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Last week I picked up a copy of Midnight Syndicate's 2000 release: GATES OF DELIRIUM and it's been on steady rotation ever since. An early counterpart, a prelude if you will, to their masterpiece album THE 13TH HOUR, 'Gates of Delirium' gives us our first glimpse at the creepy Haverghast Asylum, where a slew of inmates (both past and present) awaited me. It's difficult to talk about 'Gates' and not compare it to '13th Hour' since they are meant to be enjoyed together, so I will just say that 'Gates' is an earlier release so any drawbacks it may have in its audio quality (although I would guess it has been remastered since its initial release) are easily overlooked if they're there at all - I'll be the first to admit that my untrained ears are easily satisfied. It is perhaps not quite as imaginative or ambitious as '13th Hour,' but still, there simply are not any tracks that aren't compelling - Gavin Gozska and Edward Douglas have proven, even at this early date, that they were (and are) masters at composing catchy Gothic hooks that stick with you.

'Gates of Delirium' easily stands on its own as a classic early release from Midnight Syndicate and for fans of the band, it's extremely interesting to hear the genesis of some familiar melodies that we've come to know and love from 'The 13th Hour.' Full of terrific orchestration and truly pulse-pounding themes, from the opening sounds of the carriage arriving to the sounds of the loonies in the final hidden track, 'Gates' has the expected asylum atmosphere but takes the time to go the extra mile and make what should be cliche into something more due to the top-notch use of sound effects. Running at 54 minutes, I found 'Gates of Delirium' to be a great addition to my Gothic haunting soundtracks, and a sinister companion piece to Midnight Syndicate's epic release - 'The 13th Hour' (plus, for those who picked up up their compilation album 'Halloween Music,' you will find a few sample tracks to whet your appetite). Priced at a reasonable $12.99 (and that includes shipping and handling!) this is a great one to pick up if you're looking for some new music this haunting season! Highly recommended.

You can pick up your copy of 'Gates of Delirium' (or 'The 13th Hour' if you haven't already!) from the official Midnight Syndicate website: www.midnightsyndicate.com