Old Tower "Portrait Of A Medieval Presence " (2024)

On form, like its impressive predecessor Draconic Synthesis, Old Tower continues in a chilling stride, painting eight unnamed portraits of meditative Dark Ambience. Set in Medieval times, these soundscapes yolk an esoteric mythos from embellished nostalgia of ancient, eerie times. These lonely atmospheres linger on delicate aesthetics, chiming ambiguity with soft instrumentation and scenic sound design. Whispering voices in the distance, unsettled fire crackling, ritualistic chants of worship and mysterious murmurs all lurch within these shadowy slices of lost time.

Mostly subdued and one dimensional upon inspection, the mastery emerges when attention is split. A powerful current of persuasion shapes ones mood as the rhythm of each picture settles in. Portrait V is the most animation, a rattle of perverse church bells call out over the cold countryside. Each eruption of bells is jarring. Portrait I opens the record with a beautifully chilling organ climaxing the short songs conclusion with drama. These moments of instrument augmentation are often a key delight.

Portrait VIII was my favorite. The arrival of percussion pivots the song into a mystical stride, its shimmering synths conjuring the sense of a cryptic presence. It rides these feeling well, as do many songs, establishing an aching ambience with nightly terror and occult suggestion lurking safely at a distance. Another impressive effort, perhaps constrained a little by these notions of Portraits. They feel perfectly suited as soundtrack moments for a horror film or evil themed video game.

 Rating: 6/10

Old Tower "Draconic Synthesis" (2023)

Esoteric, arcane and obscure, Draconic Synthesis engulfs us on a mystic venture the marvels of sound design. Tinkering and experimentation has led to fruitful explorations of ambiguous wonder, found in gaps between occult voicings, astral synths and ghostly reverberations. This new terrain still stems from foundations of old castly Dungeon Synth, Old Tower continues an intriguing evolution into dark ambience and soundscapes, while fluctuating to familiar footings on this entrancing forty minutes.

Heard through a candles flickering flame, wildlife sounds of night accompany a subtle tropical flavor on its lingering melody. A dusky opener signaling new sounds, Draconis Arcanum has beautiful balance. One could imagine it as the backdrop to a Diablo theme alike game. Ruins and Horned Glossolia ressurects this direction with its lonely steel acoustic guitar, followed then by Sacred Carvings. This song leans fully into this cultural resonance superbly, akin to Dead Can Dance's transformative magic.

Spirit Vessel has a similar incarnation, evoking forbidden spirits from the graves with classic dungeon dweller magics. Its a more "traditional" piece for this artists however the closing Crafting The Symmetry Of Aeons feels like their most ambitious work to date. With many distant clanks, rattles, drips and drops, ghostly voices breeze by forgotten corridors as the music strides into foreboding chambers of sequestered darkness. The emerging synths and percussion give one a sense of tainted triumph over what lingered before its arrival. The strike of a gong bringing it to a sudden close.

Rating: 8/10

The Gathering "How To Measure A Planet?" (1998)

 

On their third outing with the classic lineup, a firm end to metallic components is all to apparent, The Gathering drop both song style and distortion guitars in favor of dirty overdriven tones, progressing into the morose side of their known melancholy. Echos of former selves are heard, if only glimmers of ethereal acoustic arrangements once toyed with, withdrawn sluggish tempos dominate its dreary limp temperament.

Anneke's youthful vitality is sullen by a moody, downtrodden presence, her charmed voice skewed by inescapable sombre sorrows. Paired with steely bleak guitars chords and dull, muted baselines, forays of strange electronic textures and distortion noise further extenuates an inescapable wearisome. Songs do swell, blooming in measured builds ups, only to collapse back into these pale atmospheres wearily conjured.

Its clear I've not been wooed. Despite a glowing reputation, this progression stole what I adored and replaced it with little excitable. A meaty double record duration further emphasized the dullness I couldn't escape. Even on Liberty Bell, its most energized song, the zapping synths rustle my dissatisfaction to grandiose Alternative guitar chords that don't deliver on intentions. It seems its clearly defined chemistry s lost on me, perhaps a result of its mournful spirit that seems tinged on a unidentifiable sadness.

