Til Det Bergens Skyggene - Vandringen I (Skogslandskap)

After I reviewed Til Det Bergens Skyggene's self-titled album, the artist contacted me, and very kindly sent me his three currently unreleased cassettes Renhet I, II, and Vandringen I (Skogslandskap).  The former two tapes are quite good, very original and experimental, however the latter tape, the artist's most recent, is something else entirely.  The moment I started listening I knew I was in for a glorious journey, and so has it been every time since.  I would've reviewed this fantastic, nostalgic, pure symphony of dreamland much sooner, although I was hoping to do so once it was released, to hopefully get it more sales and listeners.  The artist told me, however, that due to some technical difficulties in dubbing the tapes, it would likely be a while until they were released, and whether or not readers of this blog have access to it at the moment, I still feel it absolutely needs some words to be said about it.

If the self-titled cassette of Til Det Bergens Skyggene had any problems, they are absolutely addressed and surpassed here.  The music never seems to fall into heavy repetition, and yet the craftsmanship is evident, that so much thought went into every riff.  In fact, this short cassette even transcends some of the best dungeon synth in that it has managed to create a tone and atmosphere that is distant and relaxed enough to allow the listener's mind to wander, exploring the visual landscape that grows out of the atmosphere of the music, an important trait that all good dungeon synth should have; but then what makes these songs so wonderful is that they are also complex and active enough that close focus upon the music itself is moving and enjoyable, something which most dungeon synth fails to achieve.  Somehow Voldsom has managed to achieve the contemplative serenity which distinguishes the genre without resorting to excessive repetition or simplicity.   

The sound of the synths themselves could not be more perfect.  It is clear that the artist has a love for the sounds of such instruments, the deep, strange, otherworldly quality that can transport a listener to undiscovered vistas.  I wouldn't just recommend this tape to listeners of dungeon synth, I would also highly recommend it to people who love synthesizers in general.  Of course I mean vintage synths, from the eighties and nineties, but I'm not sure people who dislike such sounds could even be called "synth lovers."  This short span of slightly less than a half-hour of music is a feast of the mysterious warbling, shimmering, groaning, and crystalline sounds of these electronic gateways to the mystical realms.  One could look at the synthesizer as a mere machine, or as a mere instrument, depending primarily on the craftsmanship of the maker or the skill of the musician, however that is not how I see it, and I believe that is also not how Voldsom sees it.  To me, I think the synthesizer is a doorway into an unknown and alien landscape, discovered rather than created, like the monolith discovered by the apes in 2001: A Space Odyssey.  Too many people have failed to recognize what can be seen through the blurry window of these "vintage" instruments, moving on to the "new" sounds.  Artists like Til Det Bergens Skyggene instead stick around and attempt to clean that window, to give us a better view into that fantastic place, which of course can only truly be described through music, making my task of putting it into words quite difficult.  

This album makes you think, but it is also tremendously enjoyable to listen to.  It is the kind of music that you would have no problem listening to several times in a row.  And still, it's the kind of work that I highly doubt would ever get worn down and forgotten (even though that is ironically part of the atmosphere, that it feels like a faded, dusty tome in hidden corner of an attic of a deceased great-grandparent).  It is filled with such great longing, such profound memories, such yearning nostalgia, that I doubt anyone could not feel the bittersweet memories that never were, as fleeting and powerful as one's imaginary memories in a dream.

I apologize if my praise might seem a bit over-the-top, but even though I've given this tape plenty of listens, I'm still somewhat caught off guard by it.  To my ears it stands tall next to the greats of the early nineties, Mortiis and Wongraven, and I was honestly not expecting this genre to ever progress in such a way.  Though I don't believe the artist has too much influence from other dungeon synth musicians, I think it is still quite clear that he is tapping into the same vein, and coming in from that different angle has perhaps given him an advantage, creating very original and magical sounds within this style.  I must also apologize for whetting your appetites, since I know very few readers will have any access to this work.  I suggested to Voldsom, if he could not release it physically, that he might consider releasing it online, and he made it quite clear to me that this was unacceptable, not only sticking to the old ways of vintage synths but also the nostalgia physically tangible music.  So, keep an eye out for the release of this tape, and I guarantee you will not be disappointed in purchasing it. 

