Midnight Syndicate - "Plankett's Grove"

Hidden away in a remote mountain valley, the secluded village of Illswich was born from the ambition of its fortune-seeking founder. While outsiders might view it as nothing more than the dying remnants of a bygone age, those who call it home guard its secrets with unshakeable resolve. This CD features 53 minutes of immersive gothic folk horror and dark fantasy music and soundscapes with artwork by Pascal Casolari.

Plankett's Grove, the latest album from Midnight Syndicate, is out today! Another release full of their signature instrumental Gothic horror and Halloween sounds, it's perfectly timed for the lead up to All Hallow's Eve.

Things are beginning to get spooky and the air is turning crisp. We are getting closer! Enjoy.

Midnight Syndicate - "Sleep (Roxyblue Remix)"

I want to give a huge shoutout of congratulations to my good haunt friend Roxyblue! Her remix of the track Sleep has been included on the newest Midnight Syndicate release, Darkened Corners.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE this track. Much darker, minimal and melancholic than the usual Midnight Syndicate fare, Sleep is a short, haunting whisp of classical Gothic unease with just the right amount of subtle spookiness. Easily the best track on the new release and one that should go into everyone's Halloween playlist.

Congrats, Bonnie! And enjoy!

  

Midnight Syndicate - Echoes From The Brimstone Club (Cedar Point HalloWeekends)

This October, I had the chance to make the short drive over to Cedar Point to check out HalloWeekends. I wanted to ride all of the amazing rollercoasters, walk through all of the haunts, experience the park at night in full Halloween décor, and most importantly see the Midnight Syndicate live stage show.

Coming off their brand new release, The Brimstone Club, I was interested to see how it was going to be incorporated into a new live stage show.

I was really impressed with their previous HalloWeekends live shows and was hoping for good things this time around, too.

Needless to say, the show was spectacular. Midnight Syndicate played many of their new tracks live, all while an incredibly talented group performed their circus-style sideshow acts. They really captivated the audience through each act, including a sword-swallower, a woman suspended by only her hair, and an intricate balancing act.

And now Midnight Syndicate has released a video of their full performance. Great production on it to really make you feel like you are there watching it live. Enjoy!

  

HalloWeekends At Cedar Point

This past weekend I was able to go check out HalloWeekends at Cedar Point. It had been quite a few years since my last visit, so I was pretty excited to get back and see how things had changed. And I was especially excited to bring my son for his first HalloWeekends experience. He assured me and my wife that he was ready to tackle the monsters and haunted houses the park is famous for...

We got there late Friday afternoon, and quickly got two coaster rides in. We would have ridden more, but we were really there for the spooky stuff! We then made our way to the main stage to catch Midnight Syndicate's really cool live performance, Echoes of the Brimstone Club  (SPOILER: they performed a variety of their tracks live while carnival performers did their acts. It was a really great show with some really great individual acts - I'm looking at you, Ms. Sword Swallower - and I highly recommend catching it.) 

We then made our way to the back of the park to take in the main after-dark scare zone, complete with roaming haunt actors, richly-themed scenery, fog, more fog, haunted walkthroughs and the actual haunted houses.

We ended up skipping the haunted houses due to long lines, but the walkthroughs were detailed really well and provided a nice half-step before finally tackling a true indoor haunt. We crisscrossed our way through the scare zone and then headed for our final destination of the night: Midnight, the lone haunted house located at the front of the park.

My son cautiously got in line and waited for his turn to enter...

He was really nervous as we entered the haunt, but it eventually turned to excitement to see the actors and scenery in each new room. It culminated with a face-to-face meeting with Mr. Midnight, overseer of the entire HalloWeekends festivities, in the final room. He exited the house with a huge grin, telling me how fun it was.

It was the perfect ending, giving him the courage to now go through the full haunted houses back home. And I can't wait to experience THAT with him!

We already have plans to get back to Cedar Point one more time this season to experience the haunted houses and shows we missed on this trip. And my son couldn't be more excited! They really did a great job transforming the park into a full haunted experience for people of any age, and I really recommend it as a part of your October celebrations.

Enjoy some photos from a night at HalloWeekends!

The 14-year-old me shed a tear at the Demon Drop tombstone in the Dead Ride Cemetery, a Halloween memorial to all of the rides no longer at the park. I really enjoyed reading all the old names and remembering each ride...

Echoes of the Brimstone Club, featuring Midnight Syndicate. A really great live performance.

The night's full moon, constrained by the magnificent Millennium Force roller coaster.

