2020

Vampyric – Where Light No Longer Reaches [US, Black] (2020)

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Self Released | 7-6-20

I am going to give it to Vampyric, this whole production works very well. Admittedly, I might be a fan of raw black and also when an artist throws themselves into a sound. Where No Light Reaches submerges itself int he raw black demo sound with dark themes and harsh sounds. The dense yet approachable tone of the music is surprisingly accessible which dances hand and hand with songs about satanic rituals and lycanthropic transformations. This looks like a goofy black metal demo but after allowing it into your heart is a well constructed demo that is running around the woods in a cloak.

Dream Division – The Devil Rides Out [UK, Dungeon Synth / Synthwave] (2020)

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Self Released | 7-3-20

“A collection of cues and soundscapes composed as an audio companion to the Dennis Wheatley Novel
‘THE DEVIL RIDES OUT”

Oh this is absolutely dreamy. The Devil Rides Out is a 1934 novel about black magic and the occult which was later turned into a 1968 film by Hammer Film Productions. the legacy of pulp and horror are running through the very core of this record that conjures the spirits of dungeon synth, synthwave, dark ambient, and film scores in a record that is dazzling and mind bending. For someone that loves the marriage between books and records as a communal experience, this record not only has given me purpose but also a quest to find other releases dedicated to novels.

Diabolic Oath – MMXIX [US, Black] (2019)

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Sentient Ruin | 6-26-20

So the way I found this record was first finding the band’s 2019 demo and being upset that such a great sound went missed int he year it was released. I was then shown a dark light which led me to the band’s 2020 full length from Sentient Ruin which is now allowing me to drown in a sea of ghosts. Diabolic Oath is the extension of Shroud of the Heretic, an Oregon based death metal act that has their noses in grimoires. Diabolic Path continues that obsession with a sound that is both polished but ragged with rough edges. Black, death, and doom swirl around this release much like its cover in a declaration of spectral malice.

Quest Master – The Twelve Castles [Australia, Dungeon Synth] (2020)

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Self Released | 6-26-20

Quest Master is new to me and I believe that is because it came in the dark period when I was not checking into new DS releases. This is a shame since The Twelve Castles seems to be the third release from a magical lo fi world that I very much want to be apart of. Melancholic and magical, this release from this artist that will be out on tape from Out of Season is something that I am glad I came back for.

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Ages of Blood – Pagan Medieval Aristocracy [Argentina, Black] (2020)

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Death Kvlt Productions | 7-2-20

I love Death Kvlt and I love they gather bands that fit a certain aesthetic. I cant help but chuckle at the fact that Ages of Blood is pre ordering their demo on vinyl and the fact it is already sold out. Everyone must be aware that this is going to be a stellar debut from an artist that I had not heard about before today. Pagan Medieval Aristocracy fits a mood and that mood is a fog-ridden clearing in the woods with the spire of an abandoned castle in the back. In these two songs with two book-ending instrumentals, there is a sense of assurance that this music is going to find an audience and a home in peoples hearts. I say this because I feel it has found a home in my heart and for all its weird eccentricities with melody, I can see this being discussed throughout the year and hopefully beyond.

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Sea Of Voices & Shy Guy 64 – REDREAM ESILICON METAGRAPHICS [ザタイピング ! オブザデッド] [

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Self Released | 6-24-20

“Projecting a psychedelic medieval dungeon exploration in music: monsters, beasts and foes are around the corner. Powerful and mysterious forces decide the fate of Gaia and the world. Time is convoluted.”

If the title did not tip you off, this is going to be non traditional dungeon synth. I will give everyone a chance to clear out if they came for proper and serious sounding dungeon synth. With that out of the way, what an absolute dream this release is and with a sound I never thought I would be into until hearing it for the first time here. DungeonWave or VaporDungeon is the creation of two artists with the goal of making music that fuses the fantasy of dungeon synth with the hypnogogic irony of vaporwave. The result is something that is insatiably tied to the aesthetics of vaporwave with its title conventions but is, at its spirit bound to the the realm of escapism.

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TOSS – Черный Поток Семени Ада [Russia, Black / Death] (2020)

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TEMPLE OF MORBID SOUND/ХРАМ БОЛЬНОГО ЗВУКА | 8-8-20

One of the reasons I am so hesitant about Russian based releases is there sometimes cryptic existence which is buried in their insular social media. Add to this the already cryptic nature of occult based black death and you have a hilarious investigation trying to figure out even the band name. I THINK the band’s name is Toss and this is the second 2020 from ХРАМ БОЛЬНОГО ЗВУКА (Temple of Morbid Sound) with the first being from НЕЖИВОЙ. Toss, as of this moment, isnt anywhere on social media I can find so the two songs are going to have to speak for the band. With that said and aside from all of this nonsense piecing information together, Toss’ debut(?) is a hellish ride through the gates of damnation with stopping points at torment and oblivion. Somewhere between obscurity and clarity rests this release and it gets more interesting by the moment.

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Silent Cabin – Echoes [Finland, Dungeon Synth / Drone] (2020)

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Self Released | 6-30-20

You know the story. Obscure bedroom artist. Stellar quiet minimal sound. Handmade and handnumbered edition of 20 copies which have all sold out. By now I should brace myself not to be upset when this happens rather relish in the fact that those 20 people are apart of a collective that has supported a DS artist that not only has embraced the cold sounds of traditional dungeon synth but also sent it further into the freezing wasteland. Quiet and contemplative, Echoes is a monolith on the horizon on the grayest of days.

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VERIKYYNELEET – Ilman Kuolemaa [Finland, Black] (2020)

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Self Released | 8-21-20

I would like to think of this site as a place that we all find new music that is scattered among Bandcamp. VERIKYYNELEET is not new and their debut on I, Voidhanger Records is not the typical self release on 10 cassettes that is normally seen on this site. It is okay since VERIKYYNELEET has spent a considerable amount of time in the shadows of the 00’s making raw depressive black metal demos. 2019 saw the first release in more than 10 years with Melacholic and Ilman Kuolemaa is the proper debut for the artist. For as long as this record took to be made, it feels like there is a lifetime’s work build into the very structure of the music. Harsh and abrasive, Ilman Kuolemaa breathes catharsis as a depressive black metal offering that feels like it needed to be made rather than wanted.

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Ranseur – Elves, The Primordial [US, Dungeon Synth] (2020)

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Self Released | 6-28-20

I can remember the releases from Ranseur in the mid 00’s right around when dungeon noise was causing rifts among the DS scene. Ranseur was not noise rather a primitive approach to an already bare style. I still have my tape of Obsidian Throne which I got through the primitive tape label Path of Silence which made everything more exciting. I do not know how to frame this release as I do not think Elves, The Primordial is for everyone even those who are into dungeon synth. what I feel about Elves, The Primordial is that if you are already subscribed to the idea of experimentation that it might be the perfect place to start for an artist that is the living embodiment of the hermit character and this newest release is a basket of strange mushrooms they picked from the forest. Whimsical and melodious these wandering sketches are approachable and showcase the artists love for the music without the hurdles of raw lo fidelity. Elves, The Primordial makes me remember Ransuer and appreciate hearing this type of music once again.

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