Customer Reviews

The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates is an album that contains music that is INSPIRED by the movie of the same name, but is NOT the soundtrack to the movie. Instead, it's basically a standalone Halloween music album with the cemetery/zombie/vampire theme of The Dead Matter. The theme is strong and the atmosphere throughout the album is consistently creepy and mysterious from the first track to the last. Some of the tracks are on the mellow or slow side, which is just the right tempo for an album with this subject matter (vampires, the living dead). The slow tempo on these tracks brings the spookiness to the surface more. When listening to this album I feel like an impending sense of doom is in the air, like something is going to happen, but I don't know what (I guess I'll find out when the movie comes out). The band has developed a noticably richer, more sophisticated sound with this album. While a lot of the tracks are slow and mellow, there are quite a few faster songs that really have an "epic" sound to them. This is definitely their most "epic" sounding album overall to date. When Midnight Syndicate does "epic" sounding songs, they don't overdo it. What I mean by that is the music, while powerful, isn't TOO powerful. When they put gothic choirs into some of their songs, the voices seem to be a little more in the background, or just at a lower volume. The choirs aren't booming in your face. This is good.

There are a lot of good melodies on this album, and the song arrangements are pretty neat. My favorite tracks are Cathedral Ruins (upbeat and fast), Meeting Of The Acolytes (slow with a good melody), The Revenants (fast tempo), Called From Beyond (epic sounding), Nightfall (good piano), The Hunt (has that "epic" sound to it), Entering The Crypt (slow, creepy, good piano), Forging The Scarab (another "epic" sounding song), Shadows Descend (has an epic movie soundtrack feel to it), Exodus (powerful and emotional), and Dark Legacy (good keyboards). This album sounds like a cross between Vampyre and Gates Of Delirium (both great albums, by the way). The band uses a lot more keyboards on this album than previous albums, which is a welcome change, though I don't mind lots of strings.

The three bonus tracks? They're different than the other tracks on the main album. They have a rock and industrial sound to them. A couple of them feature singing by Gavin Goszka. Maybe two of these bonus tracks might appear in the movie. The movie comes out in 2010.

What I really like about this album is the fact that you get a mixture of songs -- I can tell just by listening to the songs which ones will probably be in the movie and which ones are inspired by the movie, but won't be in the movie.

If you want the actual soundtrack to The Dead Matter movie, then buy The Dead Matter: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. It contains the creepy background musical score from the movie along with rock 'n roll songs that were featured in the movie. However, I recommend getting BOTH the Cemetery Gates album and the motion picture soundtrack in order to get the full experience of The Dead Matter.

I recommend The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates to anyone wanting to create a great haunted atmosphere. Even if you don't see the movie, this is an excellent standalone and versatile Halloween album that will do the job nicely when creating your own haunted atmosphere. Listen to this album and you'll be taken into the shadowy world of cemeteries, zombies, and vampires. This album is right up there with their best albums. Buy it. I highly recommend it. You'll love it.

It has been 3 years since Midnight Syndicate's last CD of all new material (not counting the soundtrack to THE RAGE released earlier this year). One might ask after such a long "hiatus" if the band has still got it. With CEMETERY GATES, the answer is a resounding YES!!!

CEMETERY GATES starts out a little differently than most of Midnight Syndicate's previous releases. Whereas many of them begin with a "prelude" of sorts, a kind of creepy, drone-like intro that builds to a climax, CEMETERY GATES' opening track ("Cathedral Ruins") is quite the opposite and comes out swinging. For me, it conjured up images of a chase through a cemetery, past the catacombs, tombstones... hiding behind a mausoleum. Somebody else might envision something completely different, which is the beauty of a Midnight Syndicate album.

From there, Midnight Syndicate supplies the listener with the usual roller coaster ride of emotions throughout the CD. The title track sounds like a distant relative of "Eclipse" (from REALM OF SHADOWS/OUT OF THE DARKNESS). The bonus tracks offer up something a little different than previous CDs have... songs with actual lyrics. Apparently, these are songs that are actually featured in the movie THE DEAD MATTER. I'm not really a big fan of remixes, but the A.B.T. Remix of "Theme to 'The Dead Matter'" has really grown on me.

After listening to a new CD (by ANY artist), I often put in some of their previous CDs to compare the new material to the old stuff. This time, however, CEMETERY GATES has yet to leave my CD player. After listening to this album for the umpteenth time, I asked myself the following question... after 10 releases, how does Midnight Syndicate keep coming up with such great music? I may never know the answer, but as long as they keep making it, I'll keep listening.

Wow, just when I thought Midnight Syndicate would start running out of tricks they release this INCREDIBLE CD! I've been a fan of the group since the beginning, and Cemetery Gates has the same old creepy atmospheres that I've always loved, but sounds even more professional! They're style has grown and improved, showcasing a talent that apparantly has no limits!

Being 100% honest, I Love EVERY track. They were all so deliciously ominous. With that being said, I was really surprised with the outstanding quality of the bonus tracks. "Lost" and "The Dead Matter Theme remix" were INCREDIBLE! I really hope MS releases a more dance-y themed album sometime, the hot beats on those two tracks were extraordinary - Something I'll definately be playing this Halloween to keep a more up a hip atmosphere.

Overall: If you've never got a Midnight Syndicate CD and you need to know where to start - Right Here! I have them all, and it's definately the best.

