On September 14th, Universal Orlando will re-release Midnight Syndicate’s Music of Halloween Horror Nights. This limited-edition run of 1000 copies features new artwork and is pressed on golden orange vinyl. The album will be sold in the Halloween Horror Nights Tribute Store as well as on the Universal Orlando Online Merchandise Store for a limited […]

Midnight Syndicate has just released a mini-album entitled Bloodlines. Their 14th studio album, Bloodlines is a prequel to the duo’s best-selling, haunted mansion-themed, The 13th Hour. The new release draws listeners deeper into the world of the Haverghast family, a sinister clan whose dark secrets were first introduced on the 2001 asylum-themed album, Gates of Delirium.

Nearly three decades into their career, on June 11th dark music pioneers Midnight Syndicate released their first live album, Live Shadows. Recorded between 2014 and 2019 at their multimedia Midnight Syndicate Live! shows at Cedar Point HalloWeekends, the album features new material and newly-arranged live versions of music spanning their career. A series of music […]

. Deep within the haunted halls of Ravenwood Castle, a dark secret has been uncovered—a lost symphony, said to be written by one of the cursed souls that yet lurks within the abandoned keep. Legends say that the music weaves a spell of darkness, opening a gateway to the spirit realm, guiding the restless dead […]

FlamesRising.com contributor Eric Pollarine blogs about horror music and horror artists in this colorful post about his top ten Halloween songs, albums and soundtracks.

It’s time for Halloween again, that most special of holidays for nerds, RPG folks, fan boys, Goth kids, and freak shows such as us, where we are able to come out come out from wherever we normally hide and celebrate openly, without fear of persecution, our collective weirdness. From the food court in the mall to the back room of the comic shop, from our mother’s basement to the diner down the street, no-not that one, the other one down the street.

In what I would consider to be the creepiest selection of music to date, Nox Arcana offers a new thematic CD for Blackthorn Asylum. Inspired by the horrors of a gothic, abandoned asylum, the songs are about over-the-top personal horrors coupled with dark, scientific experimentation inspired by the occult.

Having listened to several of Nox Arcana’s CDs in the past, this collection of songs is a marked difference between their other music. First, there are more piano-based melodies in songs like Blackthorn Asylum and When Darkness Falls. You’ll still hear the wail of the soprano and a harpischord, like in the song Tapestry of Decay, as well as the deep resonating tolling bells that are often present in Nox Arcana’s music. Although there are stormy sound effects and chants present in some of the songs, the primary emphasis of this horror collection is on writing a particular song as opposed to writing a score. With each CD, Nox Arcana gets more and more sophisticated with the way they leverage theatrical scoring with memorable phrasing and melodies.

Venture Beyond the Threshold of Madness…

Nox Arcana dares you to explore the shadows of a forsaken sanitarium that is haunted by the souls of the dead and plagued by the dark essence of evil. The hollow edifice of Blackthorn Asylum stands as a bleak monument to the horrors that once lurked within its desolate halls.

This sinister soundscape contains 21 tracks of ghostly melodies, pulse-pounding orchestrations and spine-chilling sound effects to set a dark, nightmarish mood.

Blackthorn Asylum is available now at Amazon.com.

James Semple, sound designer and musician offers you four new contemporary tracks for your Esoterrorists game, or any game of contemporary horror. The music here incorporates contemporary rhythms, electric guitars and sound design elements in addition to the expected orchestral and cinematic elements.

“You’ve outdone yourself with the Esoterrorists and SSF themes. My reaction to the latter was, “I want to see this movie!”
– Robin D Laws, creator of the Esoterrorists

Dissonance: Music for Esoterrorists is available at RPGNow.com.

News from Nox Arcana: The German rapper, Anis Mohamed Ferchichi, who calls himself “Bushido” or “Sonny Black” is looking at international copyright infringement charges. Bushido is a rapper who is popular with neo-Nazis, having lyrical content that is banned in his own country. Bushido has also been arrested for disorderly conduct, and says he would […]

New Music from Nox Arcana! Hearken ye pirates and black-hearted sea dogs. Nox Arcana beckons ye to set sail upon the haunted seas where ghost ships prowl the misty dead of night and ancient treasure lies buried far below the endless waves. This epic soundscape explores the mysteries of the deep with dynamic orchestrations, ghostly […]

The first trailer to the The Dead Matter movie is now online at www.T3nTh1rtyOne.com, a Halloween website hosted by Hot Topic. The site features the trailer, production stills from the movie, music from Midnight Syndicate’s new The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates CD, and a The Dead Matter Flyaway Contest sponsored by Midnight Syndicate Films and Hot Topic.

The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates, the long-awaited follow-up to The 13th Hour, arrives just in time for the Halloween season. Inspired by the themes of vampirism, living dead, and occult relics explored in the upcoming The Dead Matter movie, the new CD was created in the style of Midnight Syndicate’s other releases, taking listeners on a musical journey of their own creation.

“The themes from The Dead Matter movie were a perfect match,” says Gavin Goszka. “They allowed us to expand on familiar territory as well as explore new musical ground and add to our instrumental palette.”

The newest CD from Spirit Creek, A Culture of Unaccountability, is the much anticipated CD release from them for several years. After a too long sabbatical from the band, they appeared out of nowhere on the scene again in Milwaukee, bringing with them their original lead guitar, Drew Ingle, and new bassist, Mike Jakubiak, as well as a brand new sound. Taking inspiration from Pearl Jam, Lacuna Coil, and The Cure, A Culture of Unaccountability has breathed new life into the Spirit Creek lineup.

After the introduction, The Black Co. bursts into the speakers, driving home the concept behind the album title.

Review by Crystal Mazur

Once Upon A Time…

Enter the Realm of Fable, where goblins, elves and sylvan spirits dwell in the deepest shadows of the forest beneath the wicked Witch Queen’s spell of eternal darkness.

Nox Arcana invites you to immerse yourself in a haunting soundscape of bewitching melodies, eerie sound effects and pulse-pounding orchestrations as you explore an enchanted land of dark fairy tales and childhood nightmares.

Pre-Order Grimm Tales at Amazon.com

Gavin tells about the creative drive behind Midnight Syndicate and gives us some information about upcoming music.