Black Bordello: Midheaven Tempest – EP Review

Fronted by Sienna Bordello’s poetic lyricism and charismatic vocal performances, the EP shifts effortlessly between the ethereal and the confrontational, moving freely through 70s-influenced psychedelic guitar tones, cinematic vibrancy and unexpected changes in mood and tempo. On Midheaven Tempest, those qualities become more pronounced, with arrangements that feel deliberately unstable and songs capable of changing direction without warning, as though the scenery itself is shifting beneath the performers.

Opening track Fugue immediately establishes that atmosphere, as a romantic Hammond organ gives way to psychedelic theatricality, baroque flourishes and post-punk tension. Fuzzy guitar tones, a brilliantly subtle yet effective 7/8 time signature and dramatic refrains gather around its shifting structure and central keys, introducing a flourishing art-rock sensibility and setting the tone for the rest of the EP. There are echoes of The Doors alongside more contemporary theatricality reminiscent of The Last Dinner Party, while its progressive instincts draw equally from 70s prog rock.

The mid-tempo sweller Yellow Flower takes a more dreamy, otherworldly approach, using swelling synths, textural tones and a trip-hop undertone beneath the commanding vocals before eventually reaching an explosive and intense climax. Numb-Lock continues that sense of theatrical disorientation, with swelling strings and grand cinematic drama built around piano, synth and sporadic bursts of percussion, creating an increasingly immersive experience.

Across the EP, traces of rock grit and emotionally charged balladry sit within the framework, but the songs refuse to settle comfortably into either. Daddy pushes the psychedelic and theatrical elements further, while closer Mechanical Dancer pulls the record’s various strands towards an expansive and explosive conclusion.

The EP’s darkness is not entirely without humour. Beneath the gothic imagery and increasingly elaborate arrangements is an interest in the absurdity of everyday existence, with characters appearing caught inside systems they can recognise but cannot quite escape. There is romance alongside decay, theatricality alongside ugliness, and a sense that Black Bordello are as interested in the ridiculous as they are in the macabre.

That world has been developing since the band formed in the aftermath of the pandemic. Their live shows have taken them through venues including the Electric Ballroom, Dingwalls, MOTH Club and the Lexington, as well as on to bills with The Libertines and Pete Doherty, Goat Girl, Fat Dog, Bad Nerves and Pretty Sick.

The band’s wider musical background is equally eclectic. Guitarist Jerome Alexandre has toured, recorded and performed with artists including Peter Doherty, Sylvain Sylvain of the New York Dolls, Mark Keds, Senseless Things, Glen Matlock, Clem Burke, Thurston Moore, Sex Gang Children and Flatbush Zombies. Midheaven Tempest was produced by Balazs Altsach, whose credits include Ugly, The Orchestra For Now, Legss and Blue Bendy.

Ultimately, Midheaven Tempest works because Black Bordello never allow its contrasting influences to settle into anything predictable. Beauty is repeatedly interrupted by abrasion, intimacy gives way to theatrical spectacle, and moments of calm can quickly unravel into dark, gritty intensity. Rather than smoothing out those contradictions, the band embrace them and use them, creating an EP that feels deliberately unpredictable and vividly alive. Midheaven Tempest leaves the impression of a band still pushing at the boundaries of their own sound.

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You can read more about Black Bordello on their official website. They are also on Facebook, Instagram and X.

All words by Simon Lucas-Hughes. You can find more in his author’s archive.