Interview with Abandoned Places

Andrew: You have just released a new album, so could you tell the readers of this blog a bit about it, and perhaps a bit about Abandoned Places as well?

Abandoned Places: I have just released my second album, titled With the Dead, in the Language of the Dead. Like my first album it is a collection of dark fantasy synth pieces, often dissonant, played with various rich and nostalgic FM-synthesis timbres.

Andrew: What country are you based in? Is the question of locality even meaningful for a genre like this?

Abandoned Places: I live in the United States. The question of locality in music only has relevance if the genre is pervasive enough to spawn regional varieties (i.e. Colombian brutal death metal, southern hip-hop). Given the scarcity of dungeon synth artists I doubt the question is relevant, but perhaps someday it will be.

Andrew: Are there any artists you can point to as being primary influences for your music?

Abandoned Places: My primary influences are Burzum's two synth albums as well as a lot of music from old DOS RPG and adventure games, specifically Eric Heberling's music for Daggerfall and Aubrey Hodges' music from Quest for Glory 4, but also including a lot of old dungeon crawlers. The foreboding and solemn atmosphere of traveling through dungeons and tombs is very powerful in these games and I have tried to recreate that atmosphere in my work. I attempt this in part by using FM-synthesis timbres similar to those used by such games - FM-synthesis creates very deep, complex tones that I prefer to sampled instrument sounds. Although Mortiis is the progenitor of dungeon music outside of games, I had not heard his work until after releasing my first album, and it took me by surprise. Compared to the grim severity of Burzum's ambient albums Mortiis' work is lush and expansive, conjuring images of fantasy landscapes more than decrepit underground spaces. I hope to incorporate elements of Mortiis' style into my future work.

Andrew: You bring up a point I have often wondered about, what is the relationship between old rpg/adventure game music and dungeon synth? A lot of it is downright indistinguishable, so at what point should the line be drawn between the two genres? Or should they even be considered separate at all?

Abandoned Places: I'm not interested in making sweeping categorical statements, but I do think that some dungeon synth is more closely related to game music than others. The long tracks of early Mortiis have no parallel in old game music, as far as I know (I would love to hear counterexamples). those pieces exploit long track lengths to project and develop ideas over large spans of time. That kind of long-term structural planning is not relevant within the 2-5 minutes accorded to most game tracks, especially since those tracks are designed to loop. Burzum's two synth albums, on the other hand, tend towards cyclical structures even in the longest tracks, and it's easy to imagine them looping in a VGA dungeon. I do not believe that one method is superior to the other, and I believe they represent two extremes of a continuum rather than a binary choice. I'm sure there are dungeon synth artists and video game soundtracks that lie on all possible points within this continuum, and I suspect I'm oversimplifying the issue anyway. The two Abandoned Places albums currently available lie closer to the "Burzum" end of the continuum (shorter pieces, cyclical forms) but I plan to explore longer forms in the future.

Andrew: Even though the sounds of your synths have the nostalgic quality of those old games, your music is certainly more dissonant. In fact I'd even say it's more dissonant than Burzum's first ambient album. Why did you choose to make your music so dark and distressing?

Abandoned Places: The harmonic palette I'm most interested in working with for Abandoned Places is highly chromatic but still tonal. I often (not always) find purely diatonic or modal music cloying to listen to and unfulfilling to write. I chose to make the music dark, inspired by the music I mentioned earlier, and befitting my conception of "dungeon music" or music for a harsh fantasy realm. While I accept your interpretation, I intend the music to be not "distressing" but austere.

Andrew: How important is complexity and musical theory to your work? And also what do you think about the simplicity seen in most dungeon synth albums, considering that some of it is intentional minimalism, but most just derives from lack of musical knowledge and experience? Do you think anything of unique value can be found in the work of raw instinct and naivete?

Abandoned Places: My work is pretty simple, as is the dungeon synth that inspires me (and maybe all dungeon synth). In dungeon synth it can be difficult to determine if simplicity is due to intent, or ineptitude, or knowing imitation of ineptitude. All these approaches are valid - the result is what matters. Ineptitude can result in unusual musical choices, some of which are very good, because "failures" can become new creative avenues to explore and the inept are likely to "fail" often.

