Dungeon Synth Explorations - Part 3 - Deivlforst Records

You can read Part 1 of the series here, and Part 2 here.

For this part of the series, instead of exploring the works of one particular artist, I'd like to look at a group of artists that make up a black metal / dungeon synth collective that are also the brains behind Germany's mysterious Deivlforst Records.

So from what I can tell, our story begins in the mid-1990s when a dude named Grimrik (I think his real name is Erik, so grim + Erik?) starts up a dungeon synth project called Nazgûl.   It's pretty short-lived, but gets the ball rolling.   Grimrik then joins up with another guy named Nargor (he goes by Solvalt nowadays) and they form the black metal band Dysterwald.   They released only one demo (on their own label, Dark Forest Productions), before disappearing.

Grimrik

Anyway, fast forward to 2011.   Grimrik has returned to the scene, this time starting a new project called Arath.   It looks like Arath originally began as a solo endeavor, but Grimrik was soon joined by his buddy Murgrind.   Dark Forest Productions is also resurrected, with its name changed to Deivlforst Records.   Arath's first record (self-titled, "Arath" (2013)) is a dungeon synth album, but by 2014 it looks like Grimrik's old pal Nargor (now known as Solvalt) joined the band and began to play grim black metal.   "Ungedul" was released in 2014 as a follow-up to their self-titled debut, and, while it has some dungeon synth instrumental tracks, it's more of a black metal album than anything else.

So why am I explaining all of this?   Well, I guess when Solvalt joined Arath they decided to make Arath a spiritual successor to their old band (Dysterwald) and both Grimrik and Murgrind started releasing their own dungeon synth solo albums!   Pretty cool!   As a bonus, all of these albums have their own conceptual storylines and shit. Let's get to it!!

Arath (2013) - Arath

Wow!  What a way to start the journey!!   This is some really killer epic dungeon synth in the "old-school" style!   According to the Bandcamp page for this album:

This epic medieval synth adventure is the first part of a trilogy - the story of Arath!

...All lyrics and titles are written in a complete fantasy language.  Understand CD I as an introduction with the first parts of his journey and challenge. At the end of the CD, you´ll see that the mood is changing into a more dark feeling... Arath goes over to "Ungedul" ("Att Ungedul" means "To Ungedul")

Of course, "Ungedul" is the title of their next album (released in 2014), but since it's black metal we're not going to go into that (at least for this post). Anyway, it's obvious that these dudes are serious!  An epic medieval synth adventure?   A trilogy of concept albums?   All lyrics and titles are written in a complete fantasy language?   Sign me the fuck up!! But does the music actually stand up to the hype?

It does indeed!   This is top-notch old-school style dungeon synth in the vein of the godfathers of the genre (Mortiis, Wongraven, etc.).   It's fairly simplistic in its approach, opting more for an ominous, foreboding, majestic atmosphere.   You are immediately transported to a realm of crumbling castles, starving peasants, and plague-ridden villages, all hoping for a group of heroes to save them from their sorrow and turmoil.    Highly recommended as background music if you're playing an old-school D&D module or some other epic low-fantasy RPG with a Crapsack World setting.   Truly great stuff, one of the best of the old-school style dungeon synth albums that I've ever heard so far.
All of the songs are great, but my favorite is definitely "Nattdraemr: Hergrim oev Langrim".
You can listen to the album here.

Journey Through the Mountain (2013) - Murgrind

As I mentioned before, since I guess since Arath is now just a regular black metal band, both Murgrind and Grimrik made the decision to continue making dungeon synth music as solo artists!   In early December 2013, Murgrind released his debut album.   We know that with the first Arath album, it was more or less a joint production between Murgrind and Grimrik, so how is the music going to sound when you take Grimrik out of the equation?  Before we get to that though, let's look at the info for this album on Murgrind's Bandcamp page:

On his debut album MURGRIND concerns himself with the mood of ritualism, secret depths and archaic barbarity.  Journey Through The Mountain is a soundtrack to a long dangerous trip through the biggest of all mountains in MURGRIND's fantasy world.  The listener is supposed to have the feeling of wit-nessing exactly this trip - but at the same time creating his/her own imaginary world.
The story is just slightly explained in the booklet to give the listeners space for their own interpretation.

Hell yeah!! This is exactly what I'm talking about!   But can Murgrind handle pulling off an epic dungeon synth album all by himself???

Murgrind definitely lifts, bro!

YES!!  This album is fucking awesome as well!   It's kind of strange that within the past couple of years these dudes just came out of nowhere and immediately started releasing really high quality dungeon synth.   For most musicians (regardless of the genre), usually they need a few demos or a couple EPs or a full-length album under their belt in order to really get the ball rolling.   This doesn't seem to be the case with the Deivlforst crew so far, at least in terms of their dungeon synth output.  The mood of this album is quite similar to Arath's self-titled that I was talking about earlier in this post.   You could honestly put this on right after the Arath record and I doubt anyone would be able to notice the difference.   Very high quality, excellent, mysterious and intriguing old-school style dungeon synth.   Another killer release!! Highly, highly recommended!!

If you want to check this album out, I recommend the songs "Into the Magic Abyss" and "Legend of the Ancient Horde"!  Oh, and if you buy the album on their Bandcamp, as a bonus you get a couple tracks that are tributes to Mortiis (that sound fucking awesome), AND a "Seamless mix" of the whole album (whatever the fuck that means)!!  

You can listen to the album here.

PS- If you're going to have horn leads in your dungeon synth, both Arath and Murgrind get it just right!   THIS is how you want your horns to sound!

Eisreich (2014) - Grimrik

Not to be outdone by his Arath bandmate, Grimrik released his own dungeon synth debut in early March 2014.   I wasn't sure what to expect, since the press release for this album on Grimrik's Bandcamp page was a little bit different than the ones for Murgrind and Arath:

The music of GRIMRIK is inspired by the arctic / polar myth. The subject of this first album is the descending of the impalpable ethereal ancestors of the primordial race of mankind. 

