Entry 1135 - Dim - Compendium I

Style: dungeon synth

Primary Emotions/Themes: A beautiful take on the dungeon synth genre that focuses on classical instrumentation and Renaissance harmonies 

Thoughts: Dim is a newer dungeon synth artist to me. I was introduced to their work through one of my closest friends, and I am in their debt for this introduction.

The music contained on Compendium I is pure bliss. Driven primarily by the harpsichord, the music has a whimsical, light, and airy feel to it. This is the kind of music that feels at home on a warm summer day, or the first blossoming of flowers after a long and hard winter. It's beautiful.

The music contained on Compendium I is a phenomenal introduction to Dim and their music. There's nothing harsh or unbecoming about the music in the slightest. The appeal of the music likely expands way beyond the dungeon synth genre as well. It's so well crafted and composed that nearly every person I've played this for is swept away into a place of wonder.

 

Entry 1134 - Jade Cocoon

Style: Video game music 

Primary Emotions/Themes: A mysterious journey through desert, jungle and mountain.. all with bugs

Thoughts: The world is burning. Everything is falling apart. Nothing is as it should be. Let's play some video games.

Jade Cocoon is one of the most unique games I think I ever played. It's combat is unlike anything I've seen before or since. I don't remember too much of the plot but I do remember the music. It's a charming collection of tunes that exemplify how the PS1 soundtracks are some of the best ever to be created.

They have that perfect balance of the instruments sounding clear and still sounding like video game music. For just over 75 minutes these two records take me to a place in my childhood where I can forget about the ills of the world. Their quirky combination of tribal rhythms, ambient sounds, and plain olde RPG tropes is enough to put a smile on my face most days.

Entry 1133 - M.Zi - Rise of Heroes

Style: Synthwave

Primary Emotions/Themes: Synthwave mixed with moments of darksynth grooves

Thoughts: Synthwave is a funny genre. It's so easy to sound completely generic and go by the wayside. This is the danger that Rise of Heroes flirts with, yet through excellent song writing and great pacing it manages to make standard synthwave sound engaging.

Each of the songs that M.Zi has composed is undoubtedly in the synthwave genre. They all have that 80's groove to them and all are so obviously synth based that there is literally no other genre that this could be a part of. Music like this is normally an easy pass for me, yet Rise of Heroes remains in my collection, why?

The key here is how well this music is written. The melodies are catchy and draw me in. They make me bob my head with the beat. The groove is also great, especially the lower register bass. It is the kind that makes my body shiver when it hits just right... and it's not overused which makes it all the more impactful when it is employed.

Rise of Heroes isn't a groundbreaking album, but it is an album that demands attention. Every genre has generic music that defies expectations by how well it's executed. M.Zi has created one such album for synthwave with Rise of Heroes.

Entry 1132 - My Sister's Fugazi Shirt - Man Fears The Darkness, and So He Scrapes Away at the Edges of it With Fire

Style: lofi hip hop

Primary Emotions/Themes: A continuation of the Evangelion series in the style of lofi hip hop

Thoughts: If there was one criticism of the first entry into this series it's that the Evangelion samples may have been underused somewhat. That's hardly the case here, there are so many samples from the series that the album feels nearly saturated with them... and that's a good thing.

The atmosphere that was present in the first entry is here as well: well executed beats, that religious/ethereal atmosphere, and songs that know exactly what they are. There are so many idea's here that it could easily become boring or disjointed, but the opposite is true. Each song knows exactly what it is and how to get the point across, then it ends and moves on to the next idea.

Out of all the lofi albums I have, the Evangelion ones from My Sister's Fugazi Shirt are near the very top. These two albums are something else, they go by in an instant and are perfect for both active listening as well as passive. Essential listening.

Entry 1131 - My Sister's Fugazi Shirt - God's In His Heaven, All's Right With The World

Style: Lofi hip hop

Primary Emotions/Themes: Lofi but with 1000% more Evangelion

Thoughts: I feel like I've said this a thousand times, but I really have to see something special in a lofi hip hop album to have it in my collection. I used to have nearly one hundred records in the genre, but now I've got less than twenty. This is one of the ones that keeps making the cut, it's fantastic.

