Title: A Crown of Ice and Stone (Split)
Artist: Elador / Medhelan
Rating: 4.0 / 5
Genre: Dungeon Synth
Year: 2015
Country: Russia / Italy
Label: Self-released
A Crown of Ice and Stone is a wonderful split from two of Dungeon Synth’s most atmospheric projects; Elador from Russia and Medhelan from Italy. For those of you who are familiar with the past works of these two projects, many will agree with me that their work continues to improve over time. A Crown of Ice and Stone is no exception, and showcases some of the best ambient tracks from both projects. The beautiful artwork will provide a clear expectation of the mystical music to be found here.
The split begins with three tracks from Medhelan. Unlike his highly epic EP “The Minstrel’s Fireplace Tales” which I reviewed for the zine previously, these tracks are more in the vein of his “Nocturnal Wonderings” EP; melancholic yet powerful songs that take you on a lonely journey through the wilderness. This style fits better next to the scenic ambient style of Elador and was a wise choice on Medhelan’s part for the split. The three Medhelan tracks utilize sparce timpani percussion and airy strings and choirs to give the music a “floating” feeling. Medhelan also uses sounds that are not very typical among the regular orchestral ensemble that you’ll find in Dungeon Synth (for example, the dark use of 80’s style synth leads in the first track “Il cammino nella nebbia”). These songs bring to mind a similar atmosphere to Grimrik’s “Eisreich” or the newest album from Iamí, while still maintaining the style that I’ve come to associate with Medhelan. The chromatic percussion used in the last two tracks remind me of Burzum’s ambient interludes on his old black metal releases, except with slightly more variation and variety in the accompanying synths being used. The Medhelan songs are an excellent way to begin the split and are some of his most enjoyable tracks.
Elador offers four songs which continue in the vein of his “By the Pathways of Forgotten Legends” album. Elador has always been able to write great woodwind and flute melodies, which he continues to display with this release. The woodwinds are not used in a fast or folk inspired way, instead they play long notes which help to compliment the strings and synth pads. This technique creates a highly ambient mood while still adding a touch of folk music to the songs. The track “Sword and Sorcery” also shows Elador’s ability to write memorable medieval melodies, with the harp being the lead melodic instrument accompanied by great timpani and tambourine percussion. This song is the highlight of the Elador side of the split for me, and its title fits perfectly with the atmosphere. Elador’s use of field recordings and sound effects is also done quite tastefully, rather than relying too much on the samples he uses them as just another instrument to add even more depth to his music. The closing title track “A Crown of Ice and Stone” combines the best of Elador’s style, with a medieval harpsichord melody being played over ambient strings and percussion. A great way to end the split as it takes the listener to the snow covered mountain tops featured on the album artwork.
Elador and Medhelan have created a successful split where the music of both sides complement each other and flow in a natural progression. Not only is this a great display of ambient Dungeon Synth, but also represents the strength of the international Dungeon Synth “scene”. The music of both projects continues to improve and impress me with each release, and this is no exception. I look forward to hearing more from both of Elador and Mehelan in the future!
