_.jpg "Madrugada - Chimes at Midnight (2022) album back cover")
Madrugada - Chimes at Midnight (2022)
🌙 Madrugada – Chimes at Midnight (2022)
📀 Album Overview
Artist: Madrugada
Album: Chimes at Midnight
Release Year: 2022
Genre: Alternative Rock, Blues Rock, Indie Rock
Label: Warner Music
After reuniting in 2018 and touring successfully across Europe, Madrugada returned with Chimes at Midnight — their first studio album in 14 years since Madrugada (2008). Rather than a nostalgic comeback, the band delivered a mature, confident, and emotionally rich record that honors their legacy while embracing growth.
The album confirms that Madrugada are not just a band from the past — but a living, evolving force in Scandinavian rock.
🎵 Tracklist
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Nobody Loves You Like I Do
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Running from the Love of Your Life
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Help Yourself to Me
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Stabat Mater
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Dreams at Midnight
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You Promised to Wait for Me
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The World Could Be Falling Down
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Ecstasy
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Slowly Turns the Wheel
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Bells Ring
(Track order may vary slightly by edition.)
🎧 Sound & Style
Chimes at Midnight feels:
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Warm and organic
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Emotionally reflective
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Less darkly claustrophobic than early works
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Rooted in blues and Americana textures
While early albums like The Nightly Disease were intense and brooding, this record breathes more. The arrangements are spacious, the production refined, and the songwriting mature.
Sivert Høyem’s baritone sounds deeper and more controlled than ever — intimate yet powerful.
There are subtle echoes of:
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Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
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The National
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The War on Drugs
But the identity remains unmistakably Madrugada.
🔥 Standout Tracks
🎶 Nobody Loves You Like I Do
An emotionally direct and melodic opener — instantly memorable.
🎶 Help Yourself to Me
Confident, bluesy, and rhythm-driven.
🎶 Dreams at Midnight
Moody and atmospheric, classic Madrugada nighttime aesthetics.
🎶 Slowly Turns the Wheel
Reflective and cinematic, one of the album’s emotional high points.
🎙️ Lineup (Reunion Era)
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Sivert Høyem – Vocals
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Frode Jacobsen – Bass
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Touring/session musicians contributing guitars and drums
Although guitarist Robert Burås passed away in 2007, his influence remains deeply embedded in the band’s sound and emotional DNA.
🎨 Cover Art
The cover of Chimes at Midnight features a striking, painterly image dominated by warm golden and amber tones against deep night blues. The artwork evokes twilight or the moment just before midnight — visually reinforcing themes of reflection, time, and transition.
The aesthetic feels mature and cinematic, less stark than early releases, suggesting wisdom rather than turmoil. It mirrors the album’s tone: reflective, heartfelt, and grounded.
The title itself hints at transition — the sound of bells marking a new chapter.
🎥 Touring & Context (2022–2023)
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Followed a successful reunion tour starting in 2018
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Extensive European dates after the album’s release
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Strong reception in Norway and Germany
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Marked a full creative comeback rather than just a nostalgic revival
Live performances from this era blended classics like “Majesty” with new material seamlessly.
🏆 Cultural Impact
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Debuted high on Norwegian charts
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Welcomed warmly by critics as a mature return
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Reintroduced Madrugada to a new generation
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Reinforced their place as Norway’s most internationally respected rock band
Rather than attempting to recreate their 1999 darkness, the band embraced growth — and fans responded positively.
🎸 Fun Facts
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It was their first studio album in 14 years.
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The reunion initially began as a tribute tour before evolving into new material.
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The album reflects themes of love, aging, time, and resilience.
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The band described the writing process as surprisingly natural and organic.
❓ Did You Know?
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The title may subtly reference literary themes of time and fate (echoing Shakespeare’s Chimes at Midnight inspiration).
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Many fans consider it one of the strongest comeback albums in European rock.
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Sivert Høyem’s solo career experience influenced the album’s songwriting depth.
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