https://www.facebook.com/midnightmares.official
Sounds like: Symphonic Gothic Metal
From: Belgium
1. How did you get started with music and how did you develop your sound? How did the name "Midnightmares" come about and is there any meaning to it?
Midnightmares started in the Winter of 2023. At first, it was supposed to be a studio project, since our vocalist Mariel Gimeno lived in Mexico. We recorded the first singles and, all of a sudden, Mariel said to me that she would be moving to the Netherlands. So that made it possible for us to really create a live band and start doing shows.
Soundwise, it was clear from the start that we would mix symphonic/gothic/cinematic keyboards to all songs to really set the right mood. Our songs all tell a dark, mysterious and captivating story. So the sound needed to match that. We also made a big contrast between the female and male vocals straight away. Mariel's voice being the angel and my vocals the demon.
As for the band name, it was my wife that came up with the name. So that's why all our songs are dark nightmare tales.
2. What do you want people to take away from your music?
For me, music is universal. Some people get a specific vibe or feeling when listening to a particular song, while someone else gets a totally different vibe. But I would say, when you read the stories from the storybook while listening to the songs, you really get into the right spirit.
3. How would you describe your sound to the average listener?
Macabre keyboards with deep, fleshy bass and guitars, filled with powerfull drums. As for the vocals, the contrast between Mariel's vocals and my vocals are quite interesting.
4. Who are three bands you’d like to tour with?
I am a huge Iron Maiden fan, so that would be cool. Other than that, let's say Tarja Turunen and Within Temptation.
5. What's your thoughts on AI generated music?
AI can never replace the soul in songs. It's amazing and almost frightening what AI can do though. But in the end, it can never replace human emotions and particular ways of playing from real artists.
6. What’s your take on the current state of Symphonic Gothic Metal?
Female fronted Symphonic Metal was very popular let's say 15 years ago. After that, I felt like it was at a state where everyone wanted to form a female fronted formation. There were very few who stood out for me personally and they all kind of vanished. Only the big names remained active. I think it's time for some fresh input.
7. What’s the current music scene like there in Belgium?
There are more and more organizations wanting to do festivals. But it's not easy. It's getting harder to get people to come and see the shows and support the scene. That's why many festivals are getting cancelled because the disapointing presales. I believe organisers and bands need to work together more to think of better ways to get people to show up at shows. Because it's hard for small festivals to survive alongside the big fests.
8. What’s your take on the royalties that streaming services pay out to artists?
It's a joke. The wrong people take all the money in my opinion. Streaming services like Spotify almost became a standard for bands to put out music. I think it should be the other way around. Fans should get the music straight from the artists, I think.
9. What’s next for Midnightmares?
Our new album "Mortalis" will be released on October 4th, 2025. And with that, we are also going on tour starting from that date. The first single of the new album, called "Mortalize" (duet with Ralf Scheepers), will be released as single/video on September 12th, 2025.
10. Any shoutouts?
A big shout out to everyone that supports us! We received so many positive messages since we started with Midnightmares. It's really a blessing, having such great fans. And of course also a big shout out to our label Gio Smet Records and From The Depths Entertainment for supporting us!
