100 shows touring our debut album, sharing the stages with some of the most legendary names in Metal while paying our dues in blood, sweat, tears and endless nights out on the road.”

They are confident in their new work, concluding, “Everything we learned is on display here, packed into 10 tracks in what we feel can be a true, essential Tailgunner album.”

The album can be pre-ordered now at napalmrecords.com/tailgunner.