| Musical Style: Progressive Hard Rock | Produced By: |
| Record Label: Independent | Country Of Origin: USA & Canada |
| Year Released: 2019 | Artist Website: Midnight Worship |
| Tracks: 12 | Rating: 80% |
| Running Time: 51:05 |
Progressive is a word that covers a great deal of territory within hard music circles, limited but not exclusive to lengthy (at times extremely) songwriting, complex time signatures, extended instrumental passages and crossing manifold musical boundaries. Long-term Angelic Warlord readers know the affection I have for the form, with many of my favorite artists including Neal Morse (best known for the ‘mega-epic’ and progressive concept album), Affector (whose debut Harmageddon is one of only two 100% graded reviews at the site) and Veni Domine (reveling in operatic progressive doom). Hence, when Terry Friesen, vocalist and guitarist of Gothic progressive metal act Sombre Holiday, contacted me in regards to his new side project Midnight Worship, and its March of 2019 self-titled debut to feature seven songs and over fifty minutes of music, I did not need to think twice- sign me up at once! In other words, Midnight Worship is right down my alley.
Friesen conceived the idea for Midnight Worship when he thought to himself, “If someone asked me to write worship songs, what would they sound like?” He offers further insight: “Well, I love looking at the night sky… and I began looking for portions of the Bible that focus on God’s nighttime creation:
I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night (Psalm 63:6)
I reflect at night on who you are, O Lord… I rise at midnight to thank you… (Psalm 119:55, 62)
“And so I wrote 7 songs that include only quotes from the Bible (mostly from the Psalms). The songs themselves have lots of room for meditating on God’s Word… some very quiet moments, like around a campfire… and also some very heavy moments that attempt to portray the power of God’s promises for us. Some of the songs have quite a lot of space for meditating - it’s really a solid journey down the path of all kinds of emotions, always keeping a finger on the heavy doom-metal button. I believe you will enjoy this music, and I hope it will help to uplift your soul as you ponder God’s promises and how they intersect with your own journey with God.”
In terms of specifics, he defines Midnight Worship as “mixing meditative metal with God’s Word for humanity” in which the goal is to ”satisfy for something a little different but still hold the listener within the progressive metal genre”. What I hear in Midnight Worship are many of the defining Sombre Holiday elements in the form of the melancholic and subdued but within context of Gothic influenced progressiveness and the intricately woven doom-like. Where Midnight Worship stands apart (in comparison to Sombre Holiday) reveals in its trending towards the lighter (noting its heavy use of acoustic guitar) and ambient (as found in keyboards and violin) to create a sound that trends progressive rock and hard territory every bit much as metal. It would not be out of line to suggest accordingly that Midnight Worship represents a different take on a similar framework, which lends further to its appeal.
In addition to the seven full length songs are five shorter interlude pieces to help round out the track listing. Opening cut “The Stillness Of Night” is one such number with its minute long acoustic basis as a campfire warms in the backend.
First full length cut “Midnight” effectively embodies Midnight Worship in joining the distantly haunting with the perseveringly forward. Pertaining to the former it presents with an introspective opening to see graceful keyboards and drifting guitars in support of Terry’s somber vocal presence, while latter reveals persuasive rhythm guitars slowly power into the mix alongside the manifest drum rolls of sibling Trevor. Influential melody serves to tie everything together. Lyric snippet:
At night, I reflect on who You are
I lie awake, thinking of You
At midnight, I rise to thank You
I stay awake through the night… thinking of You
“Worship”, second, reveals a lighter and airy heading that best defines as straight on rock as opposed to hard rock or metal. It moves forward acoustically from the start as echoing keyboards make an austere admission, only building force as bluesy guitars subtly replace to entrust to the impending melody at hand. I particularly enjoy how “Worship” closes its final minutes instrumentally to moving lead guitar that progressively expands in emotion.
Lyric snippet:
You have tested my thoughts
And examined my heart
I will bless the Lord
Who guides my heart
My heart has head you say
‘Come and talk with me’
And my heart responds
‘Lord, I come to You…’
Interlude, “The Brilliance Of The Moon”, specific to a short stretch of acoustic guitar, gives way to “Where Are You”. This one produces its share of variances, revealing leading keyboards with acoustic undercurrents for the bountiful opening minute but issuing of the worshipful to gallant guitars - as made clear in the affecting refrain - until moments reverse back to the reticent. Instrumental interlude to follow contrasts from the gracefully drifting to driving and metal based. Piano and violin at the end help carry it out to seven minutes. Lyric snippet:
Why do you stand so far away?
