2020

Archana – Boreal Worcs [US, Dungeon Synth] (2020)

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Mysttic Timbre | 9-1-20

I am going to give it to Mystic Timbre for always being there to interest me and incite me with some forest themed magic. I have talked before about Mystic Timbre as a dealer of arcane wonders with both Archana and Alloch Nathir. Boreal Worcs is a new (and upcoming) release set for Fall that waves to me months away with its devilish melodies. Rather than lay out a passive landscapes of with melodies, these sounds bounce through the tree lines festooned with colorful clothes and wild masks. For its short length, the experience of Boreal Worcs is memorable in its liveliness. This is active listening dungeon synth and something that stirs imagination.

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Opium Grave – .​.​.​and the rest is silence [Australia, Black / Synth] (2020)

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Self Released | 6-5-20

This is good. This is weird. This is not for everyone. I believe the perfection in this release is its unbalanced quality. Opium Grave is an Australian one member black metal project that surrounds themselves with a matter or weird artifacts. Coming into the short demo is like walking into a curio shop and being greeted by hanging skulls and strange bottles. There are a lot of things that do not make sense but the low synth and distorted vocal samples are enough to pique interest with the crashing harsh dissonance to cement that curiosity in place.

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Rivière de Corps – Tout est chaos [France, Industrial / Dungeon Synth] (2020)

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Self Released | 6-4-20

Add this to the weird pile. This is not dungeon synth though I found it while searching for dungeon synth. I blame this label for opening there door and like a lost child I wander in and am now fascinated by the sounds of bedroom industrial / darkwave with some surreal covers. Though this stretches the idea of what dungeon synth / dungeon noise can be, the idea of personal landscapes and escapism through sound remains the same though this is a hellish nightmare with retro paperback covers and instances of mindbending terror.

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Cenobite – Soul Torn Apart [Russia, Death] (2020)

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Self Released | 6-6-20

I think this is one of the few times I am 100% with the music even if I have some criticisms about the aesthetic. I do not think Soul Torn Apart fails in its aesthetic rather I feel a band devoted to Hellraiser could be more arcane with its song titles. I only mention this since the more generic album and song titles do not reflect the absolute monster of a release this is as Cenobite channels old school death like they were summoning devils in a lab. Riffs like spires and an attitude which drags across the floor, Soul Torn Apart is one of the nastiest demos in recent memory and I almost passed it over.

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Sophia – death bows his head and gently weeps​.​. [Canada, Dungeon Synth] (2020)

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Serpent’s Sword Records | 6-1-20

This is the second release I have encountered with the tag “funeral synth” though I feel the project Sophia might fit into more styles that just one. death bows his head and gently weeps​.​. (all lowercase) is a short demo of of ultimate despair. In fact the emotion on this record is boiling to the point of melodrama. While the last sentence feels like it is a criticism, the protracted despair of oozing synth fits the Gothic atmosphere constructing a palace of melancholy and nights that never end. Most of Serpent Sword releases posses the same sort of vampiric DIY aesthetic and Sophia is no different with its weep for a 100 years approach to synth.

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Clavus – Rebus Paranormalibus [Switzerland, Raw Black] (2020)

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Self Released | 6-2-20

I believe this is the the sound of vampires at least vampires who have been locked away in rotting mansion for the past century. Clavus is Swiss act who presents black metal akin to a box of bats that is wrapped in moldy linens. All of this sublimates in an experience which is hypnotic in its execution and absolutely devilish for people who enjoy this type of sound. This release also comes on limited CDR for anyone interested in fleshing out their underground CD collection. I sort of wish this was on tape but I can only expect so much from a lonely vampire.

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Haudh – Grave Tales [US, Dungeon Synth / Dark Ambient] (2020)

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Self Released | 5-29-20

Well, this is certainly bleak. I do not know if anyone was suppose to listen to this or if this is music made for ghosts. Haudh is a Us based artist who has tagged Grave Tales as “Funeral Synth.” While I do not think we are quite there for that tag to be relevant, searching through Bandcamp does return a handful of simular looking releases all with a gothic lo-fi aesthetic. Perhaps this will be a thing. Regardless, Grave Tales is a 30 minute fall into a world of morbid fascination complete with wandering synth and a grand feeling of lost splendor which is quite effective. Look at me go search through more funeral synth records.

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Gravesend – Preparations for Human Disposal [US, Black / Grind] (2020)

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Stygian Black Hand | 6-5-20

Gravesend maybe releasing at an opportune time as the world descends into bleaker futures. Preparations for Human Disposal is the debut (?) demo (?) for Brooklyn based black/grind/death(?) outfit that channels centuries of urban misery into a 14 minute release that is boiling with rage and riffs. The band’s Instagram sports photos of structural decay which is fitting as the music sounds like demolished buildings and the stress or claustrophobia. This is a ruinous release that could be a personal totem for uncertain times. Whatever you use it for, the force and effectiveness of the music comes at the listener like a cinder block dropped off of a burned out building.

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Mari Lwyd – Future King [Wales, Dungeon Synth] (2020)

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Gondolin Records | 3-31-20

Even though I have been seeing Gondolin Record releases in the recent past, I feel it is time to fully recognize this label as something unique. Gondolin Records is a label based in Denmark that unearths dungeon synth of the last 10 years as well as presents newer lesser known acts. The most important aspect of Gondolin is their brilliant graphic design which unifies all releases with the same layout and array of tints. Though their tapes are usually sold out the moment they releases, one cant still page through their catalog and see familiar names like Murgrind, Fairy Ring, and An Old Sad Ghost as well as new names like Mari Lwyd. Arcane and courtly, Future King offers a slightly lofi medieval landscape that is full of wonder and serene magic. Now I am going to have to start collecting apes from this label or atleast keep up with tier releases so I do not miss out on tapes.

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Profane Oath – Unholy Hymns [Italy, Black / Thrash] (2020)

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Ancient Entity Records | 7-5-20

The more I spend time with this record, the more I love it. Profane Oath follows a very familar template when it comes to their approach to heavy metal. Surrendering to the style of black / thrash, Profane Oath has bought into the sounds, image, and general lifestyle of black/thrash with an EP that could make its idols blush with its dedication. This becomes apparent when looking at the cover with a guitar pretruding fromt he mouth of Christ and songs like “Possessed By Quorthon.” Unholy Hymns is not going to break any genre barriers anytime soon but for now it is a six pack and a party of a time and everyone should love being here.

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