Title: Silent Passages and Hidden Realms
Artist: Barak Tor
Rating: 3.5 / 5
Genre: Dungeon Synth
Year: 2015
Country: Greece
Label: Self-released
The mysterious Greek Dungeon Synth project Barak Tor appeared last year and released two great EP’s; “Silent Passages and Hidden Realms” and “Wizards of Morcar”. Little is known about the project except that it is inspired by the board games HeroQuest and the Dark World Trilogy (Dragon Game System, Village of Fear, Dragon’s Gate). Both EP’s are similar in approach, containing two tracks each.
Silent Passages and Hidden Realms begins with the EP’s title track, and instantly brings to mind early RPG soundtrack music. Stylistically Barak Tor is similar to the middle era albums of Lord Lovidicus, both in composition and sound. The basic Yamaha keyboard sound fits very well here and perfectly matches the themes and artwork. Barak Tor is a prime example of how the aesthetics of Dungeon Synth can be used to enhance the listener’s experience; the sounds used here are not simply for the sake of being “retro”, but actually suit the feeling of being lost in an old fantasy board game. The title track begins with excellent folk percussion mixed with layered melodies that build up over time. More atmospheric, ambient passages help break the song up and add a more dynamic feeling before returning to the percussive, traditional dungeon synth melodies. The Lord Lovidicus influence seems strong here with the heavy use of trumpets to carry the melodies. This was the first Barak Tor song that I listened to and I was instantly hooked; not only does this song demonstrate Barak Tor’s talent for composing Dungeon Synth but is also a great example of the atmosphere the project aims to create.
The second song “The Halls of Dwarven Kings” begins with strong percussion and a simple string pad sound. Despite the heavy percussion used here, the song is a little less epic and adventurous than the first. Instead the song feels like an awe-inspiring descent into a dwarven mountain stronghold, with slower melodic structures and crystalline chromatic instruments that give the impression of gleaming gems and shining structures built by an ancient race. About half way through the song the percussion stops entirely and dark saw synths and choir pads create a spacey, ambient passage. Barak Tor’s ability to transition from one atmosphere to another is effective and makes the songs more engaging to follow. Heavy timpani drums help build the percussion back up and again the trumpet is used to carry the melody before a low, distorted spoken word passage appears (in the vein of early Mortiis). This spoken word passage was a really nice touch and brought to mind the earliest days of Dark Dungeon Music. Because this song is slightly more subtle than the title track, it makes an excellent end to the EP.
Barak Tor is a promising act which definitely shows a lot of potential. Fans of Lord Lovidicus and fantasy game atmospheres should enjoy this excellent EP.