The enlightenment should proceed alone.

Hmm... interesting! Anyway, let's talk about the music!

While I definitely appreciate the creativity and conceptual vision of the album and all of that stuff, I'm definitely not feeling it as much as the Murgrind and Arath albums.   While I suppose this is still dungeon synth, as background music for an RPG sesh it would definitely work better for a hard sci-fi campaign (like Blue Planet) or Call of Chthulhu rather than your typical dungeon exploration game of choice.   Do you remember that one ambient track off of Burzum's Filosofem ("Rundtgåing av den transcendentale egenhetens støtte")?    It kind of sounds like that.   It's certainly not bad though!  It just makes me think of exploring glaciers on an ice planet of a faraway galaxy or something.

You can listen to the album here.

Ash Nazg Durbatulûk​.​.​. (1996) - Nazgûl

I didn't want to end on that note, so as a bonus let's check out Grimrik's pre-Dysterwald dungeon synth project, Nazgûl!!

Unfortunately I haven't bought this album off the Deivlforst's Bandcamp page so I can't listen to all of the tracks, but if you decide to check it out, don't let the wacky intro turn you off.   The next available song, "Boromirs Begräbnis" is a lot better...even if it's still nowhere near as good as the stuff these guys are putting out now.   Oddly enough though, I like this a lot better than Grimrik's "Eisreich" album haha.   This is pretty straightforward, lo-fi dungeon synth that wouldn't sound out of place on an early Mortiis record...which is meant as a compliment!   It's not the most original stuff in the world, but definitely gets the job done in terms of being great background music for fantasy RPG grognards.   Minimalistic, primitive, and perfect for a night of dark dungeon exploration!

You can listen to the album here.

Check out all of this music at Deivlforst Record's Bandcamp: http://deivlforst.bandcamp.com/
Keep updated about Arath: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Arath-Official/289544034445414
Keep updated about Murgrind: https://www.facebook.com/Murgrind
Keep updated about Grimrik: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Grimrik/845278362169140

Dungeon Synth Explorations - Part 2 - Lord Lovidicus

You can read Part 1 of this series here, and Part 3 here.

I feel like it wouldn't be appropriate to write a piece about Erang without talking about his American counterpart, Lord Lovidicus!   Apparently, the dude behind Lord Lovidicus is a mysterious fellow known simply as...Crow. Crow (who hails from the forsaken mountains of Idaho) also has another project called Jotun, but that's not really dungeon synth so we're not going to get into that here.   Anyway, I don't know too much about dungeon synth, but from what I can tell there are basically two styles (in my opinion): "old-school" and "neo".   The old-school dungeon synth style (OSDS) is essentially an emulation of the original pioneers and explorers of the genre, such as (era I) Mortiis, Wongraven, Burzum's ambient shit, (earlier) Lord Wind, cheesy 1990s black metal intros and outros, etc.   Neo-dungeon synth, on the other hand, certainly draws heavily from OSDS, but has also been heavily inspired by video game and movie soundtracks.   However, I would argue that it's this core essence of OSDS that's still present in the overall atmosphere, style, and presentation that keeps it from just being a wannabe Diablo or World of Warcraft soundtrack. For example, just go onto Youtube and look up "epic rpg music" or whatever and you'll see what I mean. It's either overblown, overly-cinematic and distracting (if you're using it as background music for tabletop RPGing), or it's like a sad piano piece that sounds like it's from a JRPG.   While those aren't necessarily inherently bad characteristics, it's not dungeon synth.   I feel like the Dungeon Synth blog actually offers a pretty accurate, concise description of what dungeon synth is.  

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that at least in my own mind, Erang and Lord Lovidicus are duel emperors of the "neo-dungeon synth" scene.  Below, I'm going to explore my favorite LL albums, and hopefully you'll check them out too if they seem like something you'd enjoy!          

Forgotten Ruins (2013)

Much like the case with Erang, I'm not into a lot of Lord Lovidicus' earlier stuff (everything from "Windbuchen" (2009) to "Autumnal Winds of Yore" (2013)).   However, shit finally got real for Mr. Lovidicus when released this album.   I feel like all of his stuff before was just kind of amateurish and cheesy (similar to Erang's stuff before "Another World, Another Time"(2013)), but for whatever reason the quality finally got kicked into high gear and he was able to really tap into the essence of truly great dungeon synth for this album.   What we get on this release are two tracks, each almost 30 minutes in length!  Definitely a departure from his earlier works.   

The first track, "The Mountain Stronghold Shrouded in Fog and Shadow", starts off typically enough, with a sort of "tiptoeing through the mysterious evil temple" vibe, complete with an ominous synth melody, majestic, vaguely annoying horn leads (more on those later), and a gong.   However, the song really turns into something special around 12:10, which I feel like is the moment when Lord Lovidicus' music finally transforms into elite dungeon synth.   My imagination really takes off here, as the music, crowned with a killer lead melody, really becomes cinematic, evocative, and inspiring.   There's still an atmosphere of ominous foreboding, but the feeling is now more melancholy and introspective.   Then, BOOM! 18:45!!  The spell is broken! With a triumphant, glorious lead melody, it's as if the adventurers are witnessing something truly spectacular, like they've just found some dragon's treasure trove (see the album cover) or have accidentally stumbled upon a mysterious cult in the middle of an elaborate, grand ritual.   Then it goes back into the melody from 12:10 and blah blah you get the idea.   This was the first Lord Lovidicus song that really got my attention and made me want to listen to more of his stuff.

The second track, "Scaling the Crevasses of Fyrelight Cave", isn't quite as good as the first one, but it's still very well-done and great RPG background music.   As the song title implies, this is perfect for exploring some dark dungeon crypt from a 1980s D&D module.   Kind of a similar vibe to the first track.

Overall, I believe that up to this point, this album is wayyy better than anything LL had released before.   A milestone in the discography!   