Rating: 5/10

The Gathering "Nighttime Birds" (1997)

 

Shrouded by the swift abrupt judgements of youth, my initial contact deemed Nighttime Birds unfit for consumption. Supposedly not cut from the cloth as Mandylion, one of my all time favorite albums, it has sat snugly in the shadows, patiently awaiting me all these years. Like a broken record, past judgements have failed me once again. At this point, it might just be worth conducting a list of all prior dismissals...

Nighttime Birds is the broody matured brother of a band once ripe with color and youth two years prior. With a touch of restraint and a seclusion of craft, the band withdraw their eternal melodic delight to initiate songs with darker morose tones. Heavier guitars lean in shadowy chromatic, luring Anneke's sublime, luminous voice to a weighty pensive reflection. The duality explores a beautiful and burdensome contrast. Its a measured friction that compliments, coming to fruition with increased exposure.

Where its synths once adventured with bold punctuation, the keyboards now withdraw to a subtle, powerful role. Lurching behind steely distortion guitars, they await a turn to chime, often guiding the music from its beautiful gloom, soaring to blossom its hidden hues. Each song journeys to blushes of sequestered warmth. Familiar simplistic lead melodies gush from guitar and keys with their classic, distinctive personality.

Comprised of mostly lengthier tracks above five minutes, the album locks in a mood and explores it in beautiful increments, each exploring this darker chemistry. A union of thick power chords and cold acoustic guitars is explored early on. The May Song introduces a powerful, emotive organ tone to set off one of Anneke's most delightful performances. She wails sublimely, ascending with spirit much like that of Leaves. In fact, I'd go as far as to say its this albums equivalent, given the familiar guitar solo.

The following songs invoke soft computerized effects expertly, characterizing synths with subtlety. Later on a soft violin can be heard too. Each song finds subtle shifts to define them. The band fire on all cylinders. The shuffling contributions from its instruments explore so many ideas within a snug sound. Even moments of heavy metallic groove emerge in climatic beat downs and sluggish power chord brooding.

Nighttime Birds promptly made itself apparent as a lost classic from my youth, one I would have adored. However, I persisted. With my love of its saddened tone growing, I couldn't put it down. Weeks turned into months and that emotional evocative magic kept oozing. I feel so fortunate to have discovered it now. The Gathering's spell is truly eternal with me. Although a fraction behind the charm of Mandylion, this record has a clear sense of maturity and direction locked in by a fruitful yet cold concept.

Rating: 10/10

The Gathering "Almost A Dance" (1993)

 Released between two of my personal tens, the musky symphonic gloom of Always... and the warm, youthful ascension of Mandylion, you'd think I'd know Almost A Dance well right? Sadly, what turned me off back in the day, still revolts me now. Niels Duffhues voice has a piercing nasal shrill so off beat and indifferent from the music, it deafens its beauty. So to does his cadence and shaping of words feel totally out of step. He would be more suited to some played out Arena Rock, Glam Rock local act. Truly not to my taste or The Gathering at all, thank goodness they found Anneke!

The difference now is I've learned to listen past the elements of music that turn you off, and oh boy can that be a task. In no measure has Niels grown on me, tolerance is not the word, quite the opposite. He masks wonderful instrumentals that bridge the bands transition from dingy Doom Metal to the Symphonic driven Alternative Metal that dawned with the eternally stunning voice of Anneke van Giersbergen.

The chemistry bonded between distorted power chords and cheesy Casio Korg synths, perusing basslines and plucked acoustic chords, is here as found on both the other records. Its arrangements often abridges the two, brightening the gloomy temperament and finding emotive chord progressions. It moves to the light alongside a blossoming lead guitar that sails into the sun of glorious gleams of melancholy.

