Author: Kaptain Carbon

Maiden Hair – Yonder [UK, Dungeon Synth] (2020)

Standard

Self Released | 8-15-20

One would think this Maiden Hair release would be something along the lines of traditional dungeon synth what with the cover and the grim looking Bandcamp page. One would not expect wild Yamaha PSS-270 sounds to assail them from vintage treetops. Maiden Hair for all its subterfuge is a near irreverent composer more along the lines of countryside prankster who dedicated each releases, and subsequent style, to whatever instrument they choose for composition. Earlier this year the demo MMXX was based around the quiet and mournful sounds of the the Daewoo EX-Z Plus Digital piano. All of this esoteric gear discussion may sound odd but at the core of each these records is a love for equipment and the wild and flagrant experimentation that comes with it. Maiden Hair is not bound to any sound nor to this realm of existence as the composer could be some otherworldly entity sent to this world to confuse and entertain.

Ascended Master – What Was .​.​. And What Shall Be Again [US, Death /Thrash] (2020)

Standard

Self Released | 8-14-20

Fuck yes. Even though it took me a few seconds to decide where to jump, once falling inside this record became an absolute joy. Ascended Master is an Ohio based death/thrash act that worships at the altar of the old masters while making a blistering demo that is nothing short of fun and excitement. It might be odd to describe a death/thrash demo like that but for as fierce as What Was .​.​. And What Shall Be Again is, at the core of its existence, a desire to astound the listener with riffs and musical prowess. Ascended Master is up for this task with 25 minutes of a raucous party in the underworld that is here to shred and slash their way through listeners.

Poodle Knight – Brave The Darkness [US, Dungeon Synth] (2020)

Standard

Self Released | 8-13-20

Stop it Crypt Hop. Stop trying being a thing. If you keep trying, you are going to end up making a decent release. I have been wary of a new tag that has been affixed to releases Crypt Hop is the purported marriage between hip hop beats and the morose atmosphere of dungeon synth. For any people who remember and currently come into contact with dungeon rap, this combination isn’t the most intuitive. This is why I was wary about Poodle Knight and why I am ultimately reserving judgement for the whole style until more decent releases, like Brave The Darkness, are recorded. Does this release work? Yes. Why? I don’t know. If I would to hazard a guess it is first and foremost the irreverent aesthetic that comes emblazoned on the cover. Somewhere between camp and immersive fantasy is the tale of Poodle Knight, Slayer of the Wicked, and Protector of the Realm of Lzar and their quest to rid the land of evil. Brave The Darkness works as a experiment of itself with its sounds opposed to each other yet keeping the structure in place. It is an odd sounds that shouldnt work but for right now the tales of Poodle Knight sing through the technicolor darkness.

Dysylumn – Cosmogonie [France, Progressive Black] (2020)

Standard

Signal Rex | 10-3-20

O first want to pay special recognition to the artwork of Karmazid who graces the cover of this release. Karmazid has also done work for Andavald, Bewitcher, Chevalier, Draghkar, LVTHN, Malokarpatan, Urfaust, and a whole host of other acts with their distinct style occultist imagery. Perhaps this is what brought me into the page for Dysylumn’s third full length Cosmogonie. To be fair with the lyrical themes tagged as Psychology, Hallucination, Space and a sound which is akin to climbing on the ceiling of an abandoned castle, I would have made my way here eventually but having artwork that fits the mood is fantastic. Cosmogonie is being released by both Signal Rex and Egregor Records and for now you only get a song but I am sure all of this is enough to keep you in this unhallowed place until the fateful hour.

Hole Dweller – flies the coop II [US, Dungeon Synth] (2020)

Standard

Self Released | 8-13-20

I was away for Hole Dweller’s debut and this fact still pains me to this day. Though I missed this stellar debut from the Us artist, I have been singing the praises of this year’s followup Returns to Roost as a striking continuation of progressive dungeon synth. Flies the coop II is the second installment to the first releases not only conceptually but atmopherically as it returns to the waist deep worn noise of the debut. If you are not bothered by the atmosphere, then flies the coop II, much like the debut, is a blissful journey into pastoral lands that is as wholesome and inviting as worn fantasy paperback novel. I am astounded that dungeon synth has reached a point that has brought traditional styling together with experimental sounds and embraces vintage atmospheres while continuing to explore the future of the sound. Hole Dweller has never ceased to amaze me at the journey they create. This is a fantastic release from an astounding artist.

