“Midnight Eternal have certainly been racking up the support slots in their native America, copping guest appearances for Kamelot, Sonata Arctica, Delain, Xandria, Doro and many more! And now that they’ve finally got their chance to release a full-length album they can prove to the world that they are worth the attention.This is a damn fine debut, one that many bands would have been proud to call their own. It’s a debut – they have a point to prove, and they are quite keen to prove that they have all the Symphonic Metal bases covered, but because there seems to be a lot of styles in evidence, it’s also as if the band are hedging their bets a little. I’m sure album number two will see them hone their direction a little more as their unit tours this material, sees what works live, what doesn’t, and in the end which tracks they still enjoy playing more than others. It’s a fabulous journey this talented band are embarking on and I look forward to hearing much more from them.”

“I too had majorly underestimated the energy that the album unleashed. Twelve tracks, just under an hour of chaotic and magical metal bliss, what better way to break onto the metal scene than with their debut album. As previously mentioned, this is not your typical female fronted Symphonic metal. While there are familiar and sometimes nostalgic moments, I advise that this album has a whole other side to it that is worthy of checking out. A little bit of everything is what this album brings, so it goes to show that metal is evolving and this album is a prime example of that. With that being said, I was pretty astounded with the heavy European metal influence they brought forth, being from New York and all, they surely have nailed down the Euro metal, as one could put. This goes to show that the Symphonic movement is slowly but surely growing and Midnight Eternal are another prime example of that happening. Stay Metal \m/ Midnight Eternal: 8.5/10”

“After the opener, “‘Till the Bitter End” it is obvious that Midnight Eternal has something substantial to offer. The song is melodic opener with vocalist Raine Hilai demonstrating her strong vocals. This song really sets a positive tone for the record. The next track “Repentance” is an up-tempo progressive/power metal tinged track and one that just races out of the gate. Other highlights include, “Signs of Fire”, “Believe in Forever”, “When Love and Faith Collide” and the awesome 8-minute album closer, “First Time Thrill”. The band is, to put it simply, quite talented and all the pieces fit together nicely on this solid debut. Midnight Eternal has a lot to offer fans who love melodic metal. The songs are very well written, the vocals are killer and the musicianship is first rate. There is really nothing not to like about Midnight Eternal. I hope that this is the beginning of a successful time for Midnight Eternal. They deserve it. Rating – 85/100”

“Things are going to change with this debut of Midnight Eternal.With Raine Hilai they have the perfect singer for this style, not only does she sing well, she also is good looking. What is more important is that the songs are very variable, good arranged and with nice melodies. The cd opens with a song in Within Temptation/Delain style. Not a very heavy track, but one in which immediately Raine shows that her angelic singing can compete with the known singers in the genre. After that the journey continues in songs with multi layered vocals, beautiful melodies, emotional singing, bombastic orchestral keyboard parts, nice guitar solos and crushing riffs. The variety in heaviness and tempo keeps the album interesting until the last note. One of the most beautiful and enchanting songs of this year is “Silence”, it opens so strong that I’m immediately ravished. Final conclusion is that this debut album of Midnight Eternal is one that can compete with all the European competitors.”

“This is the sort of music you would expect to hear at Disney World Florida, you know? The Fantasia of the metal world is here with New York harmonisers Midnight Eternal unleashing their infectiously delightful self-titled album. With the vocals and keyboards wallowing in the upper echelons of Power Metal and the guitars and drums providing the symphonic infrastructure for this insanely perfect debut album to glide on through. 'Midnight Eternal' comes complete with arousing dynamics, theatrically-electric atmospherics and a sound that Midnight Eternal can call their own. In fact, it might as well be said that Midnight Eternal are the United States' long-term answer to Finland's Symphonic / Power Metal powerhouse Nightwish, may this American quintet's rise to international recognition begin.”

“The album has an accessibility that is hard to pin down. Perhaps it's the lack of pretentiousness, the absence of the self-aggrandizing message that often clouds albums in this wing of the genre. Or maybe, just maybe, it's in the ability to craft songs that invite a singalong at every twist and turn. There's certainly some extra enjoyment to be found in the poppy hooks of Believe In Forever, a song that could delight men, women and children of all ages with its energy and sheer positivity. Infectious, endearing, and invigorating, it strikes an uplifting chord. When the old ways aren't working anymore, it's time to evolve. Midnight Eternal have staked their claim as a rising star in the world of female fronted metal, and they have one single qualification; this album is really, really good. It's an album that will find a repeated place among some of the best and brightest the new era of the genre has to offer. Welcome to 2016, the year female fronted metal makes a breakthrough. 8.5/10”

“There are symphonic metal bands, power metal bands, progressive metal bands, classically influenced and trained metal musicians. Then there are bands that know how to take all those elements and disciplines and perfectly balance them into their own unique sound. This is what New York's own Midnight Eternal have done on their self titled debut Midnight Eternal. The band's unique quality to forge their own sound manifested itself into one of the strongest debut albums I have heard in 15 years. It was if they have taken a concerto orchestra and transcribed it on to heavy guitars, bass, drums and vocals. There is always a hook or unpredictable harmony or melody around the corner of every track on the album. The harmonies are executed with clarity and the instrumental melodies compliment those harmonies with grace and poise. Midnight Eternal is definitely a band for fans of Kamelot, Delain, Nightwish. This album gets a 4.5/5 and could be a heavy contender for Debut Album Of 2016.”

