Lord Orots – Mors Solum Initium [US, Dungeon Synth] (2020)

The Obsidian Order | 5-6-20

I am going to give it to Lord Orots. This is quite alright. It takes a lot of confidence to put yourself in a cloak and a Halloween mask on the cover of your 25 edition tape. It takes a lot of confidence and trust in your audience to ignore any criticism and just go with the music. Mors Solum Initium goes with the music with an EP of old school dungeon synth that aside from being slightly repetitive, achieves the mood and atmosphere desired by so many cloaked devotees. The Obsidian Order is a US based tape label that seems to be going for the strange and wild with a roster full of dark ambient and noise releases that when put side by side, makes Mors Solum Initium perhaps the most melodic. I am going to give it to Lord Orots, this is quite alright.

Kaptain Carbon

Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.

Walther – Songs from Windhelm [Germany, Dungeon Synth] (2020)

Self Released | 5-4-20

I have no idea of the title of this release is in relation to the location in Skyrim, but I am going to guess it is. I have no idea since the rest of track titles are in German and do not directly point to video games for inspiration. This is all okay since Walther (Bard’s Leap) gives us a full release of light classical dungeon synth which wafts through open windows in stately manors. I would be hesitant to put this under the same sort of court music that is a favored style among other musicians as Songs from Windhelm is narcotic and enticing but interesting enough to keep one from falling asleep. This is the first release from Bard’s Leap and I am hoping for more to come out of this palatial estate of dreams.

Kaptain Carbon

Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.

Celestial Conjuration – Demo II [Australia, Black / Dungeon Synth] (2020)

Self Released | 5-3-20

I did it! I found a release that is almost 50/50 split between dungeon synth and black metal which will go great on this site since that is what I do. Celestial Conjuration was found through dungeon synth channels though by all rights, this is an atmospheric black record that is draped in the heavy cloaked of astral synth. In fact, one of the tags for this record is “astral depression” which I never knew I needed until now. Yes, this record is far from produced and perhaps only speaks to like 4 people who will enjoy it but those four people (myself included) are on a shamanistic journey of absolute melancholy.

Kaptain Carbon

Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.

Runecaster – The Scarlet Kingdom [UK(?), Dungeon Synth] (2020)

Cosmic Ocean | 5-1-20

I think it was listening to the track “Scrying at The Clear Fountain,” that I went from mildly pleased with The Scarlet Kingdom to purchasing the tape and getting really excited over this act. Imagine my surprise to learn that this is the second tape this year for Runecaster as it continues the jaunty synthscapes of the debut but in a more mellow dreamlike kingdom. In fact, Runecaster’s grip on lo-fi lullabies transform The Scarlet Kingdom from a decent idiosyncratic fantasy synth record to one of the better releases of the year. This came out of nowhere and I am trying to stay calm.

Kaptain Carbon

Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.

AMON OBEL – The Night-fearer’s Funeral [Luxembourg, Dungeon Synth] (2020)

Self Released | 4-30-19

I want you to be prepped for ambient noise and a sense of windy unease. AMON OBEL has made a dungeon synth record dedicated and based around the lore of Tolkien. That in of itself is not unique nor even a surprise in a genre steeped in fantasy. What is unique and striking about The Night-fearer’s Funeral is the anxious presentation that mixes dreamy soundscapes with roots of hidden horror. I do not know if it was intended to create a record with Tolkien lore titles and marry them with ghoulish organ synth and wrap it up with a chilly album cover that seeps any warmth from the atmosphere but I will be the first to say, it works and I am ravenous for more.

Kaptain Carbon

Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.

Execration Chamber – White Flames Fading in Spectral Aura [Poland, Dungeon Synth] (2020)

Forgotten Castle Records | 4-28-20

Dungeon synth is dark and sometimes I forget where the genre came from. Dungeon synth in 2020 is whatever the creator wants it to be with an array of styles from the light and airy to the dark and slightly damp. Execration Chamber pays tribute t the spirits of old with a release of plodding dungeon crawlers with hints of majesty. If the spectral cover was not enough indication, Execration Chamber is going to be filled with ghosts, grief, and the memories of a past long gone.

Kaptain Carbon

Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.

Synthosaurus – Gigantic Throne [Germany, Dungeon Synth] (2020)

Self Released | 4-27-20

I am going to preload this review by saying I feel the goofiness of this record is way over the top. This is even accounting for the other Synthosaurus record has a T. Rex playing a synth on the cover. Dungeon synth is not far from comedy but Synthosaurus not only rips the veil of reverence off but paints sparkly dinosaurs on it with glitter glue. Add to this the half baked story of scientists uncovering music recorded by dinosaurs and you ave something that you could probably dispose of or never have encountered in the first place. Perhaps in the only possibly twist of fate, Synthosaurus overcomes their own self imposed hurdles and presents a record so astounding in execution that it is baffling it works. This is not to say the heavy handed sound effects dont make for a chuckle rather, Synthosaurus traverses the prehistoric lands before veils of secrecy and self importance and frolics in the jungles of new age inspired synth in a land that time has forgotten.

Kaptain Carbon

Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.

Avdypet – Kapittel I [Norway, Dungeon Synth] (2020)

Self Released | 4-22-20

Hello, this is wonderful. Avdypet is brand new but but the sounds of the first release, this act has sidestepped, and maybe leaped, over the acceptable bog of lo-fi experimentation and now is trotting through the woods of deep production. Kapittel I sounds established and from its cover to the track lengths and just air of authority, could be a record from one of the modern luminaries of the genre. If you are new to this whole DS thing and wonder what the big deal is, give Kapittel I a moment to spirit you away to a lush firest still wet with the morning dew and outlines of castles in the distance.

Kaptain Carbon

Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.

Old Tower – The Last Eidolon [Netherlands, Dungeon Synth] (2020)

Profound Lore | 4 -24-20

Old Tower was one of dungeon synth’s biggest success stories. From the 2017 release of The Rise of the Specter to the 2017 Bandcamp article, which for a time feature the album cover as its main graphic, to the 2018 release of Stellary Wisdom on Profound Lore, Old Tower seemed to propel from the basement to playing real live shows at real live festivals with real live people. This success story was also cheered on by the community as Old Tower’s music, despite its increasing popularity was never maligned or questioned in terms of authenticity as this Dutch composer paid tribute to dungeon synths history with dark ruminating passages of dungeon dwelling symphonies. The Last Eidolon comes after the composer’s foray into the bleaker dark ambient genre with the result being a slower, darker, more minimalist take on traditional dungeon synth. This is dungeon synth as it is suffocated by dark ambient as the last few regal breathes are consumed by the void.

Kaptain Carbon

Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.

Shau – Voyager [New Zealand, Dungeon Synth] (2020)

Self Released | 4-22-20

This is lovely. Often times, space synth can sound different than dungeon synth as its theme transforms the music into a sci fi landscape of far out sounds. Shau’s Voyaer is dungeon synth at its core with a constellation of other influences ranging from new age to ambient to kosmische musik. The most fascinating part about this whole experience is not the quality of music but how unassuming and humble it comes. With quiet inspiration based on the Voyager missions, these six tracks represent a new plateau in space synth / sci fi DS. I can only imagine what the future is going to sound like.

Kaptain Carbon

Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.