OTDHR – REHEARSAL II [France, Black] (2020)

Standard

Self Released | 9-13-20

I am not usually down with unfinished products. I understand raw black metal (and to some extent other genres) has an aesthetic that embraces unfinished work as it simultaneously showcases potential while celebrating unpolished atmospheres. OTDHR’s sound was enough to grab interest and this 9 minute rehearsal showed enough talent that I start to wonder what a full length would sound like. Some bands never move out of the demo and rehearsal realm content to keep exploring unrefined landscapes. OTDHR is different in the fact their angular approach to black / doom could be exquisite with the right framing. Rehearsal II (Previous one was a year ago) projects a band that is brimming with angst and airs a sense of mystery through 9 minutes of near sonic misery. Perhaps this will be a story of a band that climbs out of rehearsals and makes a demo (or full length) that amazes everyone. Even without that future, OTDHR is a rare find of a band that warrants putting up their practice recordings as they are interesting enough to sit and listen.

SCRIBA ÆTERNITATIS – Forgotten Chronicles [Canada, Dungeon Synth / Neocloassical] (2020)

Standard

Dark Age Productions | 8-7-20

I feel the Neoclassical tag differentiates dungeons synth from a style that is one that is ornate in its very structure. SCRIBA ÆTERNITATIS is born of a different family than other dungeon synth composers as their melodies and melodrama make up the very essence of the records. Forgotten Chronicles is less an album than it is a concert performed by a baron among some dark moor for an audience of nocturnal creatures. Its ostentatious design is befitting to a record that is grand in its scope yet limited to its production. This might be off putting for some people with its epic landscapes rendered in low resolution but if one gives it a chance, it is a unique and engaging record that welcomes you into its world. Step into a world where its soundtrack will take you to far away lands and into the darkest mines in search of whatever treasure you might seek.

Flesh Megalith – Flesh Megalith [Australia, Death / Doom] (2020)

Standard

Self Released | 8-6-14

Tags: metal, cavernousdeathmetal, doommetal, Australia. I feel everyone can remember a tie when cavern death was rampant and both good and generic releases were flooding bandcamp with labels devoting their roster to bands and albums with slimy sounding names. Flesh Megalith could have been apart of that wave and perhaps if it would have been releases in the mid 00’s, it would be glanced over. Luckily we are in 2020 and the sound of subterranean gloom can be appreciated. Flesh Megalith is here to remind us what the sound of glacial doom can sound like and give veryone a chance 100 years to dig our own graves. Flesh Megalith is the solo side project of the solo raw black metal act Burier. It is these two bands that wecan start tomap themindofits creator and abovr and below ground seem to be haunted with creatures of pure darkness and demise.

Uilos – I: Dark Night Of The Soul [Canada, Dungeon Synth / Ambient] (2020)

Standard

So Called Hell | 9-18-20

“Named for star-like flowers found growing on graves around the Gate Of Silver during the journey into Gondolin, the project’s inaugural volume threads 37 minutes of mystic, mournful instrumentals into a shimmering saga of hidden hermits, enticing dragons, and headless knights.”

Even though I am writing this review, I would like to highlight successful attempts at enticing me to listen to records. I reviewed So Called Hell’s previous ritual ambient release and Ulios was next in the queue. I melted when seeing this line as it captures the middleground between high fantasy lore and morbid mysticism. Perhaps this is why I enjoyed Uilos so much as the album pitch crystallizes music that is a landscape of magical gloom with immersive ambient that pulls from the gods of Kosmische Musik as much as it does the heroes of dungeon synth. I: Dark Night Of The Soul is the purported first chapter of a series and if this is the sound of the beginning, I am almost paralyzed with anticipation which has me stuck in a world the is eternally dusk — illuminated only by fireflies and wandering ghosts.

Telluric Effluvium – Dissolution of the Threefold Self [US, Funeral Doom] (2020)

Standard

Self Released | 10-3-20

I could probably count the number of funeral doom records reviewed on this site in the entirely of its existence. To be short, funeral doom is not a popular style despite its robust history as an extreme metal genre. This is for various reasons but mainly one might struggle to find an audience that is into lengthy tracks combined with a dismal atmosphere. This hurdle however does not stop the genre and with the success of bands like Bell Witch, Funeral doom remains a niche but fertile genre to sow the seeds of despair. Dissolution of the Threefold Self is the debut full length from Denver based Telluric Effluvium. Over the course of three lengthy tracks, the band manages to weave a tapestry of gloomy dirges and condenses funeral doom’s most memorable aspects into a record that is only 30 minutes long. This might seem unorthodox for a genre that is famous for its glacial running time but Dissolution of the Threefold Self works in its expedited state and manages to be effective at a quicker pace. All hail eternal mourning.