enchantedwoods333 / October 32nd – Fairies Are Real [US, Dungeon Synth / Black Metal] (2023)

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Grimestone Records | 9-28-23

If nothing else I can always count on Grimestone for making weird music. enchantedwoods333 and October 32nd are two artists who do not have many things around the internet regarding any further information. Faeries Are Real is the only release from Grimstone which makes this one instance the only place where these two artists exist. This esoteric gathering is common for some dungeon synth artists and for most of Grimestone’s roster, it is the way they all operate. This makes the unique and left field style of music even more special as it is memorable for people to travel all of this way. With enchantedwoods333 you are getting lofi dungeon synth with distant black metal vocals which stalks its way through the melodies. With October 32nd you are given a perplexing combination of chiptune, instrumental synthpop, and industrial techno which feels like boss music form some weird ass indie game everyone is playing at the moment. This split is truly odd and utterly delightful for anyone who is ready to inhale the weird vapors of the moment.

Nahadoth – Walking Tunes of the Valley Mourners [US, Dungeon Synth] (2023)

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Self Released | 9-8-23

As per usual, this is tagged as dungeon synth but it really is something else entirely. Adam Matlock is the creator of project that around the mid to late 2010’s people would recognize including Conqueror’s Mourn, Pendragon, and of course Nahadoth. Matlock’s project include a penchant for esoteric instruments and handdrawn album designs and packaging. For the past couple of years things have been quiet with only a few releases from the projects until yesterday. Walking Tunes of the Valley Mourners is the first release of 2023 an entire year since the last full length and whether or not this is the start of more material we shall see but for now we have an entire full length of dungeon synth adjacent music.

Walking Tunes of the Valley Mourners is a conversation between an accordion and lyre. The first provides the long drones which fill the landscape with large strokes while the second provides its highlights. The result is something which feels both traditional and unconventional for the genre of music. There is an inherent sadness which comes with these instruments and the choice to use them only reflects a desire to express melancholy. In fact, Walking Tunes of the Valley Mourners comes with a lengthy piece of text which feels allegorical and only fully known to its creator.

Nahadoth is no stranger to more common sounding dungeon synth as their past catalog would prove yet this body of work would also show someone who isn’t really apart of any sound. Matlock is a composer of many things and dungeon synth was a style in which they participated in and had much success. Walking Tunes of the Valley Mourners is something else entirely but starting at dungeon synth perhaps makes the most sense for now.

Enchanted Mail – I [Dungeon Synth / Noise] (2023)

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Ithildin Tape Productions | 8-6-21

Allow the noise to wash over me. Ithildin Tape Production has existed since 2022 as a repository for many projects made by US based musician Elminster. Enchanted Mail could be another Elminster project but at this moment it is going to take dedicated research as the roster and releases from Ithildin are many. I am just going to say it is probably another Elminster project. I do not want to disparage the work of Ithildin as for as many releases in their repertoire (60 thus far in 2023), it might not be possible to listen to everything. Ithildin embodies experimentation and with the amount of releases they do, this label / collective / artist pushes the boundaries of dungeon synth. I is the full length from Enchanted Mail which is described as a “Naïve dungeon synth inspired by pen and paper RPGs.” While the subject matter and approach might not be entirely novel, Enchanted Mail’s embrace of decaying noise and corrosive percussion is an interesting addition to the already expanse of sound for the style. The eponymous track “Enchanted Mail” sees the a lush soundscape of dungeon synth fed through a paper shredder and then transcribed through fax machine. Ithildin and their ilk deconstructs the sound of dungeon synth and through many variations and permutations works with the sound as an alchemist would drinking possible poisonous materials.

EL SANTO – El Enmascarado de Plata [US, Dungeon Synth] (2023)

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Dark Sorcery Records | 7-12-23

El Santo is the name of a seemingly one off project from the musician Grimdor. Grimdor makes music under many names and Dark Sorcery Records seems to be a haven for all of the strange magic they do. This releases is inspired and dedicated to Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta, known professionally as El Santo, who was one of the, if not the, most famous Mexican luchadors / actors of all time. El Enmascarado de Plata takes its title from the 1954 horror movie of the same which sees El Santo as “a crime-fighting duo known as El Enmascadero de la Plata, ( The Silver Mask), and his adolescent sidekick Pecas (Freckles), as they take on a murderous Mad Doctor and an evil gang-leader called El Lobo,(The Wolf).” This is usually not the territory of dungeon synth but the care and adoration makes the very broken lofi sounds of the synth come alive with charm and wit. El Enmascarado de Plata might be a one time project unless there is a larger interest in lofi DS venerating wrestling stars of the 50’s and 60s. If that time comes I would be the first in line to buy a ticket.

