Midnight Syndicate

Midnight Syndicate is a Cleveland-based musical group that has been working mainly in the genre of gothic horror music since 1998. (A 1997 self-titled release covered multiple mainstream genres.) Their music is commonly used to provide atmosphere in both Halloween haunted houses and the gaming industry.

Formation

Composer/filmmaker Edward Douglas founded Midnight Syndicate in 1996. In 1997, their self-titled debut was released. A majority of music on the album was arranged and performed by Edward Douglas. Contributors included Scott Angus, Mark Rakocy, Dennis Carleton, Jamie Barbour, Ray Portler, the rap act Dark Side (rap), Toni Demci, and Christopher Robichaud. The album was referred to as "a new progressive type of music called 'cine-fusion,'" which is described in the album liner notes as

"a blending of movie soundtrack music and pop music... a compilation of soundtracks to movies that do not exist. The goal of the music is to stimulate the imaginations of listeners so that they are able to transport themselves to worlds or movies of their own creation."

The album contained an eclectic blend of musical styles which included everything from instrumental music, to horrorbilly, rap, new age, swing, humor-pop, and space. Sound effects were also incorporated in most of the tracks. A multimedia show was produced to support the album.

Shortly after the self-titled album debuted, Edward Douglas teamed up with gothic fantasy artist and publisher Joseph Vargo, who filled the roles of executive producer, creative director, lyricist, vocalist, and cover art designer for a new incarnation of Midnight Syndicate. Vargo's influence provided a new direction for the band, streamlining the previous mix of styles to focus exclusively on a darker sound. Composer Gavin Goszka joined in 1998, and later that year the trio released the band's first critically acclaimed gothic horror soundtrack Born of the Night, followed in 2000 by Realm of Shadows. Both albums were featured as the "official soundtracks" for Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights as well as being played in several other major theme parks during Halloween, such as Thorpe Park's Fright Nights event. The heavy metal band King Diamond featured tracks from Born of the Night as opening music for their 2000 US tour. Joseph Vargo broke away from the group in 2000 to pursue his art and book publishing.

In 2001, Edward Douglas and Gavin Goszka released Gates of Delirium. This time they re-teamed with two members who worked on the first Midnight Syndicate CD, Mark Rakocy and Christopher Robichaud. Artist Keith Parkinson designed the packaging for Vampyre, which followed in 2002. Over the course of time Midnight Syndicate became "the standard" for haunted attraction industries. The music appeared in mainstream television programs like Barbara Walters' 10 Most Fascinating People of 2002 and Monday Night Football. Joseph Vargo, still working behind the scenes to promote the band, submitted the music to Wizards of the Coast, who contacted Midnight Syndicate to score the first official soundtrack to the classic roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons in 2003. Some of the tracks were later featured in computer games Shadowbane and Baldur's Gate II. In 2005, Edward Douglas and Gavin Goszka released The 13th Hour, featuring vocal effects by Lily Lane of the horror-rock band Lazy Lane, as well as a storyline very similar to one that Vargo had written two years earlier for his own separate project. In 2006, Midnight Syndicate re-released songs from Born of the Night and Realm of Shadows and four other songs previously unpublished on a retrospective album entitled Out of the Darkness.

Discography

Midnight Syndicate Discography:

• 1997: Midnight Syndicate
• 1998: Born of the Night
• 2000: Realm of Shadows
• 2001: Gates of Delirium
• 2002: Vampyre: Symphonies from the Crypt
• 2003: Dungeons & Dragons
• 2005: The 13th Hour
• 2006: Out of the Darkness

Film scores by Midnight Syndicate and music in film

• The Dead Matter (1996) score
• Dead and Rotting (2002)
• Demons at the Door (2004)
• Sin-Jin Smyth (filming) score
• The Rage (post-production) score
• The Dead Matter (pre-production) score

Print References

• CD and DVD packaging and liner notes.
• Julie E. Washington, "Haunting Tunes Are Goth Band's Specialty", The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH), October 30, 2000, Sec. arts, Pg. 1E.
• Peter Iorillo, "Something Wicked This Way Comes", Dark Realms (Cleveland, OH), Issue 1, January 2001, Pg. 20-23.
• Devon King, "Darklore Manor: America's Most Haunted House", Dark Realms (Cleveland, OH), issue 13, January 2004, Pg. 14-18.
• Jason Bracelin, "Scream Kings", Scene (Cleveland, OH), May 25, 2005, Sec. Features, Pg. 10-13.
• Heather Adler, "Haunted Memories", Rue Morgue (Toronto, ON), October 2005, Pg. 131
• Leonard Pickel, "Midnight Syndicate - Setting the Mood for an Industry", Haunted Attraction (Charlotte, NC), June 2006, Pg. 24-28, 38-41

External Links and Online References

• Midnight Syndciate website
• Midnight Syndciate's fansite manned by Midnight Syndicate for fans, not by fans.
• WERE Radio Interview (1998)
• Letters from Wizards of the Coast (1999 & 2000)
• Dark Realms Magazine: Interview with Midnight Syndicate (2001)
• Dark Realms Magazine: article on Darklore Manor (2004) some source material for The 13th Hour.
• Scene Magazine: Interview with Midnight Syndicate (2005)
• Interview on Horror Channel (2005)
• Flames Rising: Interview with Midnight Syndicate (2006)
• Haunted Attraction Magazine: Interview with Midnight Syndicate (2006)