2020

moss witch – spells from the ground and the dirt [US, Dungeon Synth] (2020)

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Self Released | 8-12-20

“hand-dubbed, low quality small run of 5 tapes. a portion of proceeds will be donated to mutual aid funds. includes a bonus track. only shipping within the united states for now. really sorry about that – if you order from somewhere else, I’ll refund the money.”

Everything about this is charming. Moss Witch most certainly sold out to the 5 people who were lucky enough to get it and perhaps this will be one of the legendary tapes that circulate the DS market. Even in digital form, the debut demo from Moss Witch is a charming lo-fi stroll through blurred gardens that has all of its rough edges on display for people to marvel. From the obvious hand made quality of its physical medium to the sound of the composer hitting stop on the recording, Spells From The Ground and the Dirt is a 7 and a half minute view into a hazy greenhouse tended by a crone or hermit who loves their plants. I humorously enjoy the times when DS has small batch tapes but the charm of Moss Witch transcends any jokes I can make about 5 hand dubbed cassettes since the music is so magical and comforting.

Sulfure – Neurotisme [Canada, Black] (2020)

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Self Released | 8-15-20

I am excited beyond belief for this demo. Not only is it blistering black metal from Canada but it is also the debut demo from a elf released entity. These are all things which this site strives to showcase and Neurotisme could be the embodiment of this mission as it gallops on spectral horses to trample its listeners. Rather than let a sound run itsway through 3 or four tracks, Sulfure continues to confound its listeners with multiple tracks of snaking black metal that slithers its way through a dynamic landscapes of rot and ruin. This is a release that will live in memory if for nothing else than it is sure to haunt its listeners.

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

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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.