DS1e / DS2e — An adventure into dungeon synth of the 1990’s and 2000’s as it grew out of ambient, neoclassical, darkwave, medieval, and underground metal. Presented as retrospective album reviews and given edition numbers like RPG rulebooks.

At the moment, the entire work of German dark ambient / dungeon synth project Vinterriket is cataloged on his website. In this catalog are links to webpage discographies and also ever social media and music cataloging site that many have forgotten. This meticulous attention to detail is the hallmark of a creator who has been operating for 20 years creating various tributes to fantastical landscapes. Throughout the 2000s, Vinterriket’s creator, Christoph Ziegler, would lend his talents to various dark ambient, neofolk, martial industrial, and atmospheric black metal acts. If one would go back to the genesis of a long and sprawling career, it would be a chilly inaugural demo and the start of the record label Neodawn Productions.

…Gjennom Tеkete Skogen is dark ambient music that sounds at home in a dungeon. This music typifies the type of sound before it even had a name but perhaps appealed to fantasy inclined listeners who were interested in playing necromancers in Dungeons and Dragons. The ominous synth are pipe organs which rise out of castle spires as they pound through whipping rain. the demos opener “På Tåkete Enger Og Myrer” (On Misty Meadows And Marshes) acts as an overture to the dammed with the addition of wind samples which muddy its soundscape. The atmosphere created by Vinterriket is an inhospitable world which could be called winter synth if that winter was wet and still freezing cold.

If Murgrind is good at anything it is rolling out the carpet for their releases. Murgrind is the creation of Sven Strack who has also created other dungeon synth projects such as Draped in Shadows, Haryon, Arath, and runs the label Uralte Herrschaft Productions. Murgrind’s 2013 record Journey Through The Mountain was an important artifact in the early days of the dungeon synth revival and subsequent works have been met with a deep admiration and regal fanfare. The Power of Yourself might be the fourth full length in almost a decades worth of existence but each release from the artist commands a few years worth of attention.

The Power of Yourself, at a staggering, one hour running time, is a cinematic experience which transcends what most people would think of dungeon synth. Nowhere is there any hints of bedroom production rather widescreen fantasy orchestras which put the listener in the role of adventurer and conqueror over dark shadowy mountains. This is what Murgrind does the best which is spend years creating a campaign world for its listener. Each record might come with a long procession but the experience with each release is undeniable in both craft and execution.

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.

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