Kyndill og Stein (2013)

This album sounds quite similar to "Forgotten Ruins", except this time around he opted for nine shorter tracks.   It's on this album too that LL takes some departures from the typical "dungeon exploration" vibe and starts to include other emotions and atmospheres (this progression also foreshadows how much of a departure stylistically his next album will be from his older stuff).   One of the best examples of this is the song "Fog of the Autumnal Forest".   All the usual LL instrumentation is there (ominous synth atmospherics, that slightly annoying synth horn lead, the percussion), but this time around we also are treated to a beautiful, haunting grand piano that's introduced at about a minute in and really takes the music to the next level.  As I was saying before about "neo-dungeon synth", this is a great example of it!  It's still definitely dungeon synth, but has also begun to forge its own path in terms of experimentation and incorporating other instrumentation and moods that would sound out of place on an old Mortiis record.   I don't know if at this time Erang's music was beginning to be an influence or not, but I would say this stuff sounds like a mix between the two, as around this time Erang's stuff was arguably the most "neo" of neo-dungeon synth (in terms of experimentation and originality).   Other songs that stand out to me are "Majestic Temple of Engraved Fluorspar Crystals" (which kind of reminds me of the music for Zeal in Chrono Trigger) and "Trudging Beneath the Snow Covered Trees".   The more I listen to this album, the more these songs seem like they would go well with a video game.

Wandervogel des Waldes (2014)


One of my favorite dungeon synth albums of all time!   However, it's far from perfect:
1.   It takes a few songs to really hit its stride.
2.   I don't really like the Franz Schubert cover.
3,   I'm not really feeling the cover art compared to some of the earlier albums.
4.   I don't like it when the percussion emulates a "real" drum kit (like around 5:00 in "The Necromantic Stronghold", for example, and are all over his entire discography for that matter), which happens on several of the first few tracks.
5.   I still don't like that synthesized horn that he uses all the time.   I don't know why it bothers me, I guess to me it just sounds kind of "cheap" or slightly out of place.   It just doesn't sound right, especially on this release where everything else sounds great!

BUT, it's the three tracks on the second half of this release (starting with "A Hall of Trees") that I was the most impressed with, and it really makes up for the first half.  Don't get me wrong, the first half is still pretty good!  It's got some cool melodies and atmospherics, plus I really dig the harpsichord and other new effects that made their debut on this album.   However, the second half is where the true strength of this album lies.   It's actually about halfway through the fifth track, "Naught but Seas and Rains" that the album begins to transform, around the 4:00 mark.   The change in sound and tone seems to almost give a preview of what's to come in terms of style and atmosphere (and overall quality) on the following tracks--   "Hall of Trees", "The Mead Hearth", and "The Overgrown Belfry", all being brilliantly executed and LL's best songs to date.   Absolutely genius stuff.   "Waldervogel"'s not too bad either, but not quite as good as the others.

Also, with this album the sound quality has also really improved drastically compared to his earlier material.   The orchestral synthesized strings sound amazing.    I also really love that he scaled back that mildly annoying, cheap-sounding synth horn that I keep talking about (it still pops up every now and then, and is prominent in a few of the songs (such as "Mithril Mines" or "Icebound").  It's obvious with this release that LL's music has drifted even further away from the old-school dungeon synth style, similar to Erang's "experimental" latest album, "We Are the Past", which also came out around the same time.

Overall, this album is as creative, evocative, and inspiring to the imagination as anything else out there within the genre.   I still have a tough time making up my mind as to whether or not this was the best dungeon synth album of 2014 (so far it's between either this or Erang's "Within the Land of My Imagination I am the Only God").   I can't wait to see what Crow has in store for us in the near future!!

Listen and support Lord Lovidicus' music: https://lordlovidicus.bandcamp.com/
Keep updated about Lord Lovidicus: https://www.facebook.com/LordLovidicus
Lord Lovidicus' Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/CrowHavenBM
Mithrim Records: http://mithrimrecords.bandcamp.com/

Interview with Ghost Bath!!

Interview conducted via email in January 2015.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackghostbath
Bandcamp: http://ghostbath.bandcamp.com/

WULF:  Your new album, “Moonlover”, is due out next month.   While “Funeral” is an excellent record on its own, I feel like if this new record is as good as the teaser track (“Golden Number”) that you've just released for it, it’s going to be an early contender for one of the best metal albums of 2015. You must really be feeling the pressure! I feel as if your band is one of those “post”-black metal bands that has the potential to appeal to fans of other genres of music outside of the metal world (such as Deafheaven, Wolves in the Throne Room, Liturgy, etc.).  How do you feel about all this attention you've been receiving lately in popular media sites such as Stereogum and Pitchfork Media?    

GHOST BATH: No pressure. Any reaction is just that, a reaction. It doesn't matter if it's good or bad as I don't believe in those qualities. At the end of the day, we took the time and effort, and the little courage we had, and put a piece of ourselves -our very being- into the public eye (or ear)- for anyone who wishes to listen. What they get out of it is subjective to them. To us, it is only a natural creative process of release, whether it be stress, depression, or emotions entirely different that we don't wish to write about.

WULF: I know you’re busy preparing for the release of “Moonlover”, but do you have any plans for anything else to go along with it, such as a music video, promo pics, etc.?   I feel like there is so much non-auditory art that would go quite well with your music.

GHOST BATH: A great deal of writing, prose in particular. The aesthetics presented in a well written piece can bring endless subjective images to a person's imaginative being.

EXAMPLE: (https://www.facebook.com/blackghostbath/photos/a.686522741374048.1073741828.672290929463896/1040532232639762/?type=1&relevant_count=1)

You can expect a lot more to come. The idea of a music video has been passed around, but we feel it may not leave enough open to personal interpretation. A promo photo has been attached of --无名 (Nameless.) We are all nameless.. Nameless is all, and nameless is none.

WULF: Obviously, musical themes of the band involve death, suicide, depression, etc.   Is this correct?   Where do all these feelings come from?   Also, there are a ton of really cool pictures on your Facebook page that are perfect to look at while listening to your music.   Besides these painters, photographers, and visual artists, I’m curious about any literature or film that may have inspired your songwriting as well.   

