Trollslayer "Mirage" (2026)

Continuing upon an indulgent Desert Synth tangent, Trollslayer follows up the warmly received Pharaoh with this nightly counterpart. Possibly insinuated by its stark two tone cover, this luminescent starlit atmosphere conjures mellow visions of nocturnal escapades. The opening track's exotic pattering percussion and expressive flutes fondly reminiscent of Isles of Sea and Sky's wonderful soundtrack. Passing its fond warmth, Temple Of Set bestows cultural Middle-Eastern instruments into the mix.

Now the record gets moving through its arid shades of night. Each incarnation offers a sultry sense of adventure across expansive dunes. Skirting danger, dread and alarm, one is safe within its warm auditory wonder. These songs melodically drift from tuneful fruits of oasis springs, to tonal swells of dusky menace, never threatening, always enshrouded by a soft touch of desert mystique, the heart of this records charm.

A personal highlight, the pair of Crypt songs. Their collective temperaments both sharing a strong sense of human emotion, perhaps that of an individual exploring such sequestered places. Sphere Of power struck me as an attempt to end the record on a crescendo but its swell of instruments and clashing cymbal seemed a rather messy mix of sounds. Along this journey there are many flavours to pick your favorites from, all with this inspired Dungeon Synth grip on a western perspective of far away places.

Rating: 6/10

Trollslayer "Pharaoh" (2026)

 
Trollslayer! Another anonymous bedroom composer with high output. A possible deterrent in a niche scene sloshing in low effort records. Despite that, its two tone cover mystique and promise of "Desert Synth", akin to Ziggurath, lured me in! I have to say it, I'm firmly impressed. Temporal transformation and sandy sightseeing aligned, Pharaoh plays ones imagination well. Consisting of mostly ten minute cuts, these lengthy atmospheres dwell like drones that initially feel simplistic but across its duration, evolve and venture with a gradual pace befitting of travel on camelback.

Across the record a variety of compositional ideas play out on that steady movement. In its best strides, wildly cinematic strings bloom with culture and grandiosity. One feel a nostalgic chill from Lawrence Of Arabia. Dark Ambience and the lurch of foreign dangers get a spotlight, as does some subtle toying with distortion. Kordan's Maze feels so befitting of its suggestive title. Led on by dexterous snake dancing lute, a mysterious theme is set. I'm particularly fond of the low key exotic percussion which has some unmistakably familiar tones to my favorite of Steve Roach's work.

Its concluding lull and dramatic swell plays gratifying. The closer, Heart Of The Pyramid, is a messy playground of ideas. Initially, it feels like an Eastern adaptation of a Symphonic Black Metal architype. Shrill guitars are ripped out with enough murkiness in the synths to carry a similar energy. Really clever production. The song meanders through all sorts of ideas, a trove of creativity seeming like leftovers melded together. Either way, its really enjoyable as is the entirety of this niche record!

Rating: 6/10