Vicky
2025 has been an interesting year for Doom Metal. I mean, let’s take a look back and see what we have witnessed earlier this year: Messiah Marcolin and Candlemass reunited for one show, My Dying Bride split in two and started collaborating with Mikko from Swallow The Sun, Paradise Lost, In The Woods…, Pilgrimage, and various othersreleased new albums. All in all, we had a pretty decent year in Rock/Heavy Metal as a whole, if we overlook the brilliant musicians we have unfortunately lost (Ozzy Osbourne, Ace Frehley, John Skyes, Adam Ramey, Tomas Lindberg, etc.). Hoping I didn’t depress you too much, turn on your sad music and buckle up, kids, ’cause we’ve got a great album to talk about today: Mediterranean Melancholy by Old Night.
First thing’s first, Old Night comes from Croatia – and yes, that is on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea (if you didn’t know, well, now you know. Follow Metal Eclipse Reviews on your favorite social media platform for more Geography lessons!). Anyways, moving on. I can’t stress enough the fact that Old Night is a very good band. And Mediterranean Melancholy is definitely going to end up somewhere in my “top 10 (or so) best releases of 2025”. If that doesn’t convince you to listen to this album, given some of my previous ratings, I don’t know what will.
Old Night plays Epic/Traditional Doom (hence the Candlemass reference), their lyrics are mournful (as expected), and their overall sound makes you regret that you didn’t discover the band sooner. With every note, you feel like the lyrics get printed onto your heart, and your entire being just headbangs in perfect “homebound” harmony with the “ghosts”, “stormbirds” and other beings one might find in this beautiful chaos, the Croatian funeral march, a testament for all the sorrowed children of the modern age, the perfect Mediterranean Melancholy.
As usual, I am going to congratulate a specific person in the band for making the record unique, and highly enjoyable. And that is Ivan Hanžek who has just taken up the lead vocal duties for Old Night last year. I am certain that Mediterranean Melancholy proves to us that despite the old age of this night, it is far from over. In fact, we will without a doubt hear more about this unique, maritime, dark, Croatian, gloomy, grieving ensemble. While on the topic of “maritime”, it’s worth mentioning that one of the most pleasant tracks on this album is entitled “The Loneliness of Lighthouse Keepers”, and the sound of screaming seagulls complements the touching voice, exquisite instrumental background, and profound, emotional lyrics. The story has a tragic ending, that I truly want you to read, whether Doom Metal is your cup of tea or not: The man on the moon now openly cried as he said farewell to the lighthouse where his old friend died.
To sum up, I don’t even want to end this article. It seems as if there are so many more things I could say about Mediterranean Melancholy. However, I will leave you to discover it yourselves, once it’s officially out there. Oh, and don’t forget to keep an eye out for our lovely top 10 (or so) favorite releases of 2025. There will be suspense, surprises, and even potential dramas… Just what we all needed.
Label: Meuse Music Records
Release date: November 21, 2025
Website: https://oldnight.info/
Country: Croatia
Score: 4.7/5.0
Metal Eclipse Reviews 
1 comment