Andrew: A lot of your song titles appear to be fantasy names made up by yourself (unless I'm not recognizing the references). What can you tell us about those? Is that just for the concept of the music, or do they have some deeper meaning or use for you?

Abandoned Places: Some of the titles are invented or drawn from literature, but most are locations from old DOS RPGs. In some cases I have not actually played the games, only consulted their maps to find inspiring or fitting titles. I use the titles to evoke an atmosphere of fantasy, not for any specific connotations they might have.

Andrew: What are your thoughts on physical music vs. downloadable music? And what about piracy?

Abandoned Places: As an artist, downloadable music is much easier to deal with than physical music, though I can't deny a certain pleasure in holding a physical copy of one's work. As a consumer, I have purchased music in both formats. I suspect that as time goes on the relevance of physical releases will continue to wane and I have no problem with that. While I offer all my music for free at my site, I have nonetheless seen it pirated occasionally. These pirates do me a service by helping my music reach more dungeon synth listeners and I am grateful for their efforts on my behalf. I know that if it were not for piracy I would not have heard several of the albums on your list. I think that if dungeon synth is to survive (and I believe it will flourish) it will be in no small part due to the pirates who help preserve these obscure gems for future artists and listeners.

Andrew: Do you have any future plans for Abandoned Places?

Abandoned Places: I will continue exploring the possibilities of the genre and releasing more albums. At some point I may consider releasing physical versions of my work, but digital versions will always be available pay-what-you-will at my site.

Andrew: Any final words?

Abandoned Places: Thank you for the interview and for your invaluable contributions to this music.

Andrew: The pleasure was all mine.


The albums of Abandoned Places can be downloaded at any price and quality here.

On the Topic of Lifestyle

If this genre is to grow and define itself, and not live in the shadow of black metal and ambient music, how much emphasis needs to be put on being "true" to the genre? That emphasis on exclusivity seems to be what made black metal such a phenomenon, but on the flip side seems to be what made it such a trend of mimicry. Many of the black metal pioneers bemoaned what black metal evolved into, and I'm sure many of you reading this blog are disillusioned with that genre today, cherishing primarily the albums of the early 90's. What separated those artists from the thousands making black metal today is that they were extremely individualistic, carrying on the torch of genuine obscurity and originality. Today it's just a bunch of kids plugging the notes into a prescribed formula, staying true. So then is a trend what occurs when one emphasizes the orthodox aspects of a genre, or are those things separate, meaning that black metal died in trendiness and stagnation for another reason?

To rigidly proclaim what dungeon synth is and who plays it, as seems to be my primary goal in this blog, is very important to get recognition of this genre. However, I often wonder if that might be sowing the seeds for stagnation, assuming dungeon synth continues into the future. So what I wonder is whether dungeon synth might be inherently individualistic enough and unappealing to the mainstream enough that it might be able to avoid the pitfalls black metal fell into and still emphasize the "trueness" and exclusivity of its nature, thereby standing out and not getting re-engulphed into these larger genres from which it has possibly now emerged.

Perhaps dungeon synth is above all this jogging suit vs. corpse paint nonsense, in which case I'm probably at fault for bringing it up. But still, there's another interesting point, should there be concern for the imagery of the artists themselves? Mortiis obviously went above and beyond in this regard, and I expect his troll get-up set the tone for more listeners than just myself. Should dungeon synth artists unite in this regard, dressing up as fantasy characters perhaps? I can only imagine that would cause the genre to be the butt of many jokes for those who don't particularly have a taste for it. Perhaps the "look" of dungeon synth could be not showing one's face at all, like a god who is fully present in the world's creation and circumstances but never visible. Or perhaps it should be a "come as you are" sort of thing, treating the genre as a more respectable and detached art, like literature.

And that brings me to my next point. Should dungeon synth continue in the metal tradition of using fantastical, pagan, or blasphemous pseudonyms for the artists? It would seem a good way to show its metal roots and allegiances, however black metal is one of the primary genres that it should be looking to detach from. Should dungeon synth attempt to seem more mature and adult, avoiding the showiness that is so akin to modern entertainment? Could we even say that dungeon synth is more adult, considering that it has far less aggression but far more escapist tendencies. And then what of band t-shirts and merchandise and that sort of thing? Should dungeon synth be something one wears, openly and with pride, or is that "walking-billboard" mentality something that should be looked down upon as childish and too akin to the "hamburger culture" that many of these sorts of genres reject?

