Realm of Shadows - Dark Publications

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Similar Items:

•	Born of the Night
•	Gates of Delirium
•	The 13th Hour
•	Vampyre : Symphonies from the Crypt
•	Out of the Darkness (Retrospective: 1994-1999)

Editorial Reviews:

Album Description
"Venture forth to the Realm of Shadows where restless spirits arise from unknown depths to wander the shores of night. Midnight Syndicate once again takes you on a musical journey through the darkest corners of your imagination. Dim the lights, but take heed... what darkness conjures, the night harbors."

Following the tremendous success of "Born of the Night," Midnight Syndicate presents "Realm of Shadows," their third CD featuring the unique blend of haunting orchestration and sound effects that has made them a rising force in gothic-horror music today.

Customer Reviews: Read 13 more reviews...

4 out of 5 stars

The Night Beckons May 12, 2004
9 out of 10 found this review helpful

I, for one, am not big on any type of background music (or, in their case, cinematic) but Midnight Syndicate is a proud exception for they certainly know how to create good atmospheric Goth music that's gloomy and foreboding. The dark moods (tortured wind blowing, distant bells ringing, mournful singing full of sorrow, ect.), eerie dialogue and haunting orchestrations (the dirge of an organ playing especially gives me the chills) are a perfect companion to a spine-tingling horror novel, a spooky video game or a ghostly house on Halloween. Just don't play this around kids as it might give you, I mean them, nightmares.

5 out of 5 stars

Another great gothic hit July 5, 2000
6 out of 9 found this review helpful

Midnight Syndicate has created another great gothic cd. The atmosphere that the music creates is absolutely haunting. This is a perfect cd for those interested in having a dark and ghostly atmosphere.

5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful! Can't beat it! October 20, 2001
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

Simply the best "eerie" classical music around! I love it because it's so different. No lyrics or vocals, just good plain instruments. It sets a mood and each song has a different mood. If you like classical music and horror novels or movies, you'll like this!

2 out of 5 stars

The usual and... March 28, 2003
5 out of 10 found this review helpful

Syndicate are great at what they do but sadly what they do is ALL so much the same it's getting a bit dull. I think they will need to add vocals if they are to keep going. All this sampled doom and gloom is becoming too boring. After 3 albums I am calling it quits. They are not moving forward creatively. They are treading water and another product like this they will begin to sink. Endless synths no longer cut it these days. People can turn this sort of material out on their PC's these days. Take a look at the Acid sampling system. It's easy and this album sounds like a real cut and paste sample project. A shame.

4 out of 5 stars

What darkness conjures, the night harbors. January 8, 2004
5 out of 6 found this review helpful

2000's "Realm of Shadows" is an eerie soundscape set in a desolate village beyond the coast of Raven's Hollow. It was said that centuries ago, all of the occupants suddenly vanished during a thunderstorm, and that a curse (indicated by a murder of squawking black birds) condemned the missing inhabitants to forever stay in the crumbling dwellings. With this synopsis in mind, composers Gavin Goszka and Edward Douglas composed an original score for a movie yet to be made, one where the listener's mind is free to decide the action. Dominated by droning cellos, moaning choirs, trolling trumpets, and fragile piano keys, "Realm of Shadows" emits sepulchral melodies that crawl through the muddy earth and dive in the crashing waves.
It would be extremely difficult for me to describe the album's tracks in symphonic detail. Instead, I will mention the various scenes that Midnight Syndicate conjures in my head. The bellowing "Into the Abyss" travels on a hero's vessel, floating to an unknown destination. "Noctem Aeternus" sinks into a pit of lonliness, creeping out to a vast and empty space. "Tempest" sets the background for a near-fatal storm that tosses the ship back and forth, assailing the unnamed explorer with heaving gusts of wind and spraying rain. "Eye of the Storm," with its own twitching violin, parts the clouds asunder, exposing a full moon. "Sanctuary" lands the main character (and all listeners), onto the shores of Raven's Hollow. As a pipe organ plays a despondant melody, the island's abandoned ruins rise over the town square like menacing mountains. During "Realm of Shadows," where both the organ and violin strings quaver, angry spirits slowly emerge from the town's slimy ditches and vaults. Then, "Beyond the Gates," clues are found in relation to the island's mystery; the track's steady waltz is highlighted by twirling piano keys. The harp on "Spectral Mist" twinkles as an enchanted fog billows out of the ground. "Soliloquy" can be described as a blissful ballet, one that incorporates self-reflection with the past memories of loved ones. The muffled grunts of "Twilight" first appear to echo from the bowels of the earth, only to glance up into the stars' craters. "Black Wood" is a heartstopping chase through the woods; this particular tune includes a bass violin that can crush dry leaves under its feet. The bass rhythm on "Legions of the Dead" methodically claws both the trunks of trees and the flesh of its prey.
I can say in the end that "Realm of Shadows" is a sinister cinematic trip through one's imagination. I recommend you purchase this album as well as "Gates of Delirium."

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