Metal/Review Michael Goldberg - Dorian's Dance (Midnight Metal Remix)

Michael Goldberg began piano studies in the fall of 2022 at the age of 56 and was surprised to find himself composing and recording original music. His inaugural piece, Awakening, sparked a run of works that crystalized into his debut album, Carnival of Lights (September 2024), an atmospheric blend of neoclassical and ambient textures underscored by cinematic orchestration. Currently working on the NightFall series, which has been streamed on Enya radio.

Composer-pianist Michael Goldberg creates a dramatic collision between the dark muscularity of contemporary gothic-prog and the elegance of the 19th century with “Dorian's Dance (Midnight Metal Remix).” The song, which is based on an eerie Dorian-mode piano theme, skillfully combines the raw power of metal with classical refinement to produce a work that is both visceral and complicated.

Before tearing it apart with baritone-tuned guitars and deft double-kick technique, Goldberg opens with a calm, even courtly piano motif that evokes the darkened salons of a bygone era. The smooth transition between 4/4 and 7/8 keeps listeners on edge while maintaining a feeling of flowing motion. The drama is increased by violinist Peter Voronov's serrated top-line melodies, which pierce the thick mix like steel.

Annihilator's own Rich Gray (guitar/bass) and Fabio Alessandrini (drums) provide the track's thunderous backbone with their tight, focused performances, which anchor the low end. Intense, palm-muted riffing is expertly contrasted by Goldberg with quiet passages—half-time drops that let the melody rest before launching back into action. A choral-pad climax, a soaring, nearly cinematic resolve that feels earned after the tension that came before it, is the culmination of the arrangement.

The production, which was recorded at Warple Bunny Studios, is powerful yet refined, letting each instrument shine without detracting from the track's eerie mood. While there is much to like for fans of Katatonia, Apocalyptica, and early Dream Theater, “Dorian's Dance (Midnight Metal Remix)” also stands out as a unique vision—gothic, lyrical, and distinctly theatrical.

With equal parts elegance and terror, this composition does more than simply merge genres; it forces them to dance together in the shadows.