Although predominantly very dark and tenebrous, there are some tracks that have more of a reflective, haunting feel to them. Tracks like the title track, "Unrest in the East Wing," "Halls of Insurrection," "Welcome," and my favorite, "Alternative Therapy" are the up-tempo, sometimes frantic, on-the-edge tracks that most would associate with an operating house of madness. However, pieces like "Haverghast Asylum," "Residents Past" (also a favorite), "Ebony Shroud," and "Cage of Solitude" are slower, sometimes sinister, more haunting pieces that hint at the supernatural element of the establishment and show a different angle of the residents.

As opposed to "Born of the Night," "Vampyre," and "Realm of Shadows" where the setting and consequently the sound effects are more ghostly and otherworldly, the sound elements on this disc are more present/real-worldly. For example, you will hear actual inmates yelling, or talking, at several point on the disc in addition to an occasional ghostly murmur, howl, etc. In the tradition of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," "Legend of Hell House," and the asylum in "Disturbing Behavior," these soundscape elements create some especially creepy moments (especially in headphones) - on tracks like "Sleep Tight," "Dead of Night," and the cool intro piece "Arrival."

If the occasional (and it is only occasional) "human-element" to your horror discs doesn't bother you, this disc is perfect to set the mood for any dark and stormy night. A disc chock full of memorable melodies and some of my favorite Midnight Syndicate tracks to date. Excellent for Call of Cthulu roleplaying game sessions. Second only to "Born of the Night" in being the best Midnight Syndicate disc to blast out of your house during Halloween night. Close your eyes and enjoy the journey.


Great Sounds, Two Thumbs Up   October 19, 2003
 5 out of 5 found this review helpful

I run one of the top haunts in the country and when it comes to looking for music to play for the guests while they wait, there is no better soundtrack than Gates of Delirium. Not only does it give a chilling feeling, along with cool sounds, it allows my actors to blend to the music.


Very Appropriate   December 8, 2003
 5 out of 9 found this review helpful

I am the chief psychiatrist at a local mental health institution (asylum). I have found that playing this music, especially at night, over the piped in loudspeakers has outstanding theraputical effects on the patients. While some of them are normally hyper-violent when not medicated, I have found that this music seems to fit their psyche and place them in a world they find very comforting, and "normal" in a sense.

The only thing that frightens me is that over the last few months I have met more and more patients who insist that they have heard the music before - in the days previous to arriving at the institute. While I am certain this is impossible - simply a reflection of their mental instability, the fact that the night watchman (actually in charge of playing the music through the night), has recently had a breakdown and sadly been admitted to the ward himself. A disturbing thought.

The previous not withstanding, this is an excellent album. I do hope you enjoy it.

See you soon!


Welcome, one and all, to Haverghast Asylum!   January 14, 2004
 5 out of 6 found this review helpful

I have collected 4 albums by Midnight Syndicate. In my opinion, this 2001 recording is the best of the four, for it musically expands from where the duo's last album left off. With a slightly higher production value, composers Edward Douglas and Gavin Goszka have created a much more expressive and spastic score for the horror genre. While 2000's "Realm of Shadows" conjures an imaginative adventure endured by one hero, "Gates of Delirium" is seen through the eyes of many characters at once. Dominated by agitated violins, a grim piano, and a few cellos, this album is a one-way trip through a Victorian hell. The intended fright film is set within the claustrophobic walls of London's Haverghast Asylum, where the mentally ill are subjected to cruel and inhumane treatments. Babbling and ranting lunatics are bound in straitjackets, imprisoned against their will, and injected regular doses of poison.
This CD has quite a few sonic highlights. "Haverghast Asylum" will waltz listeners into the dank darkness of the institution, preventing anyone from ever seeing the sun. "Halls of Insurrection," with its groaning bass strings, is a twisted dance that spirals in and out of a crazed mind. In "Cage of Solitude," the harsh moonlight stares down upon a catatonic patient, who stands on his knees and gazes at the freezing floor. The sweeping "Residents Past" focuses on the doctors and surgeons who anxiously scribble in their medical journals; in an Age of Science, these educated individuals are awarded the privelege to examine and diagnose the potentially psychotic. During "Phantom Sentinels," a severe piano marches and twirls simultaneously. As for the track's scenerio, it appears as if several inmates are planning an escape, arming themselves with tools and weapons. "Gates of Delirium's" militaristic drums and feverish organ take listeners through a dingy sewer pipe; a narrow passageway a person has to crawl through with great care. In "Procession of the Damned," the drums hammer the nails on a coffin, while a spider harpsicord spins a symphonic web of charnel house fear. "Dark Discovery" injects a rush of adrenaline as the unseen characters try to flee from the laboratory, losing a sense of direction in a terrifying maze of twisting hallways. The notes of "Morbid Fascination" cartwheel off the walls and ceiling with astounding ease. The whisking, almost metallic violin strings of "Alternative Therapy" slice through the scalpel of an unlucky victim; he or she has become the tragic victim of unorthodox brain surgery. "Unrest in the East Wing" is a violent altercation between a raving madman and several staff members; as the doctors try to subdue the lunatic, he bites and claws with the cunning of a wild animal.
I happily recommend this album for anyone craving the bizarre, the mysterious, and the macabre. Purchase this one as well as 2001's "Realm of Shadows."