Welsh rockers Cardinal Black are finally back with their new full LP ‘Midnight At The Valencia’, which arrives this Friday, May 23rd, via Thirty Tigers.
Cardinal Black is a global sensation and a kind of anomaly, thus far doing it quite diy and thankfully making it work in such a hard industry, born in 2020 the year of the shamdemic, it was a rough time for any band, but the space and time allowed these guys to get their heads down and create a sound and hone their craft before properly unleashing themselves on the world (Once Again) and they have not looked back since.
Guitarist Chris Buck of course is a huge part of the band’s success and allure, his brand went stratospheric over that period during lockdown, with YouTube videos supplying musical education and his glorious style is so unique in a world of shredders that you cant help but admire how well he has handled the guitarist’s ego within a band setting. Now, by no means in Cardinal Black, all Chris Buck and this is where they excel, sonically it works so well, Tom Hollister’s glorious soulful vocals are mesmerising, and it allows the overall songwriting to breathe, this has been welcomed by an army of fans globally who have been crying out for old-fashioned songwriting and musical quality rarely found in a homegrown band.
I have been lucky to catch these guys live now three times, each time they have come through my magical city of Belfast. Northern Ireland. And from the outside looking in, from humble beginnings playing Voodoo Belfast, which is a great starting point for a new band who haven’t touched ground in Belfast before, to the beautiful Empire Music Hall, to a packed out room and then The Limelight supporting Myles Kennedy. Each time a sizeable improvement in support for the band, and now they’re returning to The Limelight in the fall to reinforce their love for Ireland, North and South and Belfast’s love for the band. Their new offering is a collection of glorious songs that have Cardinal Black’s signature sound all over them, glorious melodic songwriting that provides you with a wall of escapism that will whisk you away from the daily grind even for just a little while.
The beautiful sonic landscape they create just allows you to fully envelop yourself in this highly immersive album. Everything we already loved about Cardinal Black is here in spades. It can be tough following up a successful album, but they seem to have taken it all in their stride. The fusion between Chris’s haunting modulated guitar tones and the emotive play on the vocals by Tom, along with sublime production, captures the imagination, leaving your hair standing on end at times. The army of fans who have followed them on their journey this far will be ecstatic at the beauty which will unfold when they hear ‘Midnight At The Valencia’, it truly is a joy to behold.
The success of heartfelt singer-songwriters and their strength in good old-fashioned songwriting, passion, and emotive connection through creative expression is what so many of us live for in our musical journey. Cardinal Black is the epitome of this, and ‘Midnight At The Valencia’ will be the soundtrack to the summer for many excited fans, new and old.
Midnight At The Valencia lands this Friday, May 23rd, courtesy of Thirty Tigers and is no doubt another exciting chapter in the band’s evolution.
Oct/Nov/Dec 2025 UK & EU Tour Dates Announced
Including London KOKO – Oct 30th
Tickets On Sale HERE
The album will be available in neon pink and neon orange vinyl formats, alongside standard CD and digital editions, available for pre-order here.
ALBUM IN-STORE DATES
May
24th – CARDIFF, HMV
25th – BRISTOL, Rough Trade
26th – LONDON, Lower Third w/ Rough Trade
27th – BURY, Wax n Beans
28th – NEWCASTLE, Cluny 2 w/ Reflex
29th – GLASGOW, Strip Joint
US HEADLINE TOUR DATES
August
6th – NEW YORK, Mercury Lounge (SOLD OUT)
8th – TORONTO, CA – The Drake Hotel Underground (SOLD OUT)
9th – ONTARIO, CA, Kitchener Blues Festival
12th – CHICAGO, Schuba’s
14th – MINNEAPOLIS, 7th Street Entry
16th – OMAHA, Playing with Fire
18th – NASHVILLE, Basement East
19th – ATLANTA, Vinyl at Center Stage
21st – AUSTIN, Antone’s
23rd – PHOENIX, Rebel Lounge
26th – LOS ANGELES, Troubadour
29th – SAN FRANCISCO, The Independent
30th – CAMINO, Concert Series @ Delfino Farms
UK & EU TOUR DATES
October
2nd – NOTTINGHAM, Rock City
3rd – MANCHESTER, Academy 2
9th – DUBLIN, Opium
10th – BELFAST, Limelight
11th – GLASGOW, The Garage
16th – WOLVERHAMPTON, KK’s Steel Mill
17th – LEEDS, Stylus
19th – NEWCASTLE, Wylam Brewery
23rd – BRISTOL, SWX
24th – SOUTHAMPTON, Engine Rooms
28th – BRIGHTON, Concorde 2
29th – CAMBRIDGE, Junction
30th – LONDON, KOKO
November
20th – AMSTERDAM, Bitterzoet
23rd – COLOGNE, Stollwerck
24th – HAMBURG, Bahnhof Pauli
25th – BERLIN, Privatclub
27th – MUNICH, Backstage Club
28th – VIENNA, Flex
December
1st – ZÜRICH, Papiersaal
2nd – FRANKFURT, Brotfabrik
6th – PARIS, Supersonic Club
CARDINAL BLACK SOCIALS
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