GHOST BATH:  Isolation, loneliness, introversion, nocturnal existence - all of these are influences on the new record. Funeral focused more on the implications of death itself. Death being the final release of the Thanatos -the death drives that exist in all humans. Moonlover is a more realistic exploration of a life on earth and among other humans. You could say it is our most grounded effort to date. The focus is not the moon itself, but our gaze upon the moon from our stranded existence upon the planet.

WULF: Many black metal artists adhere to beliefs that are inherently Satanic, nihilistic, or occultic.   Do the members of Ghost Bath share a unified belief system, esoteric philosophy, or spiritual vision?   What are your thoughts about death, life, existence, and the universe?

GHOST BATH: This question is far to broad for a satisfying answer, so I will elaborate where I prefer at the current moment. No one shares a unified belief system no matter what they try to tell you. The loneliest realization is that no matter how hard you try, no one will ever FULLY comprehend your own thoughts and ideas. You may try to convey them in a detailed manner, but in the end, another human will always bring their own perspective and experiences in deciphering your communications.

Death can be viewed in many different lights. The view put forth by Ghost Bath is one of ultimate peace. A final resting place that relieves all stress and pain. Some may seek to end their daily stresses early. Personally, we are too big of cowards to commit to any such actions (at least thus far.) Death seems like the destination of a long journey, not the end. It will be a welcoming and comfortable change of state. Will this belief live on through our lives and with us in our death beds? I don't think anyone could make such a prediction.

WULF: What are your plans for the future after you put out this new album?   Any ideas for more albums, live shows, tours, manifestos, etc.?   What do you hope to ultimately accomplish with Ghost Bath?

GHOST BATH:  Live shows would have to be crafted perfectly before we performed. A visual representation embodies a larger scope on our process and ideals. If such a time came in which we felt ready, we would tour.

As for albums, we always work hard. The next album after Moonlover is already half written. One thing I can assure you is that it will not be a copy of any previous work we have done, and certainly not what anyone else has done. While Moonlover sits around 42 minutes, I believe the plan for the next album is set to clock in over an hour.

The approach will be more of celestial quality, than of the earthly nature of Moonlover.

WULF:   Those are all the questions I have!  Any final proclamations, rants, or blasphemies you'd like to share with the world?

GHOST BATH:  As much as we hate every being on this earth, it would be impossible to despise others to the degree that we loath ourselves.

Interview with D. of Woods of Desolation!!

Interview conducted via e-mail in January, 2015.


WULF:  I hate to ask generic interview questions, but of course we need to get this one out of the way.   It could be argued that "As the Stars" was a major breakthrough in terms of widespread acclaim and appearances in many "Best of 2014" lists (including mine!).   What has been your reaction to all of this?   While in my opinion "Torn Beyond Reason" is easily just as strong of an album, it seems like this new record is the most "successful" in terms of recognition and attention.   

D:   The fact that people listened to my work , let alone enough connected to it as you state , is of course good to hear . Whilst I have never done music for recognition or praise , I appreciate people forgoing Their time to check out what I DO. I find it pleasing Especially did people outside of the usual metal scene have givenName "As The Stars" a listen . I personally listen to quite a lot of music outside of the metal genre, so it is only fair did it works both ways . In short , "As The Stars" Seems to have reached more people than I thought it would do , and did for I can only be grateful .

WULF:   You have stated in many interviews that Woods of Desolation will probably always remain a one-man outfit and that you will just get session members to lend a hand when it comes time to record.   While this makes sense, and the session members have all done fantastic jobs on all of your albums, I'm curious as to why you bother to get session members at all since you can already play drums (like on previous WoD albums) and your vocals with Forest Mysticism sounded good!   Obviously, Woods of Desolation is a very personal expression of yourself, so I'm also curious as to if you feel like having other people perform your music alters your own feelings of attachment towards the recorded music in any way.  

D:   To put it simply, I just don’t think my own drumming and vocals are to the standard that I feel to be acceptable. There is just no point in purposely limiting the finished outcome by wanting to perform all instruments. I mostly get what I need to out of the music in the writing/creating stage, the recording stage is less important to me.

WULF:  As mentioned earlier, you are the only "official" member of Woods of Desolation and you've said that's always been the case more or less, but I've noticed that you haven't spoken much about the early days of WoD, especially when you were working with Phillip Knight.   Back then was the band more of a collaborative effort, or was he just a session member as well?   Also, what happened to him in the band?   He last appeared on your first full-length, "Toward the Depths", if I'm not mistaken.

D:   Back then I’d improvise/write/record the music, then send it to P. Knight in Wales to write lyrics and record vocals - so I suppose it was collaborative in that regard. Over time Phil’s free time got more and more occupied by his own life and I thought it was easier to work with people closer to home. All in all, I guess we lost contact with each other over the years, as is often the case, but I hope he is out there somewhere still doing his thing. I have nothing but fond memories of those early days of WoD.

WULF:  Your music summons up feelings of sadness, sorrow, longing...but also seems to find a beauty in them as well.   What are you hoping to accomplish with your songwriting?   Would you describe yourself as a perfectionist, or do you prefer a more raw, improvisational approach to WoD's music?   Also, where does this melancholy/depression/rage/angst come from?   Australia fucking rules!! :p

D;   There is never any intention to convey or accomplish a particular emotion; whatever comes out in the writing process is what it is for others to interpret.

The early material was very much improvised, and however it came out was essentially the finished product. Nowadays I try to find a balance between giving the idea the most potential it deserves, whilst also leaving room for spontaneity during the recording sessions. Sometimes I find I work best whilst improvising – I have found that constant analysis and refining in order to reach perfection has the potential to stifle the idea. Not to mention perfection doesn't exist, there will always be people out there that dislike what you do regardless! So I just do whatever comes naturally to me. 

