Title: Norfaragell-Thul
Artist: Splendorius
Rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Dungeon Synth
Year: 2014
Country: Russia
Label: Dungeon Lore Foundation
The Russian label Dungeon Lore Foundation has produced some of the best Dungeon Synth releases in modern times, and was one of the first places I turned to when I first began exploring the genre. Projects such as Kashmar, Saltvind, and Skarpseian are just a few of the brilliant projects to be found on this label, and the album Norfaragell-Thul from Splendorius has it’s place among the best of the label, and of modern day Dungeon Synth. The first song, The Moon Is Invisible Under The Fog, instantly brings the listener into a vintage Dungeon Synth atmosphere; featuring excellent sounding string and brass synths, and Black Metal styled spoken words with a nice echo effect (the vocals here remind me of Mournlord – Reconquering Our Kingdom, which is not a big compliment). While the opening track has vocals, very few vocals are to be found through the remainder of the album. However, the vocals are used tastefully and only add to the brooding, dark atmosphere; the music transports you into the depths of a medieval castle, where unknown evil lurks in the shadows.
Splendorius plays an extremely pure and traditional style of Dungeon Synth, which is performed with passion and class. The synths used have the old, raw effect of 90’s synthesizers, but are still strong and powerful sounding, unlike some of the weak and thin sounding effects that plague some older synthesizers. The overall atmosphere is murky, yet clear, creating the perfect mood for a Dungeon Synth release. I almost feel as if I should be listening to the album through an old cassette tape. Unlike some projects that purposely aim for “bad necro production”, Norfaragell-Thul genuinely sounds as if it was composed in a moonlit, crumbling castle in the middle of the forest. Obviously, this is ideal for this style of music.
Splendorius creates fast, medieval melodies that have a slight Baroque influence. He has achieved the difficult goal is creating interesting melodies that are classically influenced, yet still humble enough to fit in the Dungeon Synth genre. For example, listen to the harpsichord work on the song “Chandelier”, which is obviously Baroque influenced. This track in particular highlights that Splendorius has excellent songwriting and composition skills. Despite being only seven tracks long (and one bonus track), there is not a single dull moment on this album. The Transylvanian atmosphere of this album is unique, and each song is well-written, well-produced, and memorable. This has become one of my favorite Dungeon Synth releases, and every fan with even a remote interest in Dungeon Synth should make Norfaragell-Thul part of their regular playlist.
