Customer Reviews

Born of the Night

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

< 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.

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

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.

Midnight Syndicate's album Born of The Night is a great album for setting a chilling Halloween or gothic fantasy atmosphere. The atmosphere is consistently dark and mysterious while the songs are eerie, dark, and melodic and have good sound effects added to them to help bring the haunted castle (The Dark Tower) theme to life. There is a feeling of being in a gothic haunted castle amongst many different creatures of the night, such as gargoyles, bats, vampires, and ghosts. Basically this album, in my own imagination, captures The Dark Tower gothic fantasy theme with its many different creatures one would encounter in or near The Dark Tower, as well as the spirit of the night and its mysteries in general. This album is really a gothic fantasy album, whereas the follow-up album (Realm Of Shadows) has more of a haunting sound and atmosphere.

I find that when I need a dose of any kind of dark music, this is the album I turn to first over and above any other album. There's something unique about the dark and mysterious music and atmosphere of this album in that it satisfies my need for darkness, but not in an overpowering way. When it comes to most Halloween/gothic albums in this genre, they have very specific themes and the music matches the theme. When I listen to the music on, for example, a haunted mansion-themed album, it makes me say, "Now this music is definitely part of a haunted mansion-themed album, I can tell". But when it comes to Born Of The Night, sure, the theme is a haunted castle called The Dark Tower, but the music stimulates my imagination way beyond that and takes me away to a world of endless night and moonlit skies. In my own little world, this album has a theme within a theme - a haunted castle and the spirit of the night in general.

The album cover was painted by Joseph Vargo and, in my opinion, perfectly captures his Dark Tower theme. Vargo's voicework on this album, for the most part, fits in well with the theme of the album. Good examples where his voice fits in well are "Premonition," "Born Of The Night," "The Apparition," "Dark Tower," "Requiem," and his sinister laughs at the end of a few tracks. His voice narrations took some getting used to over time. This has been one of my most played Midnight Syndicate albums, even to this day.

The sound effects aren't quite as sophisticated as on later albums, but on the other hand this was their second album and the first album of its kind, so you have to give Midnight Syndicate some slack. I like the sound of the synthesizers, even with them sounding like they're not very expensive. They seem perfect for this album's dark and mysterious atmosphere. Sometimes less expensive equipment does a better job of creating the right sound and atmosphere you're looking for than top-of-the-line equipment. This album can only be purchased directly from Midnight Syndicate's website because it is out of print, or a few Halloween stores might still have some available. I got mine at a Halloween store.

The music, written and performed by Ed Douglas and Gavin Goszka with Joseph Vargo providing voice narrations, is very dark, gloomy, and filled with emotion. A lot of the songs are named after Vargo's paintings and are musical portrayals of these paintings. My favorite tracks on this album are Born of the Night, Dark Tower (the beginning reminds me of the beginning of the Scooby Doo episode Hassle In The Castle), The Apparition, Shadows, Gargoyles, Solemn Reflections, Haunted Nursery, Masque Of Sorrow, Woe, Nightstalker, Requiem, Vampire's Kiss, Something Wicked, and Forbidden Crypts. I like the organ on the songs "Gargoyles" and "Requiem". I also like the piano on the songs "Born Of The Night" and "Vampire's Kiss".

Born Of The Night is considered the breakthrough album and really the first of its kind in the genre of gothic horror/Halloween soundscapes that began in 1998. Each member of Midnight Syndicate brought something special to the table before this album was made in 1998. The end result is this great album that reflects the knowledge, talent, creativity, interests, and backgrounds of each member of the band. I highly recommend it.

When I let my spirit wander into this dark castle and the musical haunts therein, I felt the mists rise and the darkness fall pretty quickly. Once this happened, there was little possibility, or interest, in leaving. The music in Midnight Syndicate's pieces doesn't just chill your spine; it whispers secrets of hearts long dead in flesh and living in soul, of dark rooms that remember the events they witnessed ages past, and deep hallways that are receptive to every present spirit, whether in a living body or not. The piece "Gargoyles" speaks of stone figures in still but alert vigils; "The Tower" takes the listener up a passage of mysteries, and "Shadows" has an almost playful dance of dark shapes around a room. As my ears thirstily absorbed this wordless story, my heart slipped into a comfortable cold mantle and I wandered freely and eagerly down these passages, a white wraith enchanted with her new dark world. This music entices, cajoles, confides and reveals. My spirit is often called away by music it falls in love with, and while listening to this symphony, I was quietly besotted with the mists I found myself in and the onyx heart at their core, a black jewel I now carried close to my own heart as I wandered each passageway the music revealed.

I believe the most brilliant musical writers are the ones who reveal deep knowledge with their music: things you knew and forgot, carried with you and never saw, or perhaps never thought to look for. This is what these writers do with "Born of the Night", and I recommend it to everyone who enjoys being fearlessly taken on a new and startling journey.

This CD is frist rate. It has a great symphony sound and sounds absolutely fantastic on my great quality stereo system.
Very haunting and creepy. I love it.