Midnight Syndicate – Dungeons & Dragons [US, Neoclassical Darkwave] (2003)

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Entity Productions | 9-11-03

The history of Midnight Syndicate and the resulting official licensed soundtrack to the role playing game Dungeons and Dragons is long and dense and utterly fascinating. Midnight Syndicate is an act which was designed to provide cinematic background music for thematic activities such as haunted houses, games, and other festivities. Midnight Syndicate was production music operating entirely as an independent group of enthusiastic composers. they were also shockingly successful with their music being used at theme parks around the world and heavy metal bands like King Diamond using their music as introduction themes for their tours. In 2003 at role playing game convention, the group was approached by Dungeons and Dragons publisher Wizards of the Coast to create a soundtrack to the game which was just releasing its updated third edition otherwise known as 3.5. the resulting record was Dungeons & Dragons, an official soundtrack to the popular role playing game.

I recount the history of Midnight Syndicate, and also point to the related act Nox Arcana, as an example of dungeon synth’s history before it was known as dungeon synth. Midnight Syndicate is tagged as neoclassical darkwave which is a related genre made famous by the act Dead Can Dance and Into The Nursery which combined ethereal, darkwave, and early classical music, into a style of gothic medieval music. Midnight Syndicate took this idea and made it more commercial and cinematic and while that sounds like an artistic slight, the music for Midnight syndicate became something else. Instead of intellectual pondering, the music for Midnight Syndicate became a theme park rides which urged the listener to climb inside and enjoy a ride through haunted and glowing rides. Dungeons and Dragons is over an hour of adventurous music which steps away from the grim and dark tones of past projects. Both song title and music offer the participant a magical world filled with danger, magic, and wonder.

Having a soundtrack to Dungeons and Dragons, within the realm of what we now call dungeon synth is not that novel. Fan tributes to games in 2022 feels like something many composers would gravitate towards. Midnight Syndicate’s history and paperwork as being an official soundtrack to a roleplaying game gives endless intrigue around this release which more interesting than if just a fan tribute. Not only does it show the caliber of professionalism pressed by the act but also the history of Wizards when it was still in its infancy after acquiring the licenses from TSR former publishers of Dungeons and Dragons. Midnight Syndicate is not obscure in the field of dungeon synth, yet I feel their connection to musical escapism and as a strong foundation between the music of the 90s dungeon synth scene and what would eventually become the revival can never be more underlined.

Collapsed Skull – Eternity Maze [US, Punk / Hardcore] (2022)

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This is the type of kickstart I need everyday. All I need is coffee and a swift kick to the jaw. Perhaps one of my favorite aspects of this release is the non sequitur samples that are thrown in to segment the power violence which spills out of its speakers. Collapsed Skull has a good handle on harsh music but also the ability to mesh disparate styles together in some sort of horrid quilt. Both Collapsed Skull and the label Closed Casket Activities seems to be on the same page of presenting hardcore / punk / ??? in the most antisocial and dangerous way possible which is both scary and exciting.

SENTENCED 2 DIE – NO REASON TO LIVE [US, Death] (2022)

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Maggot Stomp Record | 5-18-22

I feel whenever I go to Maggot Stomp, they are going to have a specific sound. Usually when I go to Maggot Stomp, I know I am going to be generally pleased and possibly amazed by most of the things they have to offer. Sentenced 2 Die might have the funniest / odd way of presenting their name but this is part and parcel to a lack of care they have for their image. Yes, their name is kinda cheesy and yes their EP title leaves much to imagination and technically yes, their debut came out in November of 2021, but all of this can be forgotten since the presence of disgusting riffs which doesn’t give a fuck what you think. SENTENCED 2 DIE is being repackaged with different art on a larger label and hopefully all of this spectacle brings in more people as the sound of NO REASON TO LIVE is nothing but a party in a basement where no one cares about anything except for grooving decay.

Contortion – Lapidation of the Synod [US, Death] (2022)

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Self Released | 1-1-22

Contortion and my cat at 5AM have one thing in common: they start with a minute of screaming. Lapidation of the Synod (Wiktionary tells me the first word means “the act of stoning”) is a two-track demo (three if you count the screaming… you should) of deep, deep pummeling death metal. Hey, it’s the first time I’ve used the word “pummeling” to describe a death metal demo this year. Anyway, this demo’s most interesting feature is the vocals, which are more like five-to-seven-second ejections of guttural promise. This is equal parts muttermouth and motormouth, with the vocalist spitting rapid-fire sentiments of fear and hate in between bass-heavy guitar crunches and halfway skanky kick-snare tempos. Like last year’s Exanguinated demo, my main gripe is that I want more.

Lapidation of the Synod by Contortion

Rose Cross – Rosicrucian Song [US, Raw Black] (2022)

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Self Released | 1-17-22

Pull out your copies of Foucault’s Pendulum. Rose Cross is a raw black metal-cum-punk band from Florida that plays three tracks exploring the arcane. In contrast to the more rapid-fire black / punk of bands like Bone Awl or Raspberry Bulbs, Rose Cross is a bit more mid-tempo. “Ceremonies for Ancient Knowledge” is nearly ritualistic, and “Madathanus” could be described as plodding. But that doesn’t mean to imply boredom; check this out for some of that dirty raw black and punk rock sound that just might have strong feelings about prime numbers. The Templars do not hold a stake in Tape Wyrm.

Rosicrucian Song by Rose Cross