Night Wilds’ “All That Should Have Been”

12/04/2023

[NoHo Arts District, CA] – A NoHo Arts music review of Night Wilds’ “All That Should Have Been” rock opera concept album.

Seattle-based Seth Micarelli created the band Night Wilds specifically for this new concept album, to tell a story that had been burning inside him for a long time. The story revolves around one man, beginning with him as a helpless dependant child, living in a circus and required to perform and following him as he finds himself, through pain and love and more than a bit of madness.

It’s a dark record, but beautifully so. It reminds me of the best of Floyd, Cohen and even “The Rocky Horror Show” in places. It’s campy and theatrical but also deeply authentic and full of the poetry of rock, lyrics and guitars. It has something so important to say that its essence feels life or death.

The songs range from poetic to scary and everything in between, but always with a rock heart, excellent musicianship and absolutely gorgeous production. Seth Micarelli’s vocals are also exceptional. Passionate, driven, intense and totally real.

The best ‘concept’ albums come from the darkest places. But this only works if the songs are brilliant and the execution of the story is the center of the project’s purpose.

Night Wilds’ “All That Should Have Been” hits every mark. There are echos of Jeff Wayne’s “War of the Worlds” musical album too, which I absolutely adore. My parents bought it and I still own a copy. The music takes us on a journey, it builds a world and then it delivers song after song of truly brilliant meaningful music.

It’s hard to pick out one single track that I like the most, but at a push I would say that “New Jerusalem” is probably the most memorable for me. Just a great song, but it also holds new meaning given everything that’s going on right now.

This is an excellent album. Full of wonderfully written and beautifully produced songs. But there’s more to it than that. It feels like this was a story that needed to be told. “All That Should Have Been” is considered, crafted, thoughtful and intensely satisfying. Highly recommended!!! Loved it…