Saying that every Midnight Syndicate release is an event, merely scratches the surface. Ed Douglas and Gavin Goszka are, musically, who make Halloween.......HALLOWEEN. Hearing them evolve over the years has been amazing. And even though Gates of Delerium and The 13th Hour are still my favorite discs, for content, The Dead Matter: Cemetary Gates is probably their most mature work to date. There's no doubt it's Midnight Syndicate, only now, it seems more so. The songs are richer and fuller in sound and scope, to the point of epic proportions in some cases.........truly a sumptuous experience. And even though it's meant to go with their upcoming film by the same name, like all the previous discs, Dead Matter stands on it's own. On two of the three bonus tracks, Gavin Goszka's pure and eerie vocals seem to float over the disturbing and thunderous industrial tracks, with Not Your Saviour standing out. For diehard fans and those just initiated alike, this is absolutely a must have.

This CD is a gate "keeper", I was very pleased with the Cemetery Gates. It was almost vision of the Hallowed place. It was great. I used it with some smoke and black lighting. Un-Real. My garage would have scared most to a cold chill.

I really like The Dead Matter, Cemetery Gates by Midnight Syndicate because it has a slow, haunting piano sound in many of the songs. This combination sets the tone for the album, as it reflects impending doom and gloom. This is accomplished particularly well in tracks such as Nightfall and Entering the Crypt. These two are my personal favorites on the album. Midnight Syndicate are masters of the haunt, and this album delivers big time. The bonus tracks are pretty unique, and not consistent with the rest of the album. I recommend this album. 9.5/10

"The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates" is a good example why Midnight Syndicate are the masters of their genre. Quality orchestral arrangements and beautiful dark melodies mixed with cool FX tracks. A great blend of familiar and not-so-familiar ground.

For fans of Midnight Syndicate's previous work "Cathedral Ruins," "Meeting of the Acolytes," "Alchemist's Chamber," "Exodus," the title track, and the gorgeous "Dark Legacy" are among stand-outs you will enjoy. Creepy piano is a Midnight Syndicate staple and tracks like "Nightfall," "Entering the Crypt," and "Across the Chasm," and "The Revenants" are awesome.

Tracks like "The Hunt," "Called from Beyond," and "Forging the Scarab" have fantasy overtones like they did on the Dungeons & Dragons disc. I enjoyed that disc but these tracks sound fuller and even more developed. If listening to "Tear of Osiris" doesn't put you in the desert overlooking a mummy's tomb, then I don't know what will. If you love "Haunted Nursery" you will like the album closer "Lullaby."

The bonus tracks are unlike anything I've heard from Midnight Syndicate save some early tracks from their very first disc. Very goth-rock, you can hear the NIN influence.

Some of these tracks are from the Dead Matter movie and that just makes me want to see the movie more.

My opinion - it doesn't matter if you are a fan or new to the band's music, "Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates" is one of their best and will put you in the mood for Halloween year-round.

A cool chill brushes upon the skin as fog rolls in at dusk. The Magic of the night reveals an ornate black iron gate appearing from out of the gloom... what exquisite terrors await within? The gate slowly creeks open to bid your company. Enter for your multi-sensory indulgence!

Cemetery Gates marks the first release by Midnight Syndicate since The 13th Hour, and is actually a very pleasing addition. Particularly notable tracks include The Revenants (grants the listener a Tubular Bells experience), Dark Legacy (a melancholy piano joined with an organ punctuated by the sound of a crashing gong), Alchemist's Chamber (interchanging harpsichord and organ expresses an aristocratic ambiance), Cathedral Ruins (a very phantomesque piece one may expect to hear drifting up from the labyrinthine grotto deep below the Theater), & title track Cemetery Gates (ghostly bells echo across the landscape reminiscent of Moonlight Sonata, to call up those who may heed). These selections really capture the essence of the genre to compliment any discerning Haunted House nicely.

The darkly erotic Goth rock selections can be heard on this CD in the recently added bonus tracks Not Your Savior (sounds like what one might hear as background at a goth club, with a mild industrial influence), & Lost (this one has a rather Goosebumps refrain to it, inclusive of an entrancing siren's song). The third offering is a remix of the theme to the movie The Dead Matter, featuring a stimulating combination of the two genres.

Seems the theme here in part was the inspiration for the plot of the film The Dead Matter (also the secondary title), which expounded upon same. Not to be confused with the soundtrack. These are two distinct releases.

Overall, Cemetery Gates is beautifully graceful, haunting, gloriously morbid, and excellently eerie ~ surely a perfect compliment to a haunted noctuary the year through.

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A brief history: Before MS endeavored exclusive instrumental orchestrations, they were essentially a Goth Rock band, until one composer Joseph Vargo entered the frame, at which point a concentration on orchestral creations began to permeate, and to wonderful materializations, from compositions, artistry, to narrations, successfully introducing a Classical & Goth combination, enriching both in kind. After leaving MS, Vargo created Nox Arcana with William Piotrowski & Christine Filipak, & operate under Monolith Graphics.

This music is very moving. Although not in our show (due to royalties) I use this music to practice
our magic for our upcoming Haunting Magic Show.
The music is inspirational and touches that deep inner part of the soul that cries out "I'm here".

For months I have been anxiously awaiting Midnight Syndicate's new release and I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed "The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates". The Midnight Syndicate sound is awesome as usual. The bonus tracks from the movie are great - I can't wait to see it!