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

Prolusion. UK band Midnight Sun was formed back in 2015, and was a venture that was instigated by former After Eden vocalist Huw Lloyd-Jones. The band took the time needed to develop their craft before releasing their debut album "Dark Tide Rising" back in 2019. One year later the band went into hiatus for unspecified reasons.

Analysis. The sole legacy of this UK band at this stage is a production that revolves around a classic variety of progressive metal. Powerful melodic lead vocals is an important feature throughout, and we get the common combinations of keyboards and guitars as well as parts where each of those instruments gets to shine in their own light. Traditional, classic era progressive metal is what we get here all along. A specific feature of this album is that the band will often focus on the more atmospheric laden arrangements. We get a liberal amount of gentler escapades with clean, light toned guitars or flowing keyboard textures are the dominant instrument feature in more relaxed and borderline dreamladen sequences, and alongside the melodic lead vocals this creates inviting and compelling landscapes. The keyboards have a tendency to be more expressive in form and function, and those who treasure keyboard players with a more creative and slightly dramatic mode of delivery will find plenty to enjoy in these calmer phases as well as in the parts where the band showcase more of a metal bite. Quite a few of the harder hitting escapades are also delivered with a fairly smooth coating, with the guitar sound often being a bit more subordinate in character, also when having more of a lead role. We do get some darker, dirtier and grittier guitar details tossed in here and there, but smooth, elegant and even borderline unobtrusive is more often than not the role of the guitar on this production. While the keyboards do have a more expressive role throughout, we have parts where the tangents are also taking a bit more of a back seat at times. We do get those sweeping, majestic surges classic era progressive metal are known for too, of course, but also here these are often explored and delivered with a bit of a smooth coating to them. The more dramatic and flamboyant features many of the household names of the genre are known for is an aspect that is downplayed on this album, with the keyboards being the main instrument given space and room for a bit more flair. Much the same is the case for more challenging, technical features, at least as an up front and dominant aspect of the proceedings.

Conclusion. "Dark Tide Rising" strikes me as a production that by plan or accident have ended up as a more broadly appealing variety of progressive metal, and one that comes with many tendencies towards melodic rock in most of the compositions. As such this should also be an album with a broad general appeal, and one that should carry over to hard rock, melodic rock and melodic metal environments. A production to seek out if accessible, melodic and atmospheric laden progressive metal strikes you as landscapes of general interest.

Proguessor: January 2023
The Rating Room