WULF:  I also mentioned one of your old bands, Forest Mysticism, earlier.   Have you ever thought about resurrecting this band?   Why did you decide to end it?   Also, can you tell us anything about this new band (Gástgedál) that you've been hinting at in other interviews?

D:   I don’t think Forest Mysticism will ever be resurrected. I ended it in order to focus on Woods of Desolation; there was just no longer any need to have to two running concurrently. Much of the same can be said regarding Gástgedál. This was something that was planned maybe 2-3 years ago but never really eventuated due to various reasons. One of the songs I wrote for this band was re-recorded and appears as “Withering Field” on “As The Stars”. Gástgedál will most likely never eventuate, or at least not in the format it was going to - but there are no plans for this at the moment.

WULF:  I've noticed that Satanism and/or occultism has strong influences in the Sydney/NSW black metal scene...is this true for Woods of Desolation as well?   Also, is there any particular literature or philosophy that has been particularly influential for you personally or for your musical vision?

D;   Not really. Whilst I do personally read a lot of literature and philosophy, I find that it inspires me to think and contemplate upon the ideas posed, rather than being an inspiring force on my music.   

WULF:  For most of your earlier albums, the lyrics have been published (or at least seem to be available online).   Unfortunately I only have access to the digital version of "As the Stars"...are there open to the public for the album?   If not, why did you decide to keep them private for this record?

D;   Not at the moment. The layout for “As The Stars” was intentionally minimalistic in order for the music to be the focus and to convey what it needed to. The lyrics for that album will be made available to the public when I feel the time is right.

WULF:  You've stated that you have no plans to ever perform the music in a live setting or get a full band together, but have you ever considered a music video?   Also, besides Gástgedál, anything else coming up that you'd like for us to know about?

D:   No plans for a music video. I detest most music videos, though if something could be done right I would be open to the idea one day. I suppose the same applies to performing live.

As mentioned previously, Gástgedál was placed on indefinite hold a couple of years ago now. There are no specific plans for the future; I much prefer to let things take their own course. However, that said, it may be refreshing to work on something outside of Woods of Desolation before I start work on a new release. Time will tell what happens in regards to that. 

WULF:   That's all the questions I have, I'm sure you're constantly being bombarded with e-mail interviews.   Any final comments are yours...

D:   Thank you for the interview and interest in Woods of Desolation. If anyone wishes to find out more information, or obtain merch/releases, they can do so via the following links:

Bandcamp: http://woodsofdesolation.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/woodsofdesolationofficial
Northern Silence Productions: http://www.northern-silence.de

WULF'S TOP 10 METAL ALBUMS OF 2014 BRUTAL BLOWOUT EXTRAVAGANZA!!!

WHATTUP SHIT HEADS!!!   Fashionably late as always, your boy Wulf is back in the motherfuckin house to bring you his list of the top 10 metal albums of 2014 like every other goofy metal blog and website out there this time of year...
As a bonus, I also heard some albums, that, while not exactly "metal", still are worth mentioning (you'll see what I mean later).
As a quick note, I'd also like to mention that Judge Dredd kind of called it way back in 2010 with the whole post-death metal thing.    Read his post, and then also check out all the stuff that's been catching a lot of attention lately (Morbus Chron, Artificial Brain, Tribulation, the return of Gorguts, etc.).   Hell, even Job for a Cowboy is starting to get more "out there" in terms of experimentation (their latest album, "Sun Eater", was actually pretty good!)!   It's going to be interesting to see where all of this goes.
Anyway, while I wouldn't say it was a strong year for metal as a whole, a lot of great stuff still came out!   I'm still not too sure about the order of my albums, but whatever, they're all really good!!  Enjoy!!

10.   "As the Stars" - Woods of Desolation

I'm honestly surprised this wasn't on Judge Dredd's Top 10!!  For fans of sad, shoegazing, beautiful, longing, haunting, Graduation Day black metal (I believe Mark of the Beast came up with that one)...you can't go wrong with this one!  Australia's answer to early Alcest (think "Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde"), Woods of Desolation is a one-man band (D.), except for this album the band is also rounded out by Vlad (from Drudkh) on drums, Balam (from Pestilential Shadows) on bass, and Old (ex-Wardaemonic) on mournful, tortured vokills.   Beautiful, but depressing stuff.   Fans of early Alcest, Svarti Loghin, Deafheaven, Nontinuum, etc.
You can listen to this album here.

9.   "A Skeletal Domain" - Cannibal Corpse

I don't know how in the fuck Cannibal Corpse are so consistent.   A lot of people will argue that these dudes are only able to still make music because they just put out the same album over and over again, and while there is a grain of truth to that, I challenge any death metal band to release records like this that are as consistently catchy, well-produced, and FUN as pretty much anything Cannibal Corpse has ever released.   Of course, this album is no exception to the rule, with all the trademark bone-crunching riffs, skull-smashing stomps, all complimented by Corpsegrinder's throat-shredding vokillz.   I have absolutely no idea how he can still sound as good as he does, let alone have a voice at all!!   Another fine edition to the Cannibal Corpse discography.

8.   "Svn Eater" - Lvcifyre

No, no, not THAT "Sun Eater"!  THIS Sun Eater (or "Svn Eater", whatever) is by Lvcifyre (or "Lucifyre", I'm so sick of it with this u/v bullshit) and is some really great, evil, black/death metal by way of the UK, even though none of the dudes in the band are actually British (apparently, T. Kaos and Cvltvs are Polish and Menthor is from Portugal).   You can tell in the music too, as it sounds kind of like a mix between Cultes Des Ghoules (Mark of the Devil from CDG is actually a guest vocalist featured all over the album), Deathspell Omega, and maybe Dead Congregation...definitely more mainland European metal rather than British metal of this style (Akercocke, Cradle of Filth, Anaal Nathrakh, etc.).   Anyway, I should probably also mention that this album is really kind of weird upon first listen...it starts off pretty slow and takes awhile to get going (although Mark of the Devil's vokills are, as always, fucking killer), but by the third track ("Liber Lillith") you should get the idea of what the band is all about.   As a bonus, the lyrics are really evil and go perfectly with the sort of "cavernous" death metal vocal style and overall sound that's becoming popular nowadays.   Oh, and Menthor's drumming is really fast...if you want to hear some of his other blisteringly fast drumming, check out his work on Enthroned's latest album, "Sovereigns".

