Midnight Syndicate

Midnight Syndicate fuses gothic rock with an array of lesser-known influences to produce atmospheric, shadow-laden pieces that also reveal traces of pop and rock sensibility. Their evocative soundscapes draw strength from collective tastes that stretch from Black Sabbath to King Diamond, coupled with a mutual drive to evoke the bleakest facets of human experience. Edward Douglas launched the project under the Syndicate name in Cleveland, Ohio, during 1991, although the self-titled debut Midnight Syndicate did not reach stores until 1997. After Gavin Goszka joined the lineup, the Cleveland duo issued its sophomore effort, Born of the Night, in 1998. Two further years of writing and rehearsal yielded the third album, Realm of Shadows, which appeared in 2000. The following year brought Gates of Delirium, whose strong performance on MP3.com secured six simultaneous placements inside the site’s Top 20 rankings over the Halloween period. Symphonies From the Crypt arrived at the close of summer in 2002.