Entry 230 - Old Sorcery/Haxan Dreams - War of the Old Kingdom

 

Haxan Dreams - I had never heard of this project before this split. It's a pleasant surprise to listen to this side of the split. The three songs all have their own character and seem to work well together on the side. The first song is probably the darkest of the three, using an excellent mix of ambience and distorted instrumentation to create an ominous atmosphere. If there is anything on the record that is sub par its the second song, it is not memorable and almost feels like filler. Luckily it's only 3 minutes long so ultimately this is forgivable. The final song sees the Haxan Dreams side off with a sorrowful farewell. It feels like the parting of ways with old friends, its quite well done and a great closer to their side of the record. I'm going to be checking out some more of Haxan Dreams releases in the near future based on my enjoyment with this record.

Old Sorcery - This is the reason I got the split in the first place. Old Sorcery was one of the artists that got me back into dungeon synth after nearly 20 years. Their music captures the mystic qualities of the early to mid 90's feel, and this album is no different. There is a majesty to these songs that is a rare quality in most dungeon synth. The fact that Old Sorcery consistently is able to produce music at such a high level baffles me. Regardless, War of the Old Kingdom is another fantastic addition to the Old Sorcery discography.