I've been asking a lot of questions here, and while I do have personal opinions, I don't think it's my role to dictate what direction I think this genre should go, however I also wish that it would be open to exploration, or else stagnation would seem inevitable. I think it all comes down to whether we would like this genre to become a lifestyle of some kind, and if so what that may be, or should it rather be a fantasy completely detached from day-to-day experience, only residing in the lone wanderings of our imagination? Or perhaps dungeon synth will remain obscure to the point that this question will never be relevant to the current time, which might not be such a bad thing either, as long as there are still a few isolated black wizards to carry and pass down the torch.

I would very much like to hear the thoughts that you various dungeon synth listeners might have on this topic.

Lord Lovidicus - Trolldom

Lord Lovidicus is amazing. This artist seems to have the exact dungeon synth mood, pure fantasy atmosphere reached through naïve minimalism, and there is so much of it, and nobody seems to have noticed. The synths are grimy and ancient sounding, and the recording quality is at that perfect medium between crusty lo-fi atmosphere and clear listenability. Undoubtedly this artist is prolific, and so there might be a bit too much to digest in a couple listens. I'd recommend people give this album a few spins first before moving on to the other ones, though it's certainly worth your while to check those out too. They can all be found here. Unfortunately, they are all 128 kbps; however, through some email correspondence with Crow, the guy behind this music, he said that he might upload them at a higher quality sometime down the road.

But back to this album. These fantastic keys bring one's mind to thoughts of unrestful crypts, labyrinthine forests, and rotting castles. LL has a technique of building up tense riffs and then dropping off to an isolated string melody, which has an extremely majestic sound, the kind that brings goosebumps, assuming one has created the proper set and setting for appreciating fantasy art.

It's difficult to point to specific influences for LL, which is quite a good thing. I'd say, based on the cover songs of various albums and the general vibe, video game music plays a strong role (it is named after an Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion character, after all), but there are quite a few Burzum covers as well. I see no Mortiis covers, though the atmosphere feels strongly similar to me. Overall, I'd say LL is a very unique artist, despite the cover songs; there is no single musician I can point to as having his sound. In fact, I'd say LL has managed to capture a very pure form of the dungeon synth spirit for this point in time. It's something instinctual, in my opinion, and I think Crow has tapped into the main vein of whatever that spirit is.

It's "magical castle music," if the term "dungeon synth" couldn't properly describe it. There's no hesitation in my saying that this could not more strongly encapsulate what dungeon synth is. This genre has artists, but it needs listeners, people to appreciate the lonely mystical majesty. I know there must be those out there who have yet to encounter the music of their soul, the fantastic dirges of dreamland, which beckon the listener into the forgotten misty twilight. If that sounds like you, why not give this album a few spins?

Take part in the battles of the imagination, the mystic spells summoning forth unknown ghosts of the castle, which itself was built in times long forgotten. And also take part in the joyous moments of victory and revelry, at least as far back as the ancient tales can recall them. Even though this album is composed with "modern" keyboards, the sound is as ancient and decayed as a crumbling tower, and the atmosphere is just as mysterious and magical.

This is what it's about, folks.

Wojnar - Kiedy Duch Wojny Nade Mna Powstanie

As I hear it, this is one of the truest examples of Eastern dungeon synth. It is triumphant, pagan, prideful, cheesy as hell, endearing as hell, lo-fi, atmospheric, and throughout most of the album the artist is intoning some dramatic Slavonic gibberish. I'm making fun a bit, but this record has long been one of my favorites in the genre. In fact, this is one of the first few artists playing in the "dungeon" style that I discovered after Mortiis. Someone new to this genre might find everything about this to be laughable, but for those who are open-minded enough to hold back the chuckles, you shall find this album to be very profound and moving. The synths maintain a consistent tone, and yet they manage to be quite dynamic throughout, slowly changing between moods of solemn contemplation, honoring some forgotten pagan sun-father, to emotions of pure ancient victory, and sometimes down to stoic melancholy. Though the vocals will initially strike the listener as quite overdramatic, the enthusiasm and seriousness is extremely contagious, and one will find themselves nodding to these seemingly-ancient pagan hymns within less than ten minutes.

