Short Reviews [Midnight Sun - 2019 - "Dark Tide Rising"]

When a press release starts with the words “Midnight Sun are that rarest of beasts: an original rock band” one wonders just what they are trying to convey? Do we have someone who is taking music in a brand new direction, or is using instrumentation in a different manner? Well, the answer to both of those are in the negative. What we have here are a neo-prog outfit who are doing some interesting things and it did take me a little to realise they reminded me of Haze, except somewhat expanded in personnel. They’re also not too far removed from Walking On Ice, while they do attempt some Meshuggah-lite here and there. I was listening to loads of music like this back in the Nineties, and thoughts of the original Freewill (when they had a keyboard player, which wasn’t for too long) also come to mind, although with a different vocal style, while rarely heavy as Mentaur yet these guys are mentioned as being prog metal? They must be heavier in concert. There are seven songs on this album, but one of those is a radio edit of one which already appears so there are six. I am guessing there have been some line-up changes as the line-up lists vocals, keyboards, bassist, drummer and two guitarists yet there is are two more bassists, a drummer and guitarist mentioned in the press release as “featuring” so don’t know what has happened. The result is a melodic neo-progressive rock release which shows promise without being anything exceptional. We’ll have to wait and see what happens with these guys in the future, but I am still confused with the press release.