The basis of the album is pure lofi: simple beats over samples... and that's where the comparisons end. The samples themselves are curated from Evangelion more often than not. The melodies have a heavy dose of reverb on them giving the album a sense of space and almost an ethereal quality. Considering the content of the source material, the religious leanings is a nice subtle touch.

More often than not when this album hits the turntable, I'm compelled to start it right back up after a side finishes. In this particular instance it's been sitting on my table for about two hours... or three whole listens to the album. Truly one of the better albums in the genre.

Entry 1130 - My Dying Bride - Songs of Darkness, Words of Light

Style: Doom/death metal, gothic metal

Primary Emotions/Themes: If The Dreadful Hours expanded on the death metal end of the bands sound, this album sees them fully embracing the gothic elements

Thoughts: This is it. My Dying Bride's final truly great album. It takes the return to the roots approach that the band has been exploring for the past few albums, but again takes it in a different direction. Instead of embracing the death metal side of their sound the band has fully embraced the gothic elements of their sound.

This comes with several immediately noticeable changes. The growls are almost non-existent on this album, the guitar melodies from the early albums are back full force, and the drumming has that instantly recognizable My Dying Bride cadence to it (if you've heard the early albums you know what I mean). The music is also darker, and more bleak than ever before. All changes that I welcome with open arms.

The music found on Songs of Darkness, Words of Light is among the best that the band has put out. The album is so consistent, there is hardly a bad song on here. For one album they managed to capture the darkness of the first few albums, especially The Angel and the Dark River. Though this time without the violin. 

Entry 1129 - My Dying Bride - The Dreadful Hours

Style: Death/doom metal with gothic touches

Primary Emotions/Themes: If the Light at  the End of the World was a return to form this is the refinement of it

Thoughts: My Dying Bride's early discography is some of the best in any band in any genre ever. Their first eight albums went on such a diverse and high quality run that I struggle to think of a band that had that long of a success streak over that many albums. 

The Dreadful Hours sees the band double down on their commitment to the earlier albums in their discography... except even more so than Light. This album is heavier, Aaron's growls are deeper, the death metal is more present, the gothic elements are a bit more subtle, and the band is more aggressive than ever.. probably the most they have been since the debut.

This all comes at a slight cost though. The wonderful melodies that the band has as their trademark have taken a step back. They are still present from time to time but they are not the central focus of the album anymore like they were on the previous album. This feels like the band is committing to the early albums and taking the sound in a new direction. In doing so they have created an monster, one that is one of the strongest albums in their entire catalog.

Entry 1128 - My Dying Bride - The Light at the End of the World

Style: Doom/death metal with a hint of gothic

Primary Emotions/Themes: My Dying Bride's album where they shook off their experimentation and got back to what made them an amazing band

Thoughts: In the time leading up to the release of this album the band made quite a stir talking about how they wanted to have growls again. They had been missing for three albums at this point, and I for one was excited. The mix of clean and growled vocals was one of the reasons why I loved Turn Loose the Swans so much, I felt that they were sorely missed.

When listening to The Light at the End of the World I hear a band that is paying tribute to their early works yet not trying to replicate them. There is no violin here, the music is quite a bit more active than any of the last few albums, and there is way more death metal than I expected. There's nothing here like The Forever People, but there are moments the band goes straight up death metal for a few minutes at a time.

What makes this album a proper return to form is their reintroduction of their dual guitar melodies. These had been sorely missed, and Andrew certainly brought them back with a vengeance. These combined with great keyboard work from Johnny Maudling (from Bal-Sagoth no less) brings this album nearly on par with the early works, even sans violin. 

Entry 1127 - Murcof - Cosmos

Style: dark ambient

Primary Emotions/Themes: A call into the great void... and the void responded

Thoughts: Cosmos is a dark ambient album unlike any other I've heard. Living up to it's name it certainly feels like a trip through nothingness for most of it. However at points there are small explosions of music that fade as quickly as they come. It's as if we are floating through the Cosmos and seeing a passing star or nebula. Before you can even process it, it's faded off into the sea of stars once again.

Cosmos is an abstract album that requires quite a bit of attention to get anything out of. Multiple times I've had this on in the background and it does nothing for me. However when I stop what I'm doing and truly dig into the music with active listening the album begins to reveal its secrets to me. A challenging yet utterly rewarding listen for those who are up to it.