I'm going to review this as an English-speaking listener, without looking up a translation (I'm not sure if one exists) because that has always been suitable enough for me to enjoy this album for quite a few years. I don't understand a single word, and yet it all seems to make sense to me, as if it's calling out to some instinctual yearning of the indo-European mind for dense forests, snow-covered battlefields, and icons of myth and monstrosity.

Without knowledge of the lyrics, identifying exactly what this is about is impossible, but I sense it's about something gravely important. It seems to me a desperate attempt to resurrect the pagan sentimentality, true honor of oneself and the gods of battle and northern archetypes. I'd say, like Wongraven, this is one of those albums where, if one gives it their full attention, it's nearly impossible not to get swept up in the grandiose vision. It moves slowly, but in a way that is necessary. It manages to fill its ambient boots perfectly, being as slow-paced as they come, and yet somehow never seeming boring.

I'm going to, without a doubt, go so far as to say this is one of the absolutely necessary dungeon synth albums. Is Mortiis or Wongraven better? Perhaps, but I think this album is almost just as important, if not only for serving as an example of the essence of the Eastern style of dungeon synth. This is one of those albums where, if one is listening to it and doing nothing else, it's best experienced by letting one's mind drift where it may until the album reins it in (and it certainly will). This is the kind of album that is hard to do justice to. It is both as primitive as can be, and yet fantastically majestic. Everyone with even a fleeting interest in this kind of epic keyboard music should listen to it.

What is it about? I find that this seems to be an important question while listening myself, and yet I sense that it is open-ended. One can see within the majesty and pride of this record whatever strikes the individual listener as deserving of honor. Or perhaps one can listen to it as a representation of honor and pride itself…

It's minimalistic, no doubt about that, but it is the sort of sparseness that allows for a clear focus upon the only things that matter, and so the powerful melodies which carry the music waste not a single note in their goal to bring the listener's mind to a place of epic mythological power. Even the melodies themselves could be called simplistic, and yet it is this same simplicity which resonates within our spirits at an instinctual level, a mood which many artists fail to reach due to insecurity and unjustified complexity (or, most often, simply a lack of vision). Often the most profound statements are those said in simple, straightforward terms, of the human experience that is lost in the unimportant details.

But that is certainly not to say this album functions so well because it is minimalistic. This album is so good because it has spirit. That is ultimately what so many artists fail to reach and so many listeners fail to recognize. That is the reason why black metal was once so great, and is now long since dead, despite having the same sort of sound, and true spirit is why dungeon synth remains appreciated by only a small group of listeners who understand the soul of the art. Wojnar's early works are fantastical, primitive, and majestic, and shall only be honored by those who are the worthy inheritors of the magic born from black metal's ashes.

Interview with Tiwaz of Gvasdnahr

Andrew: What artists/albums most influenced you to create the music of Gvasdnahr?

Tiwaz: When I first started out, I only knew about Mortiis, Burzum, and later Wongraven. I guess all of the Mortiis Era 1 albums were the main influence, even though I don't really think my music sounds much like Mortiis at all. Later on I discovered more bands in the genre. Most of which I discovered on your blog, actually. And I think pretty much every band that I like has been somewhat of an influence, especially on Through Mists and Ruins.

Andrew: What is the inspiration for the concepts of the songs you make?

Tiwaz: Different things. On the first album, a few songs were inspired by Norse mythology, which can be seen on some of the song titles. Some songs were inspired by nature and the cosmos, and Mortiis, as I already mentioned. It's not a very dark album. Skymning EP might be a bit darker, but it was inspired by pretty much the same things.
On Through Mists and Ruins, I drew some inspiration from some newly discovered dungeon synth artist, but most ideas came from my own imagination, moods, and images that I pictured in my mind. Which is fantasy, I guess.

Andrew: On the subject of fantasy, do you have any interests in fantasy outside of this music? Novels? Paintings? RPG games (tabletop or video games)?