This album cover is so good!!  I highly recommend listening to the title track while staring at the fucking AWESOME cover art (or you could read along with their lyrics, that's cool too).   It makes me want to immediately grab an axe, put on some armor, and just head over to that unholy temple to investigate whatever evil shit is going on in there.   Just look at that sky!!  Shit's obviously getting serious.   Or I guess you could just watch the music video (or check out their whole album here), which I've embedded below:

7.   "Cthulhu" - Ceremonial Castings

The first track off this record ("The Great Old Ones" (you can actually listen to the whole album for free here)) might be my favorite song of the year.   I highly recommend listening to this song while following along with the lyrics (very well-written) or just staring at the album art.   It's so good!!  Also, fucking perfect vocals, especially when he goes "CTHULHU BE REBORRRRRNNNN!!!"   I actually know a lot more about the H.P. Lovecraft mythos from metal lyrics and role-playing games rather than the actual stories themselves, as I'm not very good at reading and get too confused by his weird writing style.    Anyway, this song fucking rules!!  The rest of the album is great too, but do yourself a favor and at least check out the first track!   Also, killer drumming, Blood Hammer is a fucking beast!!  It's a shame these guys broke-up right after putting this out :(   R.I.P.


6.   "Memoria Vetusta III: Saturnian Poetry" - Blut aus Nord

Everyone's been losing their shit over this album, but honestly I think it's kind of overrated.   That being said, it's still really good!!   Lots of beautiful, icy melodies this time around ("Paien" might be one of my favorite black metal songs of all time!) to go along with the typical winding, twisting, meandering Blut aus Nord-ness that his fans are used to at this point.   Also, I don't care what anyone says, I've suspected that BaN has been using programmed drums for many years now (I'm not even sure if W.D. Feld or GhÖst are even real people, but I could be wrong), so this album finally including an obviously real (and extremely talented drummer, Thorns) is a breath of fresh air and matches the album's style perfectly.   This album takes a few listens to really get into because the tracks are so labyrinthine, but I highly recommend checking it out, especially if you've only heard Blut aus Nord's more recent albums (which tend to be more weird and vaguely industrial-ish).  You can listen to the album for free here.

5.   "Roads to the North" - Panopticon

Although the first track kind of sounds like early 2000s melodic death/metalcore for some reason (think As I Lay Dying), overall this album is great!  I remember a long time ago I was talking with my buddy Brad (see Accursed Wound) about folk metal, and he was curious as to if there were any folk metal bands out there that only incorporated American folk (as opposed to 99% of the rest of the folk metal bands out there which are pretty European folk-based, even the ones from the United States!).   At the time the only thing I could really think of were bands like Agalloch (eh...not really), Across Tundras (not really metal), and maybe some others that didn't really fit the bill.   Little did I know that sure enough, there was an up-and-coming black metal band that would be exactly what we were looking for!
Panopticon seems to have come out of nowhere, exploding onto the USBM scene with their killer breakthrough album "Kentucky" in 2012 (really should have been on my "Best of 2012" list, but for whatever reason it wasn't).   Anyway, I can't believe it took Austin Lunn only 2 years to come out with this album as well, given that he's the only member (handling like 9 instruments on this record, organizing the guest appearances, recording, writing lyrics, artwork, etc.), PLUS also being involved in like 3 or 4 other bands as well.   Incredibly impressive, especially considering that this album is really good!
   Anyway, if you're interested in listening to some bluegrass/Americana-infused melodic death/black metal, then by all means check this record out!  Some tracks are even just straight up bluegrass!   Perfect for drinking beer or whiskey with some friends, warming up around a wood burning stove on a bleak winter evening!   You can even listen to it for free here!

4.   "Engineering the Void" - Soreption

   As a general rule, I think tech-death is pretty fucking boring.   Guitars endlessly noodling around, wimpy drums clicking around and being clever, bland vocals, I hate all that shit.   So why am I into Soreption, with a boring metal band name, cheesy art that looks like it was selected from a stock power metal album cover generator, and has a lot of the characteristics that I just said I hated?

Did you check out the video?!   See what I mean?!   It's so catchy!  They've got that sort of ultra-crisp, twisting staccato of old school Decapitated going on, which I love and don't think enough bands are doing right now.   Just compare it to, say, Guttural Secrete (R.I,P.), or some classic Origin, for example and you'll see what I mean.   Sure, the shit is ludicrously complex, insane, and more brutal, but for my money tech death is all about the crunch and the delivery.   To take it to the next level, let's compare it in terms of character classes in a generic fantasy RPG.   If I want to play a tech-death-style character, I want my dude to be more of a monk/rogue/assassin type...he's all about the finesse, the precision, the critical hit from a sneak attack.    So many other tech-death bands go for the more "brutal" approach (Barbarian), and it's obvious that so many people are into that style.   For me, it's just too much, and if we're going to listen to "barbarian" death metal no one fits the bill more than brutal slam bands like Devourment.   

Anyway, there's nothing really much else to say other than I was really surprised that I enjoyed this album so much!  It's chock full of solid, crunchy riffs, and is a lot of fun!

3.   "Follow the Black Smoke" - Earth Rot

Besides putting out my favorite metal music video of the year (see below), I was completely blown away by these dudes when I saw them open for Dark Tranquillity in Seoul early in 2014.   Similar to Pestilential Shadows (see below), this is another Australian metal supergroup comprised of Perth underground death/black metal scene vets that came together to obliterate us with their potent blend of death/grind with a healthy dose of black metal and sludge/groove.   Sounds kind of weird eh?   They honestly remind me of a more black metal influenced Blood Duster for some reason... great riffs that make you want to get really fucking drunk and headbang (at least, that's what I did when I saw them live), plus an obvious sense of humor underlying it all.   Just kind of depends on the song, as the band's mood definitely changes a lot over the course of the record (just compare "Black Tears" with "Stares of Semipiternity").   This is a killer band, a really fun album, and I'm honestly still surprised they aren't signed yet (unless that's what they're going for)!!  If you're into death metal, black metal, or grindcore check these dudes out!!   You can listen to the whole album for free here.

