The 13th Hour
Studio album by
Midnight Syndicate
ReleasedJune 7, 2005
Recorded2005
GenreGothic, Dark Ambient, Neoclassical Dark Wave, Darkwave, Ambient
Length56:23
LabelEntity Productions
ProducerEdward Douglas
Gavin Goszka
Midnight Syndicate chronology
Dungeons and Dragons
(2003)		 The 13th Hour
(2005)		 Out of the Darkness (Retrospective: 1994–1999)
(2006)

The 13th Hour is the sixth studio album by Midnight Syndicate, released June 7, 2005, by Entity Productions.[1] The album took listeners on a journey through a haunted Victorian mansion through the blend of symphonic gothic horror instrumental music and horror-inspired soundscape the band had become known for.[2][3] Since its release, it has become one of the band's most popular titles,[4] winning awards in the gaming industry [5][6] and inspiring the prequel-themed album, Bloodlines, in 2021.[7]

Background

In a 2005 interview, composer Gavin Goszka said this of the album:

We feel that The 13th Hour is definitely our best work to date, both musically as well as atmospherically. The sound effects were based on real-life stories of paranormal experiences ... the (album) is our audio interpretation of an actual haunted house.[8]

Both Goszka and Edward Douglas also credit their love of ghost stories, horror movies, and their studio (a fully restored Victorian era home) as further inspiration for the album.[9] Douglas mentioned that some of the soundscape on the album was inspired by a presentation George Lutz gave describing his experiences in the house that became the basis for the book, The Amityville Horror.[10] The album is set in the personal residence of the doctor who created Haverghast Asylum, a fictitious turn-of-the-century haunted mental institution first introduced on the band's 2001 release, Gates of Delirium.[11]

Album Information and Release

The cover artwork was created by fantasy artist, Keith Parkinson. The album featured vocal effects by Lily Lane of the band, Lazy Lane as the character, Madeline Haverghast. Douglas called Lily's vocal performance "perfect" adding "she was so critical to (the album)." The track Footsteps in the Dust featured Douglas' 2-year-old daughter.[12]

The album was released through Entity Productions and self-distributed nationally through chains like Spencer Gifts and Hot Topic, as well as in costume shops, game stores, and Halloween-merchandise retailers like Spirit Halloween[13][14] The band held a press preview at the purportedly haunted Agora Theater and Ballroom followed by a release party at the Phantasy Nite Club where a psychic, and haunted house actors entertained guests followed by performances by the bands Lazy Lane, Filament 38, and State of Being.[12][15]

Reception

Belgium's Side Line Magazine praised how the soundscape elements took the album further than typical horror film scores.[11] Outburn, Movement, and Rue Morgue Magazines called it the band's best work to date with Outburn and Rue Morgue adding that the band had "revolutionized and redefined the Halloween horror music genre."[16][2][17]

The 13th Hour album won Best Gaming Accessory at the 32nd Origins Awards presented by the Academy of Adventure Game Art & Design. It marked the first time a music album had won an Origins Award.[5] In 2006, The 13th Hour also became the first music CD to win an award (Silver for Best Aid or Accessory) at the ENnies, a fan-based annual award show for role-playing game publishers and products.[6]

