ALBUM REVIEW: Dreamless – Midnight Bethroned

There’s an old joke about Nordic countries needing to hire more forest rangers to rescue black metal bands who have gotten lost while shooting album covers. It works because it highlights the unintentional silliness of a genre that often takes itself far too seriously. At what point does caring for the craft and embedding yourself in the themes topple over into self-parody? It is a question which arises several times while listening to Dreamless, the debut album by MIDNIGHT BETHRONED, one of multiple one-man projects by The Seer.

This is not an introduction simply to make jokes at the expense of this release. There’s a lot to admire here but whether the sum of its parts is worth the journey is another matter. Labelled ‘Sombre Romantic Black Metal’, The Seer combines keyboard effects with depressive black metal vocals. During the instrumental opener, A House In The Distance, the gothic-tinged piano work and choral backdrops work well and build a promising atmosphere.

Tickling the ivories into A Snow-Crested Heart, the sudden wave of rasping vocals is, unfortunately, more likely to produce guffaws rather than rapt investment. The Seer is clearly a talented musician and vocalist but has vastly misjudged how the vocal style, beautiful keyboard work and tinny drum effects would mesh across a full-length release. When the choral chanting returns, it’s akin to a menu theme on a PlayStation 1 game.

It all gels a little better on Stop Visiting My Grave (although to be blunt, the song title does little to abate the fears that The Seer may be taking themselves far too seriously). The keyboard remains at the forefront of the production, with what could be guitar work buried deep in the mix, alongside the growls and drum effects.

A track-by-track of Dreamless would lead to the same comments. There are highlights with Bygone Fortunes, which varies the tempo and cleans up the production a little. This gives a clearer indication of the sound The Seer was aiming for, with the synths creating something a little more epic. It Was Once A Glimpse repeats the pattern, with moments that really sell the idea followed by janky, lo-fi efforts that seriously damage its credibility.

What Quietly Arose In His Soul closes the album, possibly followed by a sigh of relief for many. This plays out like the greatest hits of the good and bad ideas from across the album, with the angst dialled up to ten.

While you must admire someone for trying break the various constraints that a genre can place on you, MIDNIGHT BETHRONED is a massive misstep. It all feels very rushed; cobbled together without any real forethought into the final product. It’s hard to tell whether this a massive joke at the listener’s expense, highlighting how serious the black metal fanbase occasionally takes itself, or whether it’s the artist themselves being guilty of this. Parody or unintentional self-parody? Regardless, it’s hardly the question you want to be asking after listening to an album.

Rating: 4/10

Dreamless is out now via Northern Silence Productions.

Follow MIDNIGHT BETROTHED on Bandcamp.