Mostly it holds that middle ground, showcasing the journey the band where on, steadily progressing their ideas, but so to do reworkings of techniques and tropes from Always... arise, as well as some arrangements that would be preformed again on Mandylion. If my words don't make it obvious, I'm astonished I didn't find my way in decades in. The sad reality is though, for all the instrumental wonder, Niels is a blight! That being said, Marike Groot lends her voice again on a few songs and in those moments a blessing is bestowed to know what could of been!

I'd love to hear Almost A Dance without Niels, however now more accustom with the album, I get a sense of a band in a rush. The production is a little loose and sloppy which can be forgiven but the difference in song quality has its dips with the nine minute Her Last Flight and the god awful Nobody Dares. The chemistry can simply drop off on some songs, losing that magical nightly ethereal melancholy. Given that Niels was recruited right around its recording and release, I'd guess some external pressures stained what could of been quite the rendition of one bands moment in time I simply adore.

Rating: 4/10

The Gathering "Beautiful Distortion" (2022)

 

Presently decades beyond the youthful beauty of their magnum opus Mandylion, my excitement for the group has vanished in the wake of Beautiful Distortion. Now eight years on from their last release, Its occurred to me how little of The Gathering I know beyond Always... and their aforementioned classic. No longer with the vibrant charm of Anneke van Giersbergen leading way, her replacement, the Norwegian Silje Wergeland, has quite a similar temperament, softness and power. Until research before writing, I thought of Anneke's performance as underwhelming and dragged down by the drab and dull character of the accompanying instrumentals.

Sadly, nothing about the record sticks. Mostly unfolding in six minute stints, the eight songs are all mid-tempo strolls across tame, paled atmospheres. Its as if the group are seeking the epic, a beautiful destination manifested through the gentle brooding of its inoffensive instruments. It rarely manifests as such, perhaps We Rise comes close with its gristly guitar pushing some shadowy weight against the light. The rest of the material meanders within itself as softer guitar distortions seek a resonance with the otherwise smooth setting. The dynamic rarely pushes into any interesting territory.

As a form of toned down Post-Rock, these songs simply pool together some passable ideas that dabble and drone in lengthy repetitions where the atmosphere just doesn't amount to much. It gets quite shaky on the last two songs as the worst ideas manifest a rather inoffensive temperament into something quite amateur, reminiscent of a local band who cant hear themselves. My words may be harsh but the music was deafeningly dull, lacking any gusto, spirit or ambition. Its been disappointing but also a reminder to get to know their older records some more. That I can be thankful for!

Rating: 2/10

Old Tower "The Old King Of Witches" (2021)

 

Embarking with a renewed spirit and refined aesthetics, The Old King Of Witches is both familiar and surprising. Having established a niche within the confines of Dungeon Synth, this ten track release of three to five minute spells has Old Tower side stepping their current conventions mastered on The Last Eidolon. Now we have what feels like the background ambience to a Horror movie, an impression marked by its ghastly jump scare conclusion on the opening track Wych Totem. At its conclusion a harrowing, tormented scream lunges out of the dark as the song then fades to black.

The following Night's Spell gifts us an astral respite, a contemplative soundscape not adrift from the likes of Steve Roach. From here, the plunge begins as ambiguous atmospheric ambiences and mischievous eerie sound design conspire. Brief reprisals of that astral charm can be heard infrequently but otherwise is lost between its dark, lonely voyages through shadowy caverns and hallowed grounds. It takes on a burdensome delusional experience, as flourishes of unsettled synth drones briefly add disorientation with a psychedelic quality, akin to a tiresome paranoid mental trip. Although the horrors of the opening track are never quite as vivid again, this spooky journey does end with a warmer note as closing track, Temple Of The Blue Sun, brings about a little of that cosmic charm again with its final passing cry.

Reflecting on Old Tower's previous sound design, the difference here is staggering. The temperament of its esoteric suggestions and the brooding ambiences of emotional unease are ripe for the imagination to run wild. The balance is charming and satisfying, feeling complete as a collection of songs. I'd also bring praise to the album art too. Corpse paint is a tired tradition but paired with the creepy skeletal fingers and candid nature of the photo, its suggestion of stumbling across a beast in a cave is fantastic and really ties up what this record is about. You can picture that cursed creature lurking around for eight of these ten songs. The Old King Of Witches is a very well inspired and executed concept.

