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 written and performed by Edward Douglas. Contributors included Scott Angus, Mark Rakocy, Dennis Carleton, Jamie Barbour, Ray Portler, the rap act Dark Side, Tony 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 instrumental, rock-a-billy, rap, new age, swing, dark humor, and space. Sound effects were also incorporated into most of the tracks. A multimedia show was produced to support the album.
New Focus
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, writer, and cover artist for a new incarnation of Midnight Syndicate. Vargo's gothic influence provided a new direction for the band, focusing them exclusively on a darker sound. Gavin Goszka joined Douglas and Vargo in 1998, adding to the musical compositions and providing the engineering. 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. The success and hightened media exposure of these albums during Halloween made Midnight Syndicate popular with the haunted attraction industry. Vargo eventually left the group to pursue other projects.
Continuing
In 2001, Edward Douglas and Gavin Goszka released Gates of Delirium, which held six spots in the top-20 on MP3.com that year. Artist Keith Parkinson designed the packaging for Vampyre which followed in 2002. Their music began appearing in mainstream television programs like Barbara Walters' 10 Most Fascinating People of 2002 and Monday Night Football. In 2003, Midnight Syndicate released an official soundtrack to the classic roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons. Some of the tracks were later used in computer games Shadowbane and Baldur's Gate II. In 2005, they released The 13th Hour, featuring vocal effects by Lily Lane of the horror-rock band Lazy Lane. Out of the Darkness - Retrospective: 1994-1999 was released in 2006 and featured remixed songs from Born of the Night, Realm of Shadows, and four previously unreleased songs.
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
Midnight Syndicate music in film
- The Dead Matter (1996) score
- Dead and Rotting (2002) main title theme and additional music
- Demons at the Door (2004) main title and additional music
- Sin-Jin Smyth (filming) score
- The Rage (post-production) score
- The Dead Matter (a remake of the 1996 film, in pre-production) score and directing
References & Press Coverage
- 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
- John Horton, "Scary music writers accomplish ghouls", The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH), October 17, 2006, Sec. Main, Pg. A1.