Entry 1126 - Mournful Congregation - Concrescence of the Sophia

Style: Funeral doom metal

Primary Emotions/Themes: a slightly more melodic take on the bands slow crushing brand of metal

Thoughts: Two songs, thirty minutes. That's all we get on this EP. The title track being the first and main part of the album at over twenty minutes long. When listening to the album again, I find that the band has taken a more melodic and possibly even gothic approach to their melodies this time around. In fact they seem to have an influence from a certain My Dying Bride in the way that the melodies progress and play off of each other.

This is by no means a bad thing, MDB creates some of the best melodies in the doom genre and having their influence here elevates the music. There are extended sections where the band drops the drums completely and let the two guitars play off of each other... call and response style. It's my favorite parts of the album. 

Despite the shorter length, Mournful Congregation has created a great EP, especially the title track. While I still prefer The Book of Kings to pretty much anything else these guys have put out, this is a strong entry into their catalog.

Entry 1125 - Mournful Congregation - The Incubus of Karma

Style: Funeral doom metal

Primary Emotions/Themes: Do you hear that? That... is the sound of inevitability 

Thoughts: Whenever I start listening to The Incubus of Karma I have to take a few deep breaths. The Indwelling Ascent is one of the best intro's to an album I've heard in a long while. It has that quality where it gives me pause. When the main melody comes in around two minutes I have to focus on my breathing, if I don't then there's a chance that the pure sorrow of the song will overwhelm me. No joke.

After the intro though... things don't do nearly as much for me. The magic that was in every moment of The Book of Kings is fleeting here. The band focuses more on the crushing weight of the guitars throughout the album, which is fine... but also more generic than I prefer. 

The music still crushes my soul, it still makes me ponder why I even bother. It calls into question all the things that I hold dear and how life is fleeting. But it doesn't have that broken beauty that The Book of Kings does. It's lacking the edge that the band had in the past, and I fear that it's gone. I suppose everything is fleeting... 

Entry 1124 - Mournful Congregation - The Book of Kings

Style: Funeral doom metal

Primary Emotions/Themes: The sorrow and crushing weight of the world falling upon me slowly like an avalanche in slow motion... there is no escape

Thoughts: Mournful Congregation is no stranger to fans of funeral doom. They have been around for ages and have created some of the most impactful albums in the genre. The Book of Kings being - in my humble opinion - first and foremost amongst those.

With the Book of Kings the band has created something clearly a cut above the norm. It's not just slow riffs and deep growled vocals. While those are there, the band goes way beyond the basics of the genre. Throughout the album, melodies rain from the sky like angels weeping. Gregorian chants are heard in the distance adding a religious aura to the album. Acoustic breaks are inserted at opportune moments to give the listener a break from the crushing weight of the metal. It's an elite album in the genre.

The Book of Kings is on my short list of albums that I consider the best in the funeral doom genre. It has all of the main facets that one would expect of the music, but it does so with such refinement and grace that it's hard to find fault with it. Outstanding album, front to back.

Entry 1123 - Mortiis - Keiser Av En Dimension Ukjent

Style: Dark dungeon music

Primary Emotions/Themes: Small themes that are tied together to create sweeping epics

Thoughts: I have an admission. I did not know about this album for a long time. The only Mortiis album's that I had in my old CD collections were the debut, Crypt of the Wizard and The Stargate. Several of his other releases never hit my radar until the past decade. It's been a wonderful journey of rediscovery.

Mortiis' music has been an absolute joy to rediscover decades after I first listened to it. After getting back into dungeon synth a few years ago and diving deeper into the genre, finding the early 90's albums again has been one of the highlights of my musical journey - in any time frame. 

In the case of Keiser... these epics are a bit more defined than the debut or the demo. Smaller concepts of melodies and moments that are stitched together to create two long epics. The individual components are great to listen to on their own, but as the overall composition progresses it's amazing to hear how the music compliments and builds on itself. 

In a lot of ways I'm sad I missed this one when it first came out, but at the same time I would have missed the experience of hearing it for the first time here and now. Either way this is now in my collection and will now remain there forever more.

