2020

Exire – Across Rivers of Yore [US, Neofolk / Dungeon Synth] (2020)

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Self Released | 7-13-20

This is not the weirdest thing I have covered on here but it is close. While dungeon synth is oddly connected to black metal by obscure stone path, the realm of neofolk lies even further by twisted overgrown trail. The similarities between all of these genres is still the sense of melancholy and loss which aches in the music. That and low costed and pressed tapes. Across Rivers of Yore is a US based artist whose 2020 release is seeing a print on Irish based tape label Fomorian Hate Recordings. I am honestly incredibly intrigued by this sound and while it eschews most of the traditions of what is featured on this blog, I feel a connection that calls out from eons past./

Cruel Master – Demo IX [US, Black / Death / Punk] (2020)

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Self Released | 7-14-20

First off, let me preface this demo review with the aesthetic of home entry and stalker killings is not something I am completely on board with. I usually just write off weird metal aesthetics as idiosyncratic escapism but that is is something about a knife wielding maniac entering into windows that unnerves me. With all of that out of the way, take that sense of unease and give it a sleazy metal punk vibe and you have something that is unwholesome and catchy as fuck.

Hallucination / Arapaima – Death Ambient [US, Dark Ambient / Noise] (2020)

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Moonworshiper Records | 7-12-20

This is certainly something. Dark Ambient is less interesting to me than dungeon synth for various reasons. Dark ambient is also a bigger genre with longer history but still with the same amount of audience. Dark Ambient is hard to approach due to its nebulous nature which matches its nebulous sound. Moonworshipper records has been the weird misfit int he Ds scene for years with its releases that were like dead animals inside cardboard boxes. The Death Ambient split is something that I would not have intentionally sought out outside of its cover. While Hallucination’s harsh noise wall / drone is certainly par for the course, it is Arapaima’s side with its haunted acoustic folk that really shines and when married with Hallucination, becomes sublime.

Forbidden Tomb – The Prospector [Indonesia, Raw Black] (2020)

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Self Released | 7-10-20

This is a record that bathes in its aesthetic. Raw black thrives on consistency in both its sound and style. From font to covers to general presentation, raw black aims to offer listeners the equivalent to unprocessed ore instead of anything refined. Int hat state people find meaning in its meaning and purity. Forbidden Tomb has its flaws outside of the superficial recording style. The Prospector could be more fierce and there is room to move around outside of the morbid graveyard in terms of lyrics. With that said, Forbidden Tomb is a wonderfully adequate raw black record that feels cold and uninviting. Perfect for those looking to be disturbed.

Sunken Grove – Binding Branches [Wales, Dungeon Synth] (2020)

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Self Released | 8-3-20

Even though it is 2020, I do believe we are still getting records that define the mythology of dungeon synth. Binding Branches is the second EP from Welsh composer Sunken Grove. The tone and timbre of this release is so quiet and contemplative that it is immediately makes its way into the minds and hearts of listeners. Add to that, the charming home made aesthetic of its cover and general Bandcamp page, and one has a record that feels like an unassuming classic in a genre that seems to still be growing.

Sarin Bath – Sarin Bath [Canada, Black / Sludge] (2020)

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Self Released | 7-20-20

With a name and cover like Sarin Bath, one is going to have ready themselves for distilled emotion in the form of black tar. Similar to bands like Thou and to a lesser extent Couch, Sarin Bath delivers a torrent of raw blackened sludge which unlike the two bands listed, comes without any filter of production. This is just the listener and the band in a room together and one of them is waving a knife. It may take a bit but after a some time spent in the depths of madness, this whole affair becomes oddly desirable.

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Olshanoe – Канун [Russia, Dungeon Synth / Neoclassical] (2020)

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Shum Derevyev Records | 7-8-20

This release is actually from late 2019 but now is seeing a wider distribution via a Russian tape label called Shum Derevyev Records. I am not familiar of the other releases on this label save for the fact that if they are the same quality as Olshanoe, then I can be eternally excited. Olshanoe is not traditional dungeon synth rather a marriage between neoclassical, ambient, folk, and a variety of nature based instrumentals dedicated to the breathing world. Shum Derevyev Records supports this with a small batch release of Russian(?) artists dedicated to myth, lore, and new age devoted synth. If shipping wasn’t so expensive from Russian, I would own more tapes, but Olshanoe should keep me entertained for a while.

IIIXK – Demo 2020 [Russia, Black] (2020)

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Self Released | 7-9-20

I have unfairly been critical to Russian black for a while due to various circumstances. I feel this is because black metal, for me, has been cast aside for other forms of heavy metal. This does not mean I ignore interesting releases, especially when it rains down in heavy drops of blood. IIIXK is a brand new act and the Demo 2020 is the introduction to a world carved with angst and a penchant for noise. Rather than surrendering to raw black, IIIXK manages to dance around dissonance with a release that echoes with sonic disdain.

The Sorcerer – Memories of the Old Academy [Italy, Dungeon Synth] (2020)

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Self Released | 7-7-20

The Sorcerer is a project which continues to remind me why I enjoy this genre. Memories of the Old Academy is the fourth release in 2020 dedicated to the general magic and lore of fantasy. Adorned with artwork from 90’s CCG and festooned with rich escapist tropes, The Sorcerer is a wild embrace of the genre that doesn’t merely intend to imitate rather express oneself in the realms of the magical. I say this while accepting the bedroom qualities of the music as I feel the tone and composition of these tracks are part and parcel to a solo composer making music for dreams.

Execration Chamber – Cathedral Of Unbeing [Canada, Dungeon Synth] (2020)

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Gondolin Records | 7-6-20

I would like to mention that the name and album title of this release sounds like an angular death metal demo rather than a dungeon synth release. It helps that Execration Chamber presents a suffocating brand of dungeon synth and Cathedral of Unbeing is an existential wasteland of dying thoughts and feelings. If dungeon synth was a civilization, Cathedral of Unbeing would be the scattered remnants of civilization striving for survival on the frontiers of desolation after the fall of humanity. This tone and approach to dungeon synth is refreshing even though it is post apocalyptic.