Rating: 7/10

Old Tower "Plague Harvest" (2020)

With a history of patchy release in Old Tower's beginning, a stride of good form developed into a unique craft of darkness, culminating with The Last Eidolon. It is a stellar record, the apex of the Dutch musicians scenic Dungeon Synth spell. News of fresh music excited but ultimately disappoints as its lengthy, fourteen minutes halves dabble in the black ambience that usually builds to bigger and grander things. Plague Harvest however, meanders in the moments before, its shadowy reverberated sounds of eerie mystique and foreboding despair barely enriched by the creaks and cracks of movement in the tunnels of darkness ahead. Being a creature of atmosphere, the music drags its way into denser constructs, with only a flicker of melody and brief sense of event as lightning strikes under the downpour of glum rain and howling winds.

These details of particularity return in the second stint as distant clanks echo against the crackle of a dying fire. Its light stays as light, airy synths of temporal presences sway in against the gloomy weathers, overtaking it to eventually hear the trickle of a river and sounds of life in the distance. Eventually the flickering returns and darkness prevails on a rather uneventful affair. Writing these thoughts out makes it all seem more obvious that this is an exercise in a different approach to story telling. Against the backdrop of what came before it, Plague Harvest often feels like the calm before the storm this artist had forged before. On their own, it does feel underwhelming but its temperament is its own. Expectations may of caused disappointment but I don't think so this time around.

Rating: 3/10

Old Tower "The Last Eidolon" (2020)

The evolution of Old Tower has been a fascinating journey to follow. Always showing much promise the Dutch musician know as The Scepter has reached a peak. After the wondrous and deathly "dark alchemy" trilogy of mini records, the Last Eidolon arrives as a natural extension to those dark temporal and meditative sounds previously explored. Its three tracks, all lengthy epics feel like a mastery of structure, scale and aesthetic molded to command a chilling immersion within the listener.

The sense of scale and grandeur gets of to an almighty start. Lonely cries of a desolate synth call out across the vastness. Thunderous quakes and rumbles, gong strikes with an utterly devastating reverbs paint a impending sense of might and mystery. It steadily calms across the minutes to suddenly erupt with a deep pounding drum and ceremonial melody of ritualistic fever. Its swaying between these ideas in the closing stage will let the imagination run wild as this baron world finds density.

Reading the albums footnotes, one can see this vision of a world set ablaze by the corruption of mysterious magics and ancient rituals really come to life in the music. The minimalism in composure is oozing in this depth of tone and the mystique that comes with it is simply a dark delight. It revels and embellishes these lonely, ancient alluring synths and gothic choir voicing with a timeless quality as its long passages meander and break down the sense of forward momentum. It is a world unraveling.

Most of these record have been immersive in the moment but I have not frequented one like this. The experience is engulfing and I think the producer may of had a hand. I was surprised to read The Scepter had teamed up with talent Arthur Rizk, producer of Cavalera Conspiracy, Code Orange and Power Trip. To what extent he played a roll in bringing this incredibly deep and foreboding sound to the table, I don't know but this has been a giant leap forward for the Old Tower project and the best album to date.

Rating: 8/10

Old Tower "Seelenasche" (2020)

Alongside Drachenblut and Finsterströmung, the Dutch musician and Dungeon Synth master Old Tower completes the "dark alchemy" trilogy with this newest release. Once again its three songs of dark, spiritual, meditative music with an eerie and unsettled quality. My immediate enjoyment of Seelenasche had me pondering on my complaints around musicians or bands getting stuck on a sound, failing to progress. In this case the premise of a trilogy has firmly set expectation and they have been met. This was purposefully the musical experience I wanted, however it is the weaker of the three.

