This will not be an exhaustive list like the other one,
since to mention all the artists that come close would be far too difficult for
this one blogger. Instead I'll just name
off a few that I think are important, and will likely do further such posts down the road.
Asmorod - Dance in the Winter Fog
I've always wished I could put this on the list, since it is
a personal favorite of mine, and I feel that it is criminally obscure. Still, there are other works which have a
similar amount of metal, sometimes less, which I've said no on, so I need to be
just about it. But this demo tape is
fantastic, lo-fi, grimy, catchy, sloppy, mysterious, and both the black metal
and dungeon synth parts are top notch. I listen to this work all the time and it never seems to get old; I
highly recommend it.
Ildjarn - Hardangervidda
Strange and serene, this album is one of the best
musical interpretations of nature that I've heard. At first glance, it might seem that this
album could not be more dungeon synth, being a fully-synth work from a
previously black metal artist. Still, to
my ears this is not fantasy music, it is nature music, and I mean that about
the music itself, not just the themes revealed in the titles. In that way it has a lot more in common with
the "ice-landscape" sort of ambient music that is also closely
associated with black metal (as well as general ambient and even new-age
stuff). I do love this album, and
recommend it to all dungeon synth listeners, however I think it is just not
quite the same. This is one of the albums
that I've put on and taken off the list several times, so if anyone else has an
opinion on whether it is dungeon synth, I'd love to hear it in the
comments.
Nearly Everything by Summoning
Obviously the reason Summoning is not on the list is
because it's equal parts black metal to the dungeon synth. I'm assuming I don't need to say much about
these guys, since all of you reading are no doubt already long-time fans of these
metallic Tolkien symphonies. If you are
reading this blog and don't know about Summoning, what are you doing with your
life? Immediately get their entire
discography, apart from Lugburz, unless straight black metal is also your
thing.
Akhenaton - Divine Symphonies
Since starting the blog, this album has been recommended to
me several times. I did not know of it
beforehand, however after many listens, I have to say that I do quite love
it. It is a fairly unique mixture of
synths and black metal, nearly half of each.
Because of that I can't say it is fully dungeon synth, but I still
strongly suggest that everyone with an interest in the genre check it out. It is very dark, mysterious, and ancient
sounding, and the synth moments are masterful, to the point that it might be
worth listening to even if you dislike black metal. If not for being fair to the countless other
symphonic black metal works, this would most definitely be on the list.
Godkiller - The Rebirth of the Middle Ages
Sounds almost like a mix of Summoning, Sacramentum,
Satyricon, and early Burzum (at least with the vocals). Some thrilling and energetic symphonic black
metal, heavy on the synth, of course, though probably the most black metal
thing I'm recommending in this post. It is
not the most original work, by any means, but everything is done well; it gets
straight to the point, evoking both the frenetic violence of black metal as
well as the epic awe and atmosphere of dungeon synth.
Nest's Entire Discography
Here's another group that has been on and off the list several
times, which I really do wish I could call dungeon synth. It's very close, I think, but just not
quite. It's a Finnish ambient group that
is heavy on the harp and synthesizers, evoking moods of a dreamlike, primordial,
pre-civilized world, where mankind was thoroughly entrenched within its
biological place amongst all the other life-forms of earth. For that reason, as nostalgic and fanciful as
it is, I still think it is slightly more nature ambient. BUT, Nest is one of my absolute favorite
bands, and I believe that all listeners with a strong interest in dungeon synth
will love them as well, so I wish all of you will check out their works. Fabled Lore is probably the closest of their material to the dungeon synth sound, however I would suggest starting with Trail of the
Unwary, since it is their most deep and dreamlike work in my opinion.
But these don't even scratch the surface when it comes to
music that is close to dungeon synth. I
will be making quite a few more of these posts in the future.
