The new release from Midnight Syndicate, Dungeons
& Dragons, is a series of 23 recordings to accompany Wizards of the
Coast, Inc.'s Dungeon & Dragons Role Playing Games. With a new audience
comes a new voice from Midnight Syndicate. With the first track the duo
of Goska and Douglas make clear that Dungeon's & Dragons is not simply
a redressed gothic horror album.
Dungeons & Dragons makes much more use of percussive elements than previous
Midnight Syndicate recordings, both in instruments and in the rhythmic elements
of the songs. This cd shows Midnight Syndicate using more than the classic
cymbol crash to emphasise a harmonic change, but actually uses bass drums,
snares, timpanis and even samples of marching boots to create some of Midnight
Syndicate's most impressive rhythmic motives. These motives work their way
into both the melody as well as the percussive elements of the songs, creating
a CD that is less like a static atmosphere and more like a progressing storyline.
The Dungeons & Dragons release brings a wider range of songs than Midnight
Syndicate produces for their Gothic Horror Soundtracks. Gozska and Douglas
have proven their sense of musical appropriateness and for me proven themselves
as talented composers beyond the field of Horror. Dungeons & Dragons
displays for the first time the diversity and musical craft Midnight Syndicate
is capable. The duo has a true insight for music, and masterful skill which
realizes their vision.