Seelenasche sounds rather reserved and less adventurous in comparison. The mystique and tension is loosened as its commonly reverberated instruments are paced at a slow tempo with soft, inviting melodies gracing the rather welcoming droning of base horns that make up the atmospheric backdrop. The Chasm Within plays out a more mysterious tone with its lead instrument sounding lost and lonely in the beginning as the song builds up its layers to then meander back into isolation. Its all fair however the sense of lurking evil or a coming event simply isn't in these tracks, they are far more pleasant, relaxed and inviting, which is fine of course.

As the final, title track, rolls around the tempo and spirit picks up, ushering in triumphant horns over a smiling base line. With a couple more layers its denser tone feels as if the sun has touched it. A sense of gleam and wonder arises, perhaps in the wake of light flooding the deep dungeons this music so often conjures. Maybe this warmer climate creates a nice conclusion for the trilogy, a final resting place. Either way I have enjoyed all thirds. I'm excited to see what Old Tower comes up with next!

Favorite Track: Seelenasche

Rating: 5/10

Old Tower "Finsterströmung" (2019)

From disappointment to delight, today we have a release Id been anticipating for some time. In the few days since its released Ive binged and enjoyed every moment of the mysterious and esoteric experience. It is the first new project from Old Tower this year and the second of the "grim alchemy trilogy"... Ill admit that made me chuckle for some time. The first chapter was Drachenblut and like it, three dark and meditative tracks are assembled for a short plunge into a conspiratorial loneliness of abandoned hallways and crumbling ruins where mischief lurks beyond the shadows.

There is a clearer sense of voicing than I remember, as the artist moves further away from the core styling of Dungeon Synth. Once again choral synths are woven in with deep reverberations and atmospheric vibrations. In the mix a monk like voice sounds lost in between layers of foggy sound on Saturn's Essence. It has a menacing pace as strikes of drums echoing from the deep create an unsettling presence lurking in the beyond, keeping one on edge. The following title track is my favorite, the construct is similar but a lighter tone dominates as bells and star like synth glisten with a dark magical energy. Given the trilogy name, it is this track I can most envision some musky robed magician hunched over a messy workbench of chemicals and jars of animal parts. Its not a striking image but it would suit the musics pallet.

Moonchamber sees out the short project on the most minimal of tracks. It builds slowly to the mid point where more voicing come into play as the monk returns. They are now cries from the depth lingering on a collapse into the darkness. The ambiguity here plays a fantastic roll in capturing a moment not fully immeresed in darkness and that is what I like most about Old Tower. How the evil in the music isn't overplayed, its used to explore a wider sense of mystery in darkness. This progression more towards Dark Ambient is fantastic and these three new songs are too, can't wait for the final chapter now!

Rating: 6/10

Old Tower "...From The Dark Outlands" (2015)

With this dingy eleven minute release we wrap up our deep dive into the realms of Old Tower. In conclusion I luckily started from the sweet spot with The Rise Of The Scepter. All that came before has been lacking in artistic maturity but showing promise as obvious experiments in Dungeon Synth ideals forecast a potential charm. Dark Outlands, being the predecessor, has more elements falling into place as its foggy synths pair up with pounding castle drums in the beginning. The oomph is sucked out of them in this low fidelity setting yet the Dutch artist will go on to master this approach within later records. This is the true first inkling of whats to come.

These four sings, stitched together, meander through simple constructs of dusty, ancient synth tones attempting to tap into those spooky, esoteric and nostalgic vibes and to be fair, it gets their in some stretches. Its linear, often led by singular melodies but it musters far more atmosphere. This is definitely the better of the "demos", even its deep and shadowy brooding voices pack more of a punch as they rumble ambiguously in the backdrop. It gets to a slow start though as crows squawking and owl hooting in the rain make for a haphazard transition. Its mostly unremarkable but a good tone setter for lonely nights in the cold of night, lit by candles in stone corridors.