Entry 1122 - Moonspell - Hermitage

 

Style: Gothic metal

Primary Emotions/Themes: Another year another interesting Moonspell album, this one is a bit more on the progressive side of gothic metal

Thoughts: The more time goes on the more I'm enthralled by Moonspell. Every album has it's own identity, yet somehow the band has created a discography that is cohesive and uniquely their own. I wasn't sure what to think of their latest offering at first, but it was in a discount bin for less than ten bucks so I figured why not give it a shot.

Hermitage tends to be a bit more free flowing and a bit less structured than the other albums in the bands discography. Relying more heavily on atmosphere and open concepts rather than defined riffs. There are long sections of the songs where it's only bass and keyboards, no guitars in sight. When the guitars do come in though the music gains a bit more backbone. It's this ebb and flow between the atmosphere and the metal riffs that defines Hermitage.

In a lot of ways the cover is indicative of the music contained within. Large open spaces with a few defined characteristics at specific points. It's a fascinating approach that the band never really has employed much before. I'm curious to see where this brings them in the future.

Entry 1121 - Moonspell - Extinct

Style: Gothic metal

Primary Emotions/Themes: An amalgamation of all the different styles the band has had in the past

Thoughts: With every new Moonspell album comes a new style. There are certainly elements that tie the whole bands discography together, but with each entry there is something new to be had. With Extinct the band looks back into the past and merges it with their more modern style of gothic metal.

Unlike a lot of the previous three albums Fernando has a strong return to his clean vocals here. Much of the black metal that was so prevalent recently has been dropped in favor of a more complete gothic metal approach. 

While I tend to prefer the more extreme side of the band, there is no denying that they are damn good at the gothic style as well. The atmosphere here is second to none, and the sense of sorrow and loss is prevalent throughout the songs. The one two punch of Breathe and Extinct are one hell of a way to open the album, and after that the band settles into a bit of a softer groove as the album progresses. Overall not a bad album, but far from their best. Maybe a good starting point if new to the band though.

Entry 1120 - Moonspell - Night Eternal

Style: Black metal, gothic metal

Primary Emotions/Themes: A refinement of the style started on Memorial, mature blackened gothic metal

Thoughts: As big of a step as Memorial was towards the extreme, Night Eternal is the same but moving in a more mature direction. This is every bit as extreme as Memorial is, however the song writing is more focused. The songs are better executed and more cohesive. 

The overall concept is nearly the same as Memorial: Moonspell takes their brand of gothic metal and adds a healthy dose of black metal to the mix. By doing so they are able to create an atmospheric blackened gothic metal album (say that three times fast). So how does this sound in execution? The songs are dark, yet have an edge of tragedy to them as you would expect from the gothic side. Fernando relies heavily on his harsh vocals still. The guitars and keyboards interact with each other phenomenally well, trading off the melody and backing rolls effortlessly between each other. 

In addition to the improved song writing and the more focused scope of the album the flow of the songs is also flat out better than Memorial. One song will forecast the next in an outro transition, or a riff will usher in the next song as if welcoming in an old friend. 

Many years after it's release Night Eternal remains my favorite Moonspell release, even over the classic albums. The only album that comes close to this is Sin/Pecado with it's all it's glorious strangeness. A glorious dark metal album.

Entry 1119 - Moonspell - Memorial

Style: Black metal, gothic metal

Primary Emotions/Themes: An unexpected return to the bands more extreme roots

Thoughts: Where did this come from? Where on earth did this come from? The last thing I knew the band was playing gothic metal with some cool atmospheres and effects on The Antidote. This album is by far the most extreme that the band has put out since Wolfheart... maybe even Under the Moonspell. 

Fernando's trademark clean vocals are all but absent in this album. This is almost 100% harsh. The riffs are heavy, yet are played faster and more aggressively than the band has in forever. The drums feature more double bass than ever and even have some blast beats on songs. The keyboards are tasteful and carry the melody most of the time, they are never overbearing though. This is full on keyboard driven black metal for most of the album... interludes and all.

Moonspell have always had an interesting direction with their releases, never content to stay in one style for more than an album. Here they went in a more extreme direction, and it was a great decision. The album holds up well even decades later and to this day stands as one of my favorite from the band.