Tiwaz: I play Dungeons & Dragons with some friends a couple of times a month, and I've been pretty hooked to The Elder Scrolls V lately. I used to play Warcraft III a lot in the past as well, but I never got into that whole MMORPG thing.
I used to read a lot of H.P. Lovecraft stories online a few years ago, and I still have a pretty deep interest in his Mythos although I currently don't read anything.

Andrew: What do you think of this genre as it is currently? There are obviously not many listeners, but do you think that is changing at all?

Tiwaz: I think most of the best works in the genre was made in the 90's. There are some great releases from the last decade though, but I only know of one or two other bands who's currently active in making music in this genre.
I think it might slowly be growing in popularity, thanks to the Internet. Be it for better or worse.

Andrew: Where would you like to see the genre go in the next five or ten years? And where would you hope to see Gvasdnahr in that context?

Tiwaz: It's my wish that it would remain somewhat shrouded in mystery, and I think it will. It may have crawled out of the shadows just a bit lately thanks to the internet, but I think it still mostly only attracts the rare type of people who's got the right mindset and who will come to understand the music and it's meanings, and I wish it would keep doing so. When I start thinking about it, I think this kind of music simply can't become hugely popular. Because I don't think most "regular" people can find any attractiveness in it.
It's hard to tell where Gvasdnahr will be at that time really. I hope some more people will come to enjoy my music of course. More Gvasdnahr will surely come, but I don't know when, or what it will sound like at this point. Probably colder and darker, as it seems to be heading that way.

Andrew: I think I quite agree with you, that this kind of music needs a certain amount of obscurity for the atmosphere to be effective. More on the topic of your own music, how do you feel about your past three releases individually, "Gvasdnahr," "Skymning EP," and your recent one, "Through Mists and Ruins?"

Tiwaz: I think "Gvasdnahr" is a pretty light album, and I don't think it's very exhausting or difficult to listen to. I hadn't found my style yet when I made the songs for it, so It's a bit experimental and the songs are pretty varying in tone and style. I think Skymning EP is darker, but still has a similar tone as on Gvasdnahr. Some time after the release of Skymning EP, my Roland D-5, which I had used for both releases started to break down and became more or less unusable. I didn't feel like spending money on a new synthesizer or keyboard, so I started looking for some other ways of making music. I eventually tried out working with some VST software synths, and that's what I used when I composed the songs for Through Mists and Ruins. Even though it's not recorded with a keyboard, I think it's probably the best Gvasdnahr album so far. It's got a few parts with some "heroic" orchestral like sound, but it's also darker and colder than the previous releases, which is something I like a lot.

Andrew: How do you feel about politics in dungeon synth? Specifically I'm thinking of the "aryan" ideas that a lot of the Eastern bands seem to have, but I'm also curious whether you think there's a place for politics at all in this kind of music?

Tiwaz: I've never been one to meddle in politics, and I certainly wouldn't involve it in my music. I think there are better ways to express ones political views (of any sort) than to do it through music, and especially through this genre. Perhaps it fits in some other genres, but I personally don't think it should have anything to do with dungeon synth.

Andrew: How about religion and spirituality? You said there was an inspiration from Norse mythology in your first couple releases, do you have personal spiritual thoughts or practices in regard to these pagan things? Do you have any strong feelings about occultism, Satanism, or Christianity?

Tiwaz: I'm not religious, and I'm certainly not very spiritual either. But I'm very interested in Asatru and other pagan religions, and I have great respect for it. However, my interest in paganism is not limited to just European paganism. I have great respect for Native American traditions as well for example, and the Ancient Egyptian religion is fascinating. I enjoy Native American traditional music a lot, and I can even enjoy some traditional oriental music as well from time to time. I have a little bit of interest in pretty much all ancient religions and civilizations that predates christianity.
I don't really have any thoughts about occultism. It might be interesting to read up on some of it some time, but I wouldn't go any further than that.
Like many others, when I first got into black metal, I was also pretty into all that Satanist business even though I didn't know anything about it. I grew tired of it pretty quickly though and realized that I did it only because the sudden exposure from black metal with all its satanic imagery, macabre song and album titles and raw music had made Satanism seem like some really fascinating think to me at the time.
While I still may dislike christianity, I have no problem with christians as long as they don't preach in public and tries to shove their belief down anyones throat.