Post-Release

In 2021, Midnight Syndicate created a prequel to The 13th Hour entitled, Bloodlines. Designed to be listened to first and segued into Mansion in the Mist, Bloodlines expands upon the backstory of the Haverghast family and the events that transpired before the story in The 13th Hour begins.[18][7]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Mansion in the Mist"Edward Douglas1:03
2."Forgotten Path"Edward Douglas1:30
3."Time Outside of Time"Gavin Goszka3:42
4."Fallen Grandeur"Gavin Goszka2:54
5."Hands of Fate"Edward Douglas, Gavin Goszka0:47
6."The Drawing Room"Edward Douglas1:30
7."Mausoleum d'Haverghast"Edward Douglas2:15
8."Family Secrets"Edward Douglas3:07
9."Last Breaths"Edward Douglas, Gavin Goszka0:21
10."Vertigo"Gavin Goszka1:40
11."The Watcher"Gavin Goszka3:36
12."Cellar"Edward Douglas, Gavin Goszka0:54
13."Cold Embrace"Gavin Goszka3:27
14."Hand in Hand Again" (performed by Albert Campbell, Henry Burr with effects and overdubs by Midnight Syndicate)Richard A. Whiting, Raymond B. Egan1:16
15."Harvest of Deceit"Edward Douglas3:43
16."Footsteps in the Dust"Edward Douglas1:51
17."Veiled Hunter"Edward Douglas2:00
18."Sinister Pact"Gavin Goszka3:21
19."Grisly Reminder"Gavin Goszka1:51
20."Deadly Intentions"Edward Douglas0:55
21."The Lost Room"Edward Douglas3:22
22."Living Walls"Gavin Goszka3:30
23."Gruesome Discovery"Edward Douglas1:29
24."Return of the Ancient Ones"Edward Douglas3:14
25."The 13th Hour"Edward Douglas2:35

Personnel

Production

  • Producers – Edward Douglas, Gavin Goszka
  • Mixing and Engineering - Edward Douglas, Gavin Goszka
  • Mastering – Gavin Goszka
  • Artwork - Keith Parkinson
  • Photography - Anthony Gray
  • Text (story in packaging) - Patrick Kapera[1]

Song Information

The song, Hand in Hand Again was written in 1919 by Richard A. Whiting and Raymond B. Egan as an answer song to their hugely popular "Till We Meet Again" from 1918.

References

  1. 1 2 Midnight Syndicate - The 13th Hour (2005, CD) on Discogs
  2. 1 2 Heather Adler "Haunted Harmonies", Rue Morgue Magazine (Toronto, ON), October, 2005, Pg. 131
  3. ↑ Martin Palicki, "2005 Halloween, Costume, & Party Show Frightens the Masses", InPark Magazine (Kenosha, WI), Spring 2005, Pg. 8
  4. ↑ So Much Going On It's Scary News Herald, Mark Meszoros, September 19, 2021, Pg. D6-D7
  5. 1 2 The 32nd Origins Awards winners
  6. 1 2 2006 ENnie Award Noms and Winners
  7. 1 2 Jeff Szpirglas, "Bloodlines", Rue Morgue Magazine (Toronto, ON), September 2021, Pg. 81.
  8. ↑ Michael Gavin "Spirit Waltz", Ghost! Magazine (Macclenny, FL), Fall 2005, Pg. 36-38
  9. ↑ Steve Fogerty "Midnight Syndicate releases 13th Hour CD", Chronicle Telegram (Elyria, OH), June 3, 2005, Pg. D1
  10. ↑ Jennifer Rose "Dark Musical Soundscapes", Oui Magazine (New York, NY), September 2005, Vol.39 No.9, Pg. 112
  11. 1 2 Bernard Van Isacker "Reviews: The 13th Hour", Side-Line Music Magazine (Bruxelles, Belgium), September 2005, Issue 52, Pg. 54
  12. 1 2 April Helms "Still Serving Up Spooky Sounds After Eight Years", Record Courier (Ohio) (Kent, OH), October 5, 2005, Pg. 33-34
  13. ↑ Mark Mihalko "The Haunting Sounds of Midnight Syndicate", Haunted Times (Highlands Ranch, CO), Fall 2006, Pg. 15,30
  14. ↑ Gamers Guide, Dungeon Magazine December 2005, Pg. 90
  15. ↑ Annie Zaleski "Also Playing: Midnight Syndicate", The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH), June 3, 2005, Entertainment, Pg. 9
  16. ↑ Jared Thompson "Midnight Syndicate's The 13th Hour", Outburn Magazine Issue 31, Pg. 115
  17. ↑ Craig Harvey "Music Reviews: The 13th Hour", Movement Magazine (Jacksonville, FL), Fall 2005, Pg. 4
  18. ↑ Midnight Syndicate returns to HalloWeekends with plenty of new music in store The Plain Dealer, Anne Nickoloff, September 28, 2021
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