Beats and yelling: Midnight Odyssey’s state of the nation address

Biolume Part 3 – A Fullmoon Madness
Out 24^th November on I, Voidhanger

Midnight Odyssey’s output has always had an aura of Schrodinger’s quality. Whether it be the dark ambient black metal of their early years, dripping with atmosphere but still firmly entrenched in the mores of subgenre, or the gradual evolution into epic metal territory, boasting a soundscaping ambition the scope of which strains credulity, the value of (ALL) the content Dis Pater brings to the table remains in flux.

But with this latest (and last) addition to the Biolume trilogy one thing is apparent, the Midnight Odyssey formula has expanded to such an extent that it is capable of containing almost any style, influence, or technique within its umbrella whilst remaining so clearly Midnight Odyssey. This is distinct from a Suffocation say, a prominent signatory to a specific genre based approach. Were they to traverse their well guarded borders they would cease to be Suffocation. Conversely, Midnight Odyssey operate not under a single set of theoretical or compositional traits, but a highly distinct form of delivery and textural palette that allows him to accommodate a broad array of genres under one roof. Few modern artists have achieved this, and for that reason alone this project deserves respect even if adoration hesitates.

The third and, at two hours in length, longest chapter of the Biolume trilogy is something of a defining statement for this Australian solo outfit. Encompassing the recent turn to epic doom metal whilst reaching back to the early ambient influences filtered through a symphonic lens, and darker moments informed by gothic rock or more straightforward black metal. In many ways, despite the unapologetic girth of this album, it plays out the career of Midnight Odyssey in miniature. The cavernous yet insular early black metal style is forced to look skyward ever skyward as bright, open, euphoria takes over, tempered by a sobering reverence for the sheer scale of the sky at night.

The Biolume trilogy itself was something of a system reset for Dis Pater. The magnum opus in ‘Shards of Silver Fade’ saw the mixture of synth led metal that had defined the project until then reach its zenith, transforming into an epic ambient heavy metal album donning black metal regalia. One of the few explicit successors to Summoning to avoid total collapse into Germanic pastiche. The project then split into two, with one arm going rogue with a pure retro ambient trilogy, later brought together on the triple album ‘Echoes of Celestial Ruin’ in 2022, replete with 70s sci-fi futurist artwork.

But in 2019 we got the first instalment of the main event in the form of ‘Biolume Part 1 – In Tartarean Chains’. There was a clear continuity with the obscurantist early days of this project, still wedded to European black metal, but Midnight Odyssey had suddenly expanded into what I would call state-of-the-nation metal. A form of composition that uses genre not as a vocabulary but a backdrop for a distinct aesthetic identity. Whether calling back to Candlemass or Eldritch raw black metal, the Midnight Odyssey identity is such that it can retain its coherence whilst absorbing such apparently disconnected reference points. The artist literally gives their state of the nation address to metal through their music, offering opinions on all manner of topics and styles, leaving commentators to pick apart the substance in successive bouts of court gossip.  

This trait became even more apparent on ‘Biolume Part 2 – The Golden Orb’ in 2021. This saw Dis Pater boldly ride out into Viking metal territory, with bombastic lead guitars, operatic vocals, and thundering rhythmic confidence (despite the continued use of programmed drums). Despite this being an intentionally bright rebuttal to the previous instalment, appropriately turning to the source of light at the heart of the solar system in our lunar thematic journey, the packaging, delivery, and overall poise achieved a striking continuity with the previous effort.

And as if to please the dialectically retentive among us, the synthesis on ‘Biolume Part 3 – A Fullmoon Madness’ ties everything together in a neat Hegelian bow. I still have doubts as to whether it needed to be longer than a feature length film. But I came to realise in digesting this five course meal of an album that, whatever my frustrations with the minutia of the endeavour that is Midnight Odyssey, they are one of the few darlings of modern black metal deserving of the accolades heaped upon them by a scene usually far too lavish with its praise. One cannot ignore the fact that within this one entity we find both a unique and captivating artistic vision alongside a rare ability to execute it. There is no mistaking the calling cards of this artist. Midnight Odyssey is unmistakable amongst its peers, and for that reason alone it seems that for once the fanfare and “event hype” surrounding this release seems at least a little warranted.