Top Thrill 2. Coming soon...

And the night's final destination: the haunted house, Midnight. Savagely conquered by my son...

  

Midnight Syndicate - "Spectral Masquerade"

And they danced... A ghostly waltz by "soundtracks to imaginary films" composers, Midnight Syndicate. Haunting piano and gothic bells fill out this early fan favorite.

Lots of great Gothic atmosphere in this classic Midnight Syndicate track from 2002. And it is paired perfectly to scenes from Carnival of Souls, Nosferatu, White Zombie, and other classic horror films! Enjoy!

Fröhliche Krampusnacht!

Gruss vom Krampus!

It's Krampusnacht, and that means that all of the bad children will be visited by Krampus tonight! Krampus, the Christmas Devil and evil counterpart of St. Nicholas, is a cloven-hooved, goat-demon that punishes bad children with a lash of his birch branched switch, then transports them to Hell inside the wicker basket upon his back.

Have you been good this year?

Photo courtesy of Liv Rainey-Smith/Xylographilia.

Photo courtesy of Matej Divisna/Getty Images.

And a little homage to the horned-one himself from the masters of fright, Midnight Syndicate, to put you in a ghastly yultide mood... Night of the Krampus from their 2015 release, "Christmas: A Ghostly Gathering." 

Midnight Syndicate: Conspiracy of Shadows

Ahh, just what I need. Another amazing event to try and get to in an already overstuffed Halloween season! Open every weekend now through October 28th, Midnight Syndicate make their glorious return to Halloweekends at Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio.

After a 4 year hiatus, Midnight Syndicate return with their live music stage performance. I was able to see their first show back in 2014, and if this one is anywhere near as cool and entertaining as the original, I will be making room in my schedule to see this one.

And if like me, you live anywhere close to Cedar Point, do yourself a favor and get to the park to see it!

  

Halloweekends 18 at Cedar Point

The countdown is on to the start of Halloweekends, the Halloween and haunt-themed weekends at Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. This year will be a very special occasion, as it will be featuring Midnight Syndicate's Live Legacy of Shadows stage performance!

Midnight Syndicate Live! Kickstarter

Midnight Syndicate playing live for the first time on stage, mixing elements of music, film and theatre (and show personnel including Robert Kurtzman, Gary Jones, David "House" Greathouse and Beki Ingram, among others). And this show will be taking place right here in Cleveland? YES PLEASE!!! COUNT ME IN!!


From the Midnight Syndicate Live! Kickstarter page:

A one-of-a-kind Halloween, classic horror-themed concert experience blending film, theatre, and live music by Midnight Syndicate.

Midnight Syndicate Live! is a unique horror-themed multimedia concert experience that blends live music, original films, music videos, and theatre. As it is for many of you, Halloween is 365 days a year here. We want to make Halloween history with an event that celebrates the holiday and the horror cinema at the core of what we do.

We have the best fans in the world and your support is what has allowed us to keep producing music for all these years. This is the next stage in Midnight Syndicate history as we adapt to an ever-changing music industry. This live concert is not only exciting, but also an important step for Midnight Syndicate going forward. By supporting this Kickstarter campaign you are not only helping to create an awesome Halloween horror multimedia concert experience but also helping Midnight Syndicate grow and continue to release more great music!

Midnight Syndicate's "Monsters of Legend" Preview Party

Last night, I got the chance to check out the Midnight Syndicate preview party for their new release, "Monsters of Legend."

I got to the bar just in time to grab a beer and snap a few pics before Ed and Gavin came out and introduced the new music...

They also had a video playing of clips from the classic Universal monster movies, and without a doubt, the music synced up perfectly with it. The music has a very rich, layered high gothic feel to it. Perfect tracks that would feature in any haunted attraction, home haunt or playlist to listen to while plugged in at work. This release definitely paid tribute to the classic horror films of the past.

After previewing the entire CD, prizes were given away for the best costume (courtesy of Screamline Studios)...

And a special, one-of-a-kind prop was raffled off (courtesy of Red Reign FX)...

After the prizes were awarded, I scooped up a copy of the new CD and got the chance to meet Ed and Gavin, where I had them do a bit of personalization...

BOOM! My very own autographed copy!

Thanks guys, for putting on such a cool little party! This CD has been playing non-stop and I'll be placing my order for the limited vinyl version soon. Get your crayons ready, because I was serious about having you draw a picture on the blank labels!!!

"Monsters of Legend" is available today through iTunes or through Midnight Syndicate's online store.

PS - I just saw that they even made the local news!