“What characterizes the sound of Midnight Eternal is the sense of melody and power coupled with the beautiful multi-layered vocals, all this being showcased within the 12 rather catchy and pounding tracks on this recording, closing with the epic 8 minute plus number ‘First Time Thrill‘. With the album being mixed and mastered by Tommy Hansen [Helloween, Pretty Maids, Jorn], Midnight Eternal with their strong European influenced sound coupled with the angelic and rather unique poppy vocals of Raine Hilai, will I am sure appeal to fans of Delain and Nightwish among others. Well worth checking out when released April 29th…8.5/10”

“Led by the vibrant, operatic vocals of Raine Hilai, the band creates soaring melodies, catchy choruses and complimentary symphonic arrangements. Ms. Hilai is definitely the main focal point here, her operatic wails may be instantly enjoyable to some fans.There’s some fabulous fretwork performed by Richard Fischer, which is one of the stronger points to the band’s sound. Opener “’Till The Bitter End” combines symphonic pomp, heavy riffs and intricate rhythms with modern prog elements. On “Repentance,” Ms. Hilai’s vocals cuts like a knife, while guitarist Richard Fischer displays some great shred ability. The epic nine-minute closer, “First Time Thrill,” spotlights Fischer’s talents , as well as the whole band’s, and fades out nicely. Engineering performed by Eric Rachel (Skid Row, Symphony X), mixing and mastering handled by Tommy Hansen (Helloween, Pretty Maids) and cover artwork created by Jan Yrlund (Korpiklaani, Delain), Midnight Eternal appears to be in pret”

“Though not different than some bands, Midnight Eternal does seem to lean more to the heavy and power metal side of the equation. Songs such as Like An Eternity, Repentance, Signs Of Fire, and Shadows Fall are blistering, sincerely guitar-driven songs moving at a brisk pace. Then in the center of the album, with Midnight Eternal, When Love and Faith Collide, and especially Believe In Forever, you'll find the band bumping up the rock groove, adding more than a little arena-ready AOR accessibility to their power metal... Midnight Eternal does it with same acumen and enthusiasm as their most noteworthy peers. So, in the end, what impressed me most were the song arrangements and the proper balance of musical elements within each, Ms Hilai's less operatic, more straight forward rock and metal voice, and the abundance of strong guitar work. For Midnight Eternal, it's a perfect storm which makes them sound terrific, and maybe.. allows them to shake things up in the genre. Recommended.”

“Symphonic metal. It's one of those genres of metal that has quite a good following, perhaps due in no small part to many of the artists have a more radio friendly approach to metal than most, but I find it rare that a new artist comes along playing the style that manages to make a positive impact on me. Midnight Eternal (2016) is the debut full-length studio album from this artist of the same name and it's the first symphonic metal release for a while that wasn't made by one of the genre's bigger names (Epica, Nightwish etc) that's really impressed me. It's an album that shows off just how diverse a genre symphonic metal can be. While there's potential there for Midnight Eternal to grow as a band this is still the best symphonic metal debut I've heard for a while. If you're a fan of the genre this is certainly a band to watch.”

"Midnight Eternal were my perhaps favorite of the openers, despite starting the night off. They just had a great chemistry and vibe that really sold it. The band had a thrashy sound with very operatic vocals from Raine Hilai and impressive leads from guitarist Richard Fischer. Fans of everything from White Empress to Leaves’ Eyes ought to enjoy them."

““The band itself may be very new, having formed only in March this year. This song is from their first release, a two-song single. But look at the pedigrees of the people who formed the band as an experiment and decided to make it work for more than just one or two sessions.””

"The group's first recordings, "When Love and Faith Collide" and "Masquerade of Lies", are evidence that the band have gelled together and convey that chemistry to the studio."

"For me, at least, this was definitely a case of coming for the opening acts, with the headliner as something of a bonus rather than the draw... the rather Schwarzeneggeresque visaged drummer Dan Prestup, all pounding aggression and driving if precisely technical speed, the guy was a damn good drummer!"

“Midnight Eternal featured an interesting keyboard component... a fine introduction for me to some American musical talent. One of the finest live performances I’ve had the pleasure to witness. An outstanding talent.”

"METALFIER, Flames of Fury, Midnight Eternal, THE MIGHTY SWINE and DORO proved beyond a doubt that metal will never die last night in NYC. ‪#‎raiseyourfist‬‬"

"Fans of cutting-edge symphonic metal will find much to love in Midnight Eternal"