Written by The Horror Czar

Midnight Syndicate has been producing creepy and scary music for years, and somehow they always manage to put together discs that cut to the core. Whether it is background music for a room of Goth types or something playing in your haunted fest that goes well beyond the typical ghost sounds and organ music, Midnight Syndicate has what you’re looking for. The most recent release from Midnight Syndicate, titled Carnival Arcane, is particularly chilling because it takes the seemingly happy theme of a traveling Carnival and opens up the darkness lurking below. There is darkness under that face paint.

For those who saw the HBO series Carnivale starring Michael J. Anderson from ‘Twin Peaks’ and scream queen favorite Adrienne Barbeau (along with a full cast of outstanding performers) got visual insight to the life of a traveling Carny. Whenever any of us go to the carnival or fair in our towns and counties we see them in mass, giving away huge stuffed toys for performing seemingly simple yet almost impossible tasks and calling for visitors to come see the deformed animals and bearded lady. Well, that second part may not show up in most towns, but carnivals of old were often the gathering place of those with some kind of physical deformity who had found a way to profit from their misfortune and display their hairy faces or super-human strength.

Something that has always hovered over the Carny like a cloud is the perception of a dark underworld, possibly seeded in darkness and possibly black magic. The HBO series captured that vibe, and so does Midnight Syndicate’s Carnival Arcane. There is something particularly frightening about things that are happy and cheery on their face while harboring malevolent intent or evil under the surface… think “Killer Clown”.

The cuts in Carnival Arcane take listeners on a journey through the scare factor of the happy façade, starting with a glimpse into what is to come with ‘Mesonoxian Visitors’ and ‘Midway’ and the grand opening of the carnival with “Welcome To The Carnival”. Through the music we see everything from “Alura The Snake Lady” and the “Freakshow” to “Kiddieland” and “Krellsig’s Kastle of Fun”. Each cut captures the spirit of some part of the carnival and gives glimpses to the frightening aspects lurking below.

One particular cut, “Carousel Ride”, illustrates the coolness of Carnival Arcane extremely well. We have all heard the music that the carousel blasts as we are riding in a circle on wooden horses, and those familiar tones begin the selection – but slowly something begins to go terribly wrong. Quite uncomfortable.

Midnight Syndicate is always a great choice for creepy music that is unique and original, and Carnival Arcane not only continues on that vein but takes it a bit further by successfully making the joyful frightening, the familiar uneasy.