Andrew: What are your feelings about black metal in relation to this style of music? Do you think it has too much influence, or perhaps provides a sort of isolated "sanctuary" for dungeon synth?

Tiwaz: I've always felt that dungeon synth has a connection to black metal for sure. The second wave especially. Seeing as all of the first dungeon synth artists I heard either were, or had been black metal musicians.
I kind of think of dungeon synth as a lone, ancient castle, hidden in a dark desolate corner in the shadow of black metal. Only a few knows it's there. And out of those few who dares to enter, only a few is capable of finding it's treasure.

Andrew: That seems a very nice note to end on. I thank you very much for the interview. Do you have any final words?

Tiwaz: I think that's all from me, for now. Thanks."

Abandoned Places - Lost Paths Remembered in Dream

I want to make this clear, from the beginning of the review, since I plan to wax eloquent about it, that I do not like this album. I apologize for saying this, since I think this album is a sincere and compelling exploration of the dungeon mood. In fact, on my first few listens I was honestly conflicted as to whether this is actually dungeon synth. It is. It is medieval, lo-fi, fully synth, minimalistic, still entirely musical, and the themes are clearly about escapism, although to a place this genre has previously seldom explored. It is, so far, the most "dungeon" sounding album I've heard within the genre, in the sense that it evokes hopelessness and dread like no other. I apologize that it's been so long since I've done a review, however the reason is mostly because I've had a hard time wrapping my head around this work and coming to an opinion that does it justice. Yes, I've said I don't like it, but that is not to say it's a bad album, only difficult and strenuous to the extreme. Many might say they enjoy climbing mountains, but few would say they enjoy imagining medieval torture in great detail. I'm afraid that's what we have here; it is the music of a literal dungeon, but to discount it on that basis seems absurd, since that is, after all, the name of the genre.

The beginning is fascinating in its dissonance, truly delving into the grimy depths of a medieval fantasy. Still, when we arrive to songs like "Thorwal," we realize this is an endurance test, which I’m not so sure is a bad thing. After all, most beauty sticks out primarily because of contrast from prior experience, and perhaps painful horrific ugliness should be beautiful in a strange way that we've yet to come to terms with. Is that not, after all, one of the goals of dungeon synth, to delve into the blackest and darkest depths and find the beauty within? The problem is, this album does little in helping you, the listener, to find the beauty. I think that's where the main problem lies, in that it's almost all dissonance and ugliness; there is practically nothing to hook the listener into the fantasy, apart from occasional moments in a couple songs. It's entirely up to the listener to find the beauty in the ugliness.

And so it makes me curious, is the goal of dungeon synth to make the fantasy of the grimiest depths of dungeon synth beautiful? Is it to specifically show the listener that these concepts can be profound? "Caves of Anbari" is almost like an oasis in this album, performing that perfect goal, while providing a safe haven against the pain and suffering that the listener will encounter before and after that track. It's hard. It's hard as hell. But I want you all to listen to it. Treat it as a journey into the darkest depths of the foulest crypts, where your very soul is in danger, where your mind is at risk of never returning.

This album is almost the complete opposite of the last one I reviewed. While that one might've suffered slightly from a consistent mood of "epic wandering," this one suffers from a consistently "horrific" feeling (which is much more trying on the listener than the former). It would be useful in a roleplaying game, visiting various dark caverns and tombs, however, for the everyday listener, it doesn't provide the emotional satisfaction one might receive from the artists with asterisks on my dungeon synth list, for instance.

In terms of the production, the instruments are spot on. Each one has a very "dungeon synth" sound and quality, which is one of the reasons it's been so hard to dismiss, and I'm sure lovers of the pure sound of such synths would agree with me. The performance seems to be, from my ears, entirely midi, which makes it sound quite a bit more lifeless, possibly fitting the mood of torture, however I think this album would've been benefited by human performance rather than programming.

I have little more to say. If you have the bravery and endurance to explore the blackest realms of dungeon synth, here's the link: http://abandonedplaces.bandcamp.com/