Rating: 4/10

Old Tower "The Door" (2015)

Still with another record between them, this release marks a link to the slow and burly, meditative The Rise Of The Scepter, a first of true quality from the Netherlands artist Old Tower. However this third album, The Door, lacks the grandiose, vision or magic yet to come. It is however a lesson in atmosphere and ambience as we step away from clunky compositions of dusty synths yearning towards ancient vibes. Its a rather uneventful affair as ambiguous, soft synths gently moan, drifting in and out of focus over the occasional deep murmuring of bass. No melody is formed, just an ever shifting pallet of smokey, shimmering synths like fairy lights dancing in the fog with no rhythm or pattern to direct their expression.

It works as background music, setting a pleasing tone with its calming presence but no real vision comes to mind. It is simply fluffy noise to fill the space of mind and allow one to concentrate on other tasks. That is when I enjoyed this record the most. Its soft murmuring simply aided focus yet thinking and writing about it objectively I release it is rather weak when in focus. Towards the end the aesthetics shift into a shadowy gear as big, groaning reverberations play out like calls from the dark. With this it musters more interest but the overall project is bland and yet a sign of a change in approach that will ultimately lead to great music as Old Tower evolves.

Rating: 3/10

Old Tower "The Book Of Ages" (2015)

 Now we arrive at the roots, a debut release for Dutch wizard Old Tower. Fourteen minutes of creaky, fumbling Dungeon Synth. Amateur and hazardous in nature, its futile attempts to conjure atmosphere and mystique fall flat on the back of inexperience and lack of vision. Its a typical entry level record similar to many who have stepped into the genre with the likes of Mortiis and Burzum on the mind. With spurious shifts between often singular, low fidelity synth tones the music drifts from one to the next with little beyond its imitations to grasp at. Its cuts to deep foreboding voices, far to ambiguous for comprehension signal a narrative that alludes me.

It does in one or two moments match a key tone to its spooky aesthetic for moments of intrigue. Its attempt to cast a soundscape of medieval battle with the sounds of burning fires and swords clashing reminded me of my own folly into similar ideas with the end of Eternal Myst from my Forgotten Conquest album. It puts to mind my own personal experience adventuring into Dungeon Synth and how my own passion may not be conveyed in amateurish enthusiasm. As harsh as Ive been there is no doubt passion was put into this project and its second half does shape up better but overall its forgettable and I'm glad I didn't start here as great things were to come.

Rating: 2/10

Old Tower "Keepers Of The Ancient Flame" (2015)

Mistakenly I thought this was Old Tower's first release that I had selected to enjoy next. I learn now this is actually the second. It has the expectant inklings of an early form, music yet to mature to its distinction and baring the more common tropes of the genre. As one eighteen minute track uniting five individual songs it has some charm however its production is yet to allure to those deep and foggy reverberations that bring about meditative states. Its final song does make use of the organ we often hear this paired with but at this stage the music usually focuses around a single, isolated instrument, forming dull and lonesome atmospheres of degradation and decay.

In its opening tracks a forlorn world is envisioned. Sounds of ambiguous destitute create eerie rumblings as winds of secluded whispering voices dance around a solitary instrument. The atmosphere is decrepit and ruined, only echos remain of the horrors once held. The arrival of bright synths turn the tone away from ambiguity only to be interrupted by the growing presence of bothersome rumblings and a crashing strike of lightning unleashes a spooky horn like voice, murmuring, communicating from the depths under the soft pattering of rain. 

From that point we don't return, the punchy, colorful synths glisten us through a simplistic fantasy realm of gleaming horns echoing softly into themselves. Its cloudy and scenic but quite the departure from the gloom and mystique before it. After that the organ signs the record off on a lull after some owl hoots and creepy sound design but its doesn't flow. For a listener a handful of different ideas are put together with not much cohesion however they are all of similar realms which the song names hint at. Its a fair record and I did enjoy my listening.

Rating: 4/10

Old Tower "Ruination" (2017)

In the age of ever changing release formats we have Ruination, The New Darn Cometh, simply a lone nine minute track of meditative Dungeon Synth, the defining style of Dutch musician Old Tower. Its another gloomy and atmospheric piece of brooding, darkly synth that could be placed right alongside The Rise Of The Scepter, released earlier that year. Its pallet and range of events are limited in scope but its sense power to conjure rural visions of dark, foreboding medieval times are on form.