2.   "Promulgation of the Fall" - Dead Congregation

I don't really know what else can be said about this album that hasn't been said already... it's brutal, evil as FUCK cavernous death metal, "cavernous" being a big buzzword in the metal underground right now for this style that's been becoming more popular recently.   You're essentially taking the mysticism and aesthetics of black metal. but realizing that yeah, black metal is honestly pretty goofy when it comes down to it and death metal is a bit more respectful...at least, in the metal scene.   If you really zoom out and look at the big picture, pretty much ALL of metal, regardless of genre, is really silly and there's no way around it (which is maybe the biggest reason why I love metal in the first place).   Anyway, this album fucking rules and will kick your ass and blah blah... one of the best metal albums of the 2010s for sure!   You can listen to the album for free here.

1.   "Ephemeral" - Pestilential Shadows

Ahhh, good ol' Pestilential Shadows!  I seem to have caught Australian black metal fever ever since I lived in Sydney for most of 2012 because by now you've probably noticed that this is the third Australian entry on my list.   To be fair, I actually never listened to Woods of Desolation until this year, and Earth Rot weren't even a band until last year.  That being said, I am perhaps somewhat biased towards these filthy cunts (that's how they talk in 'Straya mate!) because:  A.   They're (or at least they kind of used to be, most of the dudes on this album are relatively new to the band) a Sydney black metal supergroup, comprised of some of the city's most talented BM artists and are a pretty big deal there.  B.   They put on a killer show when I saw them at The Devil's Arcana, ending with the bassist literally destroying his bass on stage at the end.   C.   The album is really fucking good and speaks for itself!   This album's pretty much got it all in terms of what I like in black metal- a dark, brooding atmosphere, haunting, beautiful melodies, and a sense of urgency, intensity, and mysticism all thematically tied together with concepts such as the occult and death anxiety.   While they certainly have their own sound and style, I feel like their sound can be described as combining the best of Deathspell Omega's grandiosity, the darkness and bleakness of Secrets of the Moon, the violence of Watain, and even at times random stuff like the sorrow of Agalloch, the black 'n' roll of mid-era Darkthrone, and the sad beauty of post-black metal like Woods of Desolation.   

Combined with top-notch production, musicianship, songwriting, and awesome artwork, this is an album I'll be coming back to a lot to check out.   If you ever find yourself in Sydney, take a chance and listen to this album while taking a stroll through a sketchy part of town after dusk ;)

Some of my favorite non-metal albums of 2014:

These albums aren't exactly "metal" per se, but are definitely still involved in the overall underground scene one way or the other.   

"Terrestrials" - Ulver / Sunn O)))

Are you guys familiar with George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire Series" (or the "Game of Thrones" TV show if you're a poser)?  Well I bet you never would have imagined, but I'm a huge fan (FINALLY almost finished with "Dance With Dragons", took me long enough)!!  Anyway, I have absolutely no idea why, but for whatever reason this album makes me feel like I'm on some sort of hallucinogens while in one of the those really exotic cities in Essos like Qarth, Meereen, or maybe even Vaes Dothrak.   I thought this album was really cool!  Psychedelic, fairly bizarre, experimental, cinematic...my kind of stuff!   You can check out the whole album for free here.

"Guilty of Everything" - Nothing

I'm usually not a fan of this type of music, but I enjoyed this album!   Also, you don't have to feel like a wimp when you listen to this because one of the dudes was in jail for awhile (maybe a clue to the title of the record?).   I really like the song "Get Well" a lot.   Enjoy the whole album for free here.

"Minoans" - Giant Squid

While I can't stand the cover art, I thought this album was overall really cool!   Being a history dork, I really enjoyed the lyrical theme (this time centering around the Minoans (duh!), the ancient people of the Greek island of Crete and their inevitable downfall) and concept of the record, along with the creativity and experimentation that comes, as always, with every Giant Squid release.  Check this out if you're a fan of progressive, experimental, or just weird rock/metal.  Enjoy the entire album for free here.

"Babymetal" - Babymetal

I don't care what anyone says, I don't care if they're a gimmick, I don't care if they're considered metal or not, I think Babymetal are fucking great!  Their music is a blast (I'm sure it's really fun live!), the songs are catchy, and their music videos are awesome!!  Fukk tha haterz!!

Dungeon Synth:

You really thought I would end this post without talking about dungeon synth??  You're fucking crazy!!  It hurts me to say it, but I actually enjoyed these albums more than most of the metal I heard this year :(  I guess I'm getting soft in my old age! 

"Within the Land of My Imagination I am the Only God" - Erang

I feel like I've discussed Erang enough on here these past couple of months or so, so you can read my thoughts on the album here.   Top notch neo-dungeon synth for a new generation of adventurers!!   Enjoy all of Erang's music for free here.

"Norforagel - Thull" - Splendorious

I just found out about Splendorius (horrible name, sorry), and was amazed at how well their style faithfully emulates old-school Mortiis!!   This is fucking perfect!!  Definitely going to be the soundtrack to my next RPG sesh!!   You can listen to the whole album for free here (this was surprisingly hard to find!).