Entry 1118 - Moonspell - Darkness and Hope

Style: Gothic metal

Primary Emotions/Themes: After several albums of experimentation the band returns to their gothic metal leanings of earlier albums with mixed results

Thoughts: Darkness and Hope is a bit of a reset for Moonspell. For years they had been experimenting with various electronic elements and odd song structures. Both Sin/Pecado and The Butterfly Effect were good albums in their own rights, but many people who were fans of the older material lamented the major change in style. Darkness and Hope was a step in the right direction even if a flawed one.

The electronic elements have been stripped way back. The main focus here is Fernando's voice and thick meaty riffs. In terms of song structure the band has adopted a verse/chorus structure. For the most part it works well for the songs, but it feels like a step back compared to some of the more adventurous songs on the previous albums.  

What the band does well here though is tap into a deep sense of atmosphere, especially on songs like When we Became Fire and Nocturna. These songs are the clear highlight of the album and are the primary reason why I come back to it from time to time. Overall it's a bit of a transition album with the band trying to define their sound once again. 

Entry 1117 - Moonsorrow - V

Style: Epic Viking metal

Primary Emotions/Themes: Two songs that start off small and swell into some of the most incredible music the band ever put out

Thoughts: A fire burns in the distance. A slow swell of waves lap upon the shore. Flames and dawn break the horizon, those of us in this boat know what is to come. We are to fight for the glory of Valhalla once again, we are to live and die for a chance to cross the Rainbow Bridge. 

Moonsorrow has always been a band that embraces epic song structures. Building the song up from the ground level until it becomes so massive that it's an unstoppable behemoth is nothing new for the band... just on V they do it more so than they ever have before... or ever did since.

The two songs that are present here have a scope that is so ambitious that few bands even attempt to compose something half as long. Most band's that go down this path make it a one song album and call it a day. Not Moonsorrow, they compose two 25+ minute songs and then call it a day.

Both of the songs that are on here are the very definition of epic. They are larger than life, completely unapproachable in their scope, and yet somehow an amazing listening experience. Moonsorrow have long been one of the finest Viking bands on the planet, and with V they solidified that legacy for time immemorial.

Entry 1116 - Moonsorrow - Verisakeet

 

Style: Viking metal, black metal

Primary Emotions/Themes: A Viking metal adventure, long songs with a lot of ideas and atmospheres, a bit more aggressive than their typical albums

Thoughts: This is one of the most polarizing albums from Moonsorrow. Some of the songs sound like a broken mess, others sound like they are the band at the peak of their craft. So what's the difference? 

The main difference here is the amount of black metal in the songs. The more blasting that the songs have the less I like them. That inverse relationship is crazy to me considering what genre's I prefer most of the time. When the band focuses more on the atmospheric tracks they are at the top of their game, in fact tracks two and three are some of the best that the band has ever created.

Tracks one and four though have extended black metal sections that well overstay their welcome. I love blast beats, but the music has to call for it... Moonsorrow's music does not call for the use of blast beats. They are much better suited for more dynamic riffs. Moonsorrow's real strength is creating huge atmospheres with long and slowly evolving songs, and for most of this album they achieve just that. I'm glad they dropped the reliance on blast beats after Verisakeet as it did the band no favors.

Entry 1115 - Monument Valley

Style: video game music, minimalist ambient

Primary Emotions/Themes: It's fascinating that such a wonderful soundtrack comes from a mobile game

Thoughts: Monument Valley is a curious puzzle game about getting a mother and her child through a labyrinth of puzzles based off of impossible gematric shapes. There is no real urgency, you have unlimited time, unlimited attempts, and the game seemingly has unlimited possibilities. 

Every scene in the game is a collection of simple geometric shapes. It's incredibly minimalistic. The music fits into this aesthetic perfectly. The compositions only have one or two instruments going at any single moment, with silence being a major player in the way that the songs are structured. It's calming, it's soothing, it's prefect. 

Some soundtracks can go beyond themselves... beyond the scope of the game and create a beautiful album in it's own context. Monument Valley is one of those albums. The music here would be outstanding even if it did not belong to a game. I could easily see this album fitting into Brain Eno's Ambient series, or some of Harold Budd's early works. An astounding album.