Midnight Caine are as gothic as they come, and depressingly seductive in their delivery.

Midnight Caine was formed in 2007, and following several line-up changes, the band released an EP 'Dead And Reborn' in 2009. After touring Europe, the aforementioned EP was rated a top release on Metal Express Radio, even earning them a one hour music slot on the programme.

Their second release was the album 'Forevermore' in 2010 and took a more atmospheric sound, and laid the groundwork for their current release 'Mirrors. Now a trio for this release (drummer Rudy Weisser having joined subsequently), consisting of Frederik Andern on vocals, Mattias Balk on guitar and Henrik Brifors on bass, the band offer a mixture of gothic rock which is not unlike The Sisters Of Mercy. The use of drum machine on 'Heavy Heart', and the macabre almost-operatic vocals give the song a haunting yet quite danceable radio friendly sheen. 'Solitudes Of Mind' has such a strong theatrical theme you could be forgiven for thinking it was a song from The Phantom Of The Opera, being both grand and poignant in equal measure. The slower moments of Rammstein would be the obvious comparison to 'The Essential Mistake' and though the song seems somewhat directionless, it has its charms.

If there is such thing as 'classic gothic', then 'Living Dead' would earn that title. There is nothing here to lift the spirits, but only to welcome the dead! The morose vocals and pounding rhythms take us all to a darker place in the mind. Title track 'Mirrors' is an emotional piece, part big guitars and pained vocals, with slow lingering keyboards following. Like Dracula reciting a poem to the accompaniment of a piano, 'The Loneliness Of A Dream' has a soft string direction and a melodramatic texture that leads to a tragic end. Techno-gothic comes to mind, with 'Love Is Lost', while 'Shangri La' floats along on a whispered vocal of ill intent.

Midnight Caine are as gothic as they come, and depressingly seductive in their delivery.

Ray Paul