Why do you hide, O Lord, when I need you the most?
How long will you look the other way?
And stand so far away?
Every day I call to You, my God
Lord, You are my rock of safety
Every night you hear my voice, O Lord
Come and rescue me…
“Tonight” consists of two short verses built around lengthy instrumental opening and closing sections. First two and a half minutes start to acoustic guitar and keyboards that abruptly morph to hard charging rhythm guitars. Verses that ensue come across terse and pensive as forthright guitars continue to urge ahead, with the piano and violin taking over helping smooth the succinct local as the song slows to its instrumental close.
Lyric snippet:
You keep track of all my sorrows
You collect my tears in a bottle
You write them all down in Your book
O God, You’re on my side
You have rescued me from death
You have kept my feet from slipping
Now I walk in Your presence
O God, in Your life giving light…
Minute and a half atmospheric based “The Silence Of The Stars” points to a two-song suite beginning with “Starlight”, which breaks down into two parts. First serenely flows acoustically with accented keyboards (as Terry exhibits his lower register vocal abilities) and second precipitously picks up pace to lambasting metal guitars (noting the brazen soloing to close things out). Lyric snippet”
Both the day and the night
They belong to me
I made the starlight
And the sun…
I am the One who creates the light
I am the One who makes the darkness
I am the One who put the stars in the sky
I, the Lord, am the One
Second of the two, “Starbright”, separates as albums least progressive, albeit still very good. It is carried most of its way by animated guitars to create an almost eighties effect - do I dare say a Stryper melodic hard rocking influence? - only to even over its final minute as it switches to a calmer acoustic direction. The Midnight Worship outside the box progressiveness manifests in the violin to carry things instrumentally. Lyric snippet:
You are the world to see, You are the light
Like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night
So let your good deed shine, let them shine bright
Don’t let your light go out
It’s time to let it shine
My favorite is nine-minute magnum opus “King Of The Universe”, with its perceptive worshipful sentiment. The song is home to one of the most commanding (and catchy!) guitar riffs you will hear, placing it well within metal territory – an almost epic facet presents – and all the more so when factoring the larger than life bass and exhilarating drum rolls to heighten low end. Acoustic guitar also make an appearance, opening the instrumental section until bristling guitar leads take over in piercing fashion. The persevering compulsion carries over as “King Of The Universe” hauntingly closes to the repeated phrase ‘the Lord is King forever…’… Lyric snippet:
When I look at the night sky
And see the work of Your fingers
The moon and the stars
That You have set in place
What are mere mortals
That you should think of us?
What are mere humans
That You should care for us?
Bookended around “King Of The Universe” are final acoustic interludes “The Mystery Of The Planets” and “The Night Of Stillness…”
Midnight Worship comes fully recommended for progressive aficionados, and not just those attuned towards the metal side but also of a rock to hard rock nature, with generous use of acoustic guitar (to appear on each track), keyboards and violin playing no small role in this regard. As its moniker suggests, Midnight Worship places equal emphasis on the worshipful - you can potentially call it ‘worship prog’ if you like - in fulfilling said calling of “mixing meditative metal with God’s Word for humanity”. Album only dips into constructive territory for some slight rawness to production, and that the interlude pieces might be essential in light of the albums moody vibe but can also unnecessarily clutter the tack listing. Otherwise, brothers Friesen might not be consistently heavy as their Sombre Holiday namesake - neutral observation in that I embrace the projects differences - but still give rise to an at times doom-like and others Gothic influenced progressive worshipful slant in Midnight Worship. I am looking forward to a second installment!
Review by Andrew Rockwell
Track Listing: “The Stillness Of Night” (1:07), “Midnight” (5:00), “Worship” (5:28), “The Brilliance Of The Moon” (:57), “Where Are You?” (7:07), “Tonight” (5:49), “The Silence Of The Stars” (1:25), “Starlight” (5:25), “Starbright” (4:11), “The Mystery Of The Planets” (2:32), “King Of The Universe” (9:04), “The Night Of Stillness…” (2:44)
Musicians
Terry Friesen - Lead Vocals, Guitars & Keyboards
Trevor Friesen - Drums
