Dungeon Synth

Featuring two stalwarts of the dungeon synth genre, this split also brings together Finland’s foremost purveyors of the resurgent style. DRUADAN FOREST, of course, should require little introduction for those who follow the banner of WEREWOLF RECORDS: in 2019 did mainman V-Khaoz (also of labelmates VARGRAV and GRIEVE) release the staggering atmospheric black metal monolith Dismal Spells From the Dragonrealm, and shared an all-dungeon-synth split album with THE TRUE WERWOLF in 2108. Here, DRUADAN FOREST deliver two epic-length tracks of the purest, most fantastical dungeon synth. Unlike so many two-note/one-loop charlatans, V-Khaoz’ dungeon synth creations are symphonies unto themselves, neither understated nor overstated, with fugue-like compositions revealing a wealth of adventure and mystery equally.

Black Metal

After their Neo-Folk opus, ‘Songs of Grief and Solitude’, with this latest effort DRUDKH returns to their Black Metal roots, with five long compositions in the epic and melancholic vein of ‘Forgotten Legends’, although with better sound, organic drums, and brilliant bass playing, in sum displaying the sophistication of ‘Blood in Our Wells’.

Black Metal

This masterwork comes with new artwork. “The Swan Road” continues in the spirit of “Autumn Aurora” with the band’s trademark Slavonic Pagan Metal sound, which embraces epic folk-influenced melodies and creates cinematic and luxuriant atmospheres charged with melancholy. Lyrically DRUDKH’s creative figurehead Roman Saenko draws heavily from the poem “The Haidamakas” of Taras Shevchenko (1814-1861), a humanist, painter and the founding father of Ukrainian literature.

Black Metal

Hailing from The Netherlands, this mysterious, spooky and hellish keller synth act from a twisted dimension, will take you to hell and back. The Devils’ cave, the hellwitch’s murky caverns, the stalkers rancid basement?…DUIVELSGROT is many things but foremost the delirious dream of the psychotic mind. This listening experience will surely make your home feel like it’s part of the underworld. File under keller synth / raw black metal.

Darkwave / Dungeon Synth

If you are not still familiarized with this band, and you like the riffs and atmospheres of bands as diverse as Sacramentum, Dissection, Mgla, Batushka, Satanic Warmaster, Taake, Arckanum, Uada or Burzum, surely Dumal is going to freeze your blood , since the trio has managed to unite in a truly virtuous and skillful way that amalgam of influences and arrangements to create a masterpiece where all these elements work together in harmony, being “The Lesser God” a genuine expression of black metal. But Dumal is much more than an influenced band by the differents Black Metal waves from the 90s onwards, Dumal has an unique aura and their own mark.

Raw Black Metal

Founded in 2008, and after some demos and splits with bands like Vetala, Black Aura, Voltaic Omen and Total Genocide, Durazis came back from the shadows last year again with Demo 2020.

Originally released by Parasyte Curse on a strictly limited tape edition, it’s now reissued on classic black vinyl.

Black Metal

Dying Fullmoon – “Unter dem Thron der Sterne” – Demo 1995 LP

Recorded live early ’95 in a cellar somewhere in the woods of northern Germany as a two-piece who had already joined forces with Tha-Norr at that point, this demo offers the sort of raw black metal that would make most modern bands cry themselves to sleep, knowing that they could never hope to match the pure ferocity and darkness found here. Piercing cold and enraptured fury manifested in five raging songs plus four obscure interludes with a total playing time of 40+ minutes.