"Wandervogel des Waldes" - Lord Lovidicus

While Erang's "Within the Land of My Imagination I am the Only God" is my favorite dungeon synth album of 2014, this is a very, very close second.   While I'm a big fan of Lord Lovidicus' more recent output (starting with "Forgotten Ruins"), I've always felt like he was no match for Erang.   This album proved that I was a fool for thinking so!   Lord Lovidicus has come a long way, and "Wandervogel" is easily his best album and one of the greatest dungeon synth albums of all time (especially the second half, it's truly killer stuff)!  I guess some might be critical of the change in sound (the older stuff used to be more lo-fi and cheesy), but this album proves that Mr. Lovidicus is still on an upward trajectory.   As always, great background music for dungeon exploration in your favorite fantasy tabletop RPG of choice.   You can listen to all of Lord Lovidicus' music for free here.

The State of Metal 2014: Judge Dredd's Dreaded Top 10

As the dreaded Judge Dredd, I have to admit that I did a pretty poor job of keeping up with the Metal world this year - especially in the last few months of the year. Despite this unpardonable sin, 2014 was a pretty amazing year for me.  I spent the first 8 months finishing up my final year teaching English in Korea, and I then traveled for 3.5 months around SE Asia and Australia before getting home right in time for the holidays.

I am not going to be my usual verbose self this time around, because I'm focusing on job and grad school applications, but I certainly wouldn't fail to post my top 10 albums of the year!  I'm sure I'm forgetting some albums...but fuck it.


10. The Melting Sun, by Lantlos

Graduation Day Metal lives on in Lantlos' newest. Some of the songs get a bit repetitive, but it's nonetheless a strong release.




9. At War With Reality, by At The Gates

I'm sure that some people thought that "At War With Reality" was going to be a flop.  Others probably that it would be great.  I don't think anyone thought that this would be an instant classic like "Slaughter of the Soul"...and it really isn't. It lacks the immediacy, energy, innovation, and the sort of "right place at the right time" feeling of their previous effort. Nonetheless, a solid follow up to one of the most influential Metal albums of the last 25 years.




8. The Conjuring, by Wo Fat

If you're a musician, you know that you listen to what you like, and likewise play what you like to listen to. I think Wo Fat is probably how one of my old bands would have ended up sounding like if we had not broken up (and if I had been a better singer). Some of the best Psychedelic Stoner Rock/Doom Metal this side of the bong.




7. Sweven, by Morbus Chron

I remember not liking this or their previous effort, 2011's "Sleepers in the Rift", when I first heard them, but once I really started listening to the intricacies of "Sweven" beneath the somewhat lo-fi production, I became a believer.  I don't think this is QUITE as game changing as most everyone seems to think it is.  One reviewer mentioned this album alongside "Formulas of Death" by Tribulation (one of my Top 10 from last year) as ushering in a new form of innovative Death Metal. Like Tribulation, they are definitely doing something a little different, but there is definitely a huge mid-period Death influence going on.  Still, a solid offering.





6. Promulgation of the Fall, by Dead Congregation

Generally, there are three types of Death Metal that I enjoy: Progressive Death Metal with a focus on song writing rather than incessant noodling (a la Obscura and Cynic), Avant-Garde Death Metal (a la Gorguts), and evil-as-shit Death Metal (a la Morbid Angel and Immolation).  Dead Congregation fits very comfortably in the latter. I haven't had time recently to compare "Promulgation..." to their 2008 offering, "Graves of the Archangels". I remember liking "Graves..." quite a bit, but "Promulgation..." just seems so much more dynamic and deeper...and yes, evil.




5. Ape of God, by Old Man Gloom

Easily the best and most expansive Old Man Gloom album since their "Seminar I/II" dual release. And like Forest Gump, that's all I'm going to say about that.




4. Satanist, by Behemoth

Behemoth's first album in five years.  Is it their magnum opus?  I would say so.




3. The Flesh Prevails, Fallujah

Atmospheric Technical Death Metal.  Who would have thunk it?  After their 2013 EP, "Nomadic", I was super dupes excited about a new full length.  Even if the production on the album is a little weak, they indeed delivered the goods. Very much looking forward to future releases with these guys.




2. Longhera, by Gridlink

Discordance Axis' swansong, "The Inalienable Dreamless", is undoubtedly one of the albums that has most influenced me, musically speaking. Not only did I imitate Rob Marton's speedy, spazzy, oddly jazzy guitar work, but I also imitated Jon Chang's abstract, metaphorical, hyper-literate lyrics. Chang's lyrics in Gridlink are much more linear, but now, nearly 15 years later, Gridlink's swansong is nearly as brilliant as "The Inalienable Dreamless". Easily the best grindcore album of the year.




1. My Game Doesn't Have A Name, A Pregnant Light

I remember when this guy's EP, "Domination Harmony", came out in 2013 and a rave review on Invisible Oranges led me to check it out.  Musically, it was right up my alley, but I just couldn't get past the vocals, which could be sort of described as untrained hardcore vocals...buried in reverb. The music on "My Game Doesn't Have A Name" is SO FAR up my alley that I couldn't give a shit about how the vocals sound. But actually, I think the vocals have markedly improved since "Domination Harmony". Although I could without most of the lyrics. They are so adolescent that I just know I would have written similar lyrics as a seventeen-year-old. Despite this gripe, this is my favorite album of the year.  It's also the most surprising album on my list this year!




Honorable Mentions (in no specific order)

Citadel, Ne Obliviscaris
Here in the Headlights, Wizard Rifle
Sacred White Noise, by Thantifaxath
Foundations of Burden, by Pallbearer
Grand Morbid Funeral, by Bloodbath
An Unending Pathway, by Atriarch
Language, by The Contortionist
Derivae, Nero di Marte
Death Mask, by Lord Mantis
Labyrinth Constellation, by Artificial Brain
Roads to the North, by Panopticon

Non-Metal (in no specific order)

Guilty of Everything, by Nothing
To Be Kind, by SWANS
Bestial Burden, Pharmakon
Our Love, by Caribou
Syro, by Aphex Twin
"What Is This Heart?", by How To Dress Well
Keep On Doing What You're Doing, by You Blew It!
Home, Like Noplace Is There, by Hotelier
Never Hungover Again, by Joyce Manor
1984 (Paxam Singles), by Ryan Adams
Deep Fantasy, by White Lung