Born of the Night

Midnight Syndicate (Performer), Joseph Vargo (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Label: Monolith Graphics
• ASIN: B000Q123DA
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #193,206 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

1. Premonition Listen 2. Darkness Descends 3. Born of the Night 4. Lost Souls 5. Dark Tower 6. The Apparition 7. Gargoyles 8. Lurking Fear 9. Shadows 10. Whispers 11. Solemn Reflections 12. Haunted Nursery 13. Woe 14. Masque of Sorrow 15. Requiem 16. Dungeon 17. Something Wicked 18. Vampire's Kiss 19. Nightstalker 20. Midnight

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gothic Goliath, May 14, 2007

By 

captain_mac (Orlando, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Born of the Night (Audio CD)

< NOTE: Distribution of this second Midnight Syndicate CD (UPC #72177-29158-27) and their third release titled "Realm of Shadows" (2000) was halted in February 2006 due to the termination of an agreement with a third party.>

After the 1997 lack-luster release of their multi-genre self-titled first CD, Midnight Syndicate and founding member Ed Douglas added the talents of Gavin Goszka and Joseph Vargo. The trio "turned to the dark side," and concentrated their efforts toward nurturing the sound that has made the group what it is today- the premier purveyor of gothic atmosphere music. The result was this GREAT 1998 CD called "Born of the Night."

You either love the genre, or hate it. And call it what you will- Nightmare Soundtracks, Gothic Soundscapes, or Halloween Haunt Music, all describe Midnight Syndicate's work. It is both richly orchestrated and roughly dynamic, soothing and chilling, a sweet sorrow and a terrible foreboding. It is a living, breathing entity that can be a fond memory of a departed friend, or a demonic serpent coiled to strike.

The production quality of this CD was first-rate. The engineering and mixing left nothing to be desired, and the "noise floor" produced by most electronic instruments was kept to a minimum. The sound effects don't sound "cheesy" with the exception of Mr Vargo's few voice contributions, which in my opinion, were unnecessary and not missed in the group's future recordings. (Mr Vargo evidently left Midnight Syndicate after their third CD, and helped form another goth band called Nox Arcana and released a hand-full of CDs of the same genre.) Most of the bell tones sound like they were performed on the standard rack of tubular bells used by most orchestras. I would have preferred to hear real cast-metal bells. But these are extremely expensive and difficult to find with perfect pitch. Plus, they tend to continue resonating into the following musical notes where they may no longer be in tune. But I am nit-picking here. Perhaps some digital sampling would have been more satisfying?

Not counting the "hidden" bonus track at the end of the CD, there are 21 selections totaling a little more than 46 minutes of music. Some of the tracks would have benefited from lengthening and building upon the base music and effects- they left me wanting more. The best tracks on this CD are #6 "The Apparition," #12 "Haunted Nursery," #17 "Something Wicked," and #20 "Midnight."

This music begs to be played on a high-quality sound system, preferably one with some kick-butt subwoofers and enough power to handle this CD's wide dynamic range. Otherwise, listen with care on less-capable systems before you crank up the volume.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bone-chilling fun, October 17, 2010

By 

Todd7 (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Born of the Night (Audio CD)

This is the ultimate Halloween album, and is probably Midnight Syndicate's best. This album has darkness throughout, and its theme is very basic and to the point. However, the music isn't basic, but rather captivating and artistic. My favorite tracks are DARKNESS DESCENDS, BORN OF THE NIGHT, DARK TOWER, SOLEMN REFLECTIONS, HAUNTED NURSERY, REQUIEM, and MIDNIGHT. This album fits nicely into any gothic/Halloween collection, and is probably the best of the best in this general category. Tolling bells, haunting sounds, wind,voices/narrations and several other effects add to its appeal. Well-done. 10/10

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The beginning of two greats., March 17, 2009

By 

Brian Nallick "METALMANMN" (Mpls, MN) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Born of the Night (Audio CD)

The general public still seems to be unaware of Midnight Syndicate and Nox Arcana.
Pity.
Out of pure curiosity I just had to get this.
Granted it's out of print but you can still land a copy from Midnight's web site.
It's a great beginning to two very unique careers.
I'm glad Vargo split to form Nox Arcana, now we have two super groups doing this kind of music instead on only one.
As for Born of the Night itself?
My reviews are tending to get longer and longer so I won't do a song by song breakdown.
You can decide for yourself what songs are stellar and which aren't.
Is this disc as good as say......The 13th Hour?
Not by a long shot.
Still........if you're a Midnight and Nox fan you owe it to yourself to see where it all began.
The disc has some good songs but a little too sound effecty for me.
You can also tell when this disc was made because the synthesizers sound dated.
Why am I giving it five stars then?
It's a piece of music history that's why.
It's a strong disc but it doesn't compare to the groups later work.
Worth checking out if you're a diehard.
If you're new to Midnight than I suggest you start with The 13th Hour.
And if you're curious about Vargo and Nox Arcana than I say, start with Grimm Tales.
Born of the Night?
Recommended.