Horns and trumpets of isolated glory sound of the song as a familiar vale of deep foggy synths mystifies its leading melodies, one can see a stoic castle being consumed by heavenly clouds sweeping in over cold and unforgiving moors of a harder time for man. Its crawling pace steadily brews its way towards a break of soft choral choirs that allure in gong strikes and a sense of epic that drifts gently out of focus without a peak. At its end a murmurous melody of lonely mischief winds out the last minutes of the song on a whimper. As a reasonable song packaged within a short project, the music yearns to be part of something bigger but is lonesome. Old Tower has a spell bounding and wondrous sound that I wish to indulge in for far longer.

Rating: 2/10

Old Tower "Drachenblut" (2018)

Short but sweet and very welcome, this three track release from Old Tower casts a familiar spell of meditative mysticism from dungeon ruins and forbidden lands. Its opening track is a spark of its own. Devoid of melody and even progression, this dreary drone of moody, spooky, esoteric sounds murmur repetitiously as the airy creaking of breath creates a state of suspension, as if one stumbled into the chambers of a hideous beast, safely locked in an eternal sleep. The soundscape oozes like an organic mess locked in the same loop, little creaks of volume shifts play out before it reaches a conclusion led by what sound like laser blasts. It forges a feeling of false reality that I adore. I very peculiar and unique song, one to experience.

The accompanying numbers are both two and a half minutes, not quite the epic format of ten or more minute tracks I had come to know. Storms Of The Dragon's Spells throws me back to the empirical vibes of Spectral Horizons. Deep bellowing, mystic and arcane choral synths builds a mighty atmosphere, the deep thundering of steeply reverberated but barely audible rumbling noises set the tone for the song to erupt in an evil triumph as gongs crash, thunders roar and a stoic melody reigns supreme.

Drachenblut adorns the spooky realm with eerie, unsettling organs and broken piano melodies that play like a percussive line. Once again a thick layer of foggy synths collide to make a rich and spell bounding atmosphere that's over a little to soon for my taste. Its first song is a gem of its own but the following two feel like sections out of the previous formula of lengthy songs that shift through several phases. I can't complain though, I am really enjoying this musician and reminded there is more in the back catalog.

Favorite Track: The Silence Beneath The Ancient Grounds

Rating: 5/10

Old Tower "Stellary Wisdom" (2018)

Stellary Wisdom is another two track release from the Dutch Dungeon Synth composer Old Tower. Both of the songs that make up this release clock in at fifteen minutes, both traversing their individual phases with fade outs and blunt transitions yet this time they blur the lines as the mood is held firmly together in its couple of angular shifts. This release is distinctly different from the low-fi and dingy realm of Spectral Horizons. It deploys the same grandiose strikes of gongs and has a similar compositional attributes yet Its clearer production and aesthetics lets the wave forms of synthetic instruments strike their own mystery and intrigue with soft reverbs and sweeping transformations of oscillation in lengthy notes.

Its minimalism is far more obvious as much of the record is propped up on one or two synths. It always seems to have the right texture to evoke a much deeper atmosphere than one might presume. The first track closes its quarter hour duration with an oddly airy, knife like synth cutting through the silence with its bleak and metallic tone that whirls like a mechanized wind, yet created by no one. The value of craft is not to be understated as the aesthetics play a huge role.

A shift in tone is felt as the following title track opens with softer wave forms and light chorals. It finds its way to a lengthy passage of minimalism where once again just two instruments resonate of one another with a spiritual meditative state that embraces its bleak loneliness. One can envision themselves as a sole conscious entity, roaming the endless beauty of mother nature in the peril of this unending burden.

This is quite possibly my favorite Old Tower release, its spell seems to be far more encompassing and with every spin I find a meditative state in the wake of its softly droning synths and slow atmospheric brooding. It comes close to tapping into some of the minimalist magic I first heard by Burzum with his tracks Tomhet and Rundgang Um Die Transzendentale Saule Der Singularitat. Its a particular spell I rarely hear musicians come close to. They may have the charm of bonds formed with firsts and youthful freshness but I do hear creaks of that charm in the lengthy passageways of minimal construct on this record. That is a positive thing to say the least.

