Customer Reviews

The 13th Hour

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

We had this playing in all the rooms of our house during our Halloween party last year, all the tracks going in different order in a continuous loop. This set quite a mood! Everyone commented on the music and how great it was. Just the right amount and use of sound effects. So many Halloween type c.d.'s go too far and become just corny and that wrecks the mood you're trying to create in the first place. After the party, when everyone left but for my cousins and us, we just had this playing in the library and had a ball scaring the wits out of each other with our own "personal" ghost stories. We're not into the whole goth culture thing, but we can appreciate what M.S. is doing. To listen to this at only Halloween is a mistake, you're short changing yourself. Put this on curled up with you're favorite suspense, thriller or horror book for an added dimension to the experience.

The name Midnight Syndicate has become synonymous with incredible creepy, haunting, atmospheric soundscapes, and for good reason. Edward Douglas and Gavin Goszka have a highly noteworthy ability to combine ominously elegant sound effects and eerie, ethereal orchestrations into a memorable melange that is most certainly a treat for the ears and the imagination.

The Thirteenth Hour takes the listener on a tour of a haunted Victorian mansion, the home of the doctor who founded Haverghast Asylum (which is the setting for Gates of Delirium), "a house with a sinister history." Conjuring images of those whose souls are not at rest, Edward and Gavin have scored yet another masterpiece complete with a seamless blend of gothic themes and brooding melodies sure to tickle even the most discernable listener.

Among the guest vocalists are Lily Lane, the lead singer from Lazy Lane, and Mary-Kate Douglas, Edward's two year old daughter, who is the ghostly child voice on the track "Footsteps in the Dust." Both lend a degree of unearthly melancholy that eviscerates both dread and reverence.

This is most definitely my favorite Midnight Syndicate release to date. The Thirteenth Hour is highly recommended for Halloween, or any other time of the year when one feels like dimming the lights, lighting some candles, and letting one's imagination run wild with ghoulish delight!

Twenty-five splendid orchestrations from malefik meistros Edward Douglas and Gavin Goszka - they are our musickal guides through Haverghast Mansion, setting the mood for unearthing the terrible ghostly secrets lain hidden within the walls of this gloomy house...

Among these phantasmasonic pieces, contained herein is a cantible entitled "Hand In Hand Again", harking back to 1920 c.e. written by R. Egan and R. Whiting, as well as guest voices from Lily Lane {Madeline Haverghast}, David Jacobs Greg Ballato, and Mary Kate Douglas as Anastasia Haverghast.

Cover work is masterfully manifest by Keith Parkinson to create a most welcoming Manor amidst the full moon, with a familiar blackredlight glow exuding from within, and inside the booklet, a delightfully arcane photo of the musicians, clad in period attire.

Pounding hearts, echoing voices from the past, strings, organ, piano, sound effects, creeking doors, even the sounds of the night, graces The 13th Hour... another monsterpiece which compliments one's own Haunted House.

Again, Midnight Syndicate produces remarkable atmospheric musick suitable for one's Lair and Ritual Chambre for 'Halloween' all year 'round. A constant pleasure.

I originally bought this cd for Halloween last year.
It worked very well, not the usual screams and generic sounds you get with your usual Halloween cd's.
Midnight Syndicate creates horror movie soundtrack music minus the movie.

Just recently my house sold and I am in the process of moving.
While boxing things up I ran across this cd which I had not listened to since Halloween of last year.
Surprise, surprise I find myself listening to it all the time now.
Besides can anyone tell me anything more horrifying than having to pack all your things, move to a new locale with possibly deranged neighbors, then unpack all your things AGAIN??? Dreadful!!!
The 13th Hour fits in perfect with my mood as of late.

The songs are grand, sweeping, elegant and in places beautiful.
Some of the songs have minor sound fx added to them, but it never comes across as cheesy.
I wouldn't really call the songs scary but they have a definite Halloween feel to them.
The disc opens with one of my favorites,

Mansion in the Mist. Haunting and foreboding.
My other favorite tracks are;
22, Living Walls, beautiful and a tad creepy.
23, Gruesome Discovery, another gorgeous, sonic beauty.
24, Return of the Ancient Ones, creepy with a ton of atmosphere.

I'd give you a song by song breakdown but I don't like music reviews that do that.
Why?
Everyone has their own opinion of what is good or not.
I don't care for song by song breakdowns, I'll make my own decision regarding what songs are good or not.
Just tell me........was it any good or not?

In this case.........good.......VERY GOOD.
Even the songs between # 1 and # 22.
Perfect for Halloween, reading, gaming, if you find yourself moving to a new home.
Or if you're just in a "mood".
I strongly recommend this for fans of Metal, New Age, or anyone who appreciates music that is just a little "different".
The 13th Hour,
Brilliant, different and intriguing.
Highly recommended.

used for a Halloween party, it was perfect really set the mood

Midnight Syndicate's 13th HOUR is the perfect album to listen to while you write; its dark mood and somber atmosphere are inspiring to me when I write a horror tale. It also serves as great background music to your Halloween party or gothic evening among friends.

This was the first album I got from them and I want all the others too because I'm hooked now. They recently re-released their early works under the title OUT OF THE DARKNESS. Also, check out VAMPYRE and GATES OF DELIRIUM.

Whether you're the Goth type or a casual fan wanting some cool music to set the ambiance at a party, 13th HOUR is an awesome symphonic horror album.

We played this outside on Halloween 2009 for trick-or-treaters and received several compliments, although one poor little boy did get scared. I am very glad I purchased this CD, good haunted house music with a lot of variety, in my opinion.

Cd provides great instrumental background music for Halloween parties. It is well done and some excerpts can give one moments to pause when decorating at home alone.

The 13th hour by Midnight Syndicate is yet another fine selection of music put out the the exceedingly talented musicians of this group. I first came across a couple songs from this CD while looking for spooky Halloween type music on Youtube. After I heard the songs I knew this was yet another Midnight Syndicate CD I had to crack the old piggy bank for. So it is with great enthusiasm that I wholeheartedly endorse this CD by giving it a ***** rating. Keep up the outstanding work guys.

Blessings Light & Dark!

Doctor Possum

We had heard this album before and wanted a copy to use as background music for the play, "The Mystery of Irma Vep". It came quickly and was exactly what we had wanted for the show.