Rating: 7/10

Old Tower "Spectral Horizons" (2016)

I'm growing rather fond of Old Tower's stellar approach to Dungeon Synth. The Dutch musician has a knack for composing in this mysterious, illusive realm. It calls from just beyond the horizon, always distant, out of reach, a seemingly calm and uneventful place yet its full of intrigue. The music lingers in its moment, you focus your gaze upon a frozen statue, its pose different with each lapse of attention. Subtlety is the power it yields. With its soft synth and dreary drones Spectral Horizons conjurers a gloomy, majestic atmosphere of time, place, culture and nature that is most likely a personal one for the listener, depending on where your imagination wanders too.

Its soft, elongated melodies and gleams of event in the form gong crashes and buried, pounding tribal drums calling from the deep create quite the sense of epic within this aesthetically meek setting. Its instruments play to their quiet selves, no conflicts arise as they do not compete for attention. Its a cushioned production where the sounds meld sweetly, allowing its most eventful passageways to pass a distracted listener yet suck in the attentive captivated by its shy spell. It has some awkward moments of wind whirling and rain transitioning the music but between them long stretches of yearning, ancient synths and archaic choral chants suck one in.

Like The Rise Of The Scepter, Spectral Horizons is split into two halves around twenty minutes in total and its songs have distinct shifts, clear breaks in its tone and instrumentation that could of been broken into smaller sections however it is not labeled in two parts. The nature of the music commands it to be enjoyed as a whole. With a shorter run time one feels the benefit of curation as these compositions hold well for their duration. They may not call for the most lavish of praises but within their own realm Old Tower is produces some unique magic with this project.

Rating: 5/10

Old Tower "The Rise Of The Specter" (2017)

Our journey through the dark mystical realms of Dungeon Synth continues on and this thirty minute project split into two halves is a peach of a find. Hailing from the Netherlands this Dutch musician has been active in the past couple of years releasing many mini albums comprised of one to two songs usually ten or more minutes in length. Each record comes with its spooky artwork of high contrast, black and white imagery using ambiguity to evoke ancient nostalgia. This one in particular sets an unsettling tone, at first glance one might mistake the hooded figure for a tower next to the brooding castle. On closer inspection the ominous black circle in the sky gives one a sense of night time, as if the image as been inverted and the moon is now black, it sets a spooky atmosphere for the music that awaits.

The darkness of the music is not terrifying, or as mysterious as one might suspect, Old Tower is a uniquely meditative and calming experience as its slow, lethargic approach to melody soaks in its surroundings within a low fidelity, reverberated setting. Bold punchy synth tones loose their cheese in the wake of an aesthetic that's mostly akin to hearing a church organ from within the church itself. The naturalistic echo lets notes bleed into the space of a large hall and when instruments layer up their is an emergence of spiritual sound that becomes difficult to decipher yet heavenly in its presence. It takes on a temporal form so to speak.

The two halves of The Rise Of The Specter have clear progressions which we might normally expect to be split into individual tracks, I believe the split may take homage to tape nostalgia and the turning over of sides. Either way the songs go through obvious shifts and some passages drift from the power when composed with fewer instruments, many listens has worn them a bit thin but the middle phase of the first half is a prime example of the magic at work. Slow scaling synths churn over between distant choral voices and culminate to the menacing rise of a foggy, deep war trumpet, setting an unshakable sense of importance to which a second gleaming synth rises over creating an epic sense of scale.

The records vision is particularly vivid for me, on some occasions I see visions of vast ethereal forest and in overs its cliff side castles battling the walls of fog rolling in from the distance. It is however a truly Dungeon Synth sound and can aid ones imagination in visiting the places associated with it. This particular style however comes with a soothing pace, softness and meditative state perfect for a more relaxing and introspective experience that is rather unique.

Rating: 6/10