2022 was the year of Dungeon Synth for me. I discovered the genre in 2021 but went far down the rabbit hole in 2022. So much so, that Bandcamp was where I was listening to most of my music. I have amassed over 1,000 Dungeon Synth releases on my Bandcamp page as well. So much so, that Bandcamp became the Dungeon Synth app for me. When 2023 rolled around, I prepared for Dungeon Synth to be the main focus for Sounds of the Void. I spent the first quarter keeping a meticulous spreadsheet about releases that I liked, artist information, etc. I had a weekly post on my Instagram page titled Dungeon Synth Sunday. Around April or May, I started realizing there was a lot of Dungeon Synth. Like, a lot a lot. Lots of the same artists were coming out with multiple releases WEEKLY. Sometimes under different names, sometimes under the same. I became sort of, burnt out if I’m being honest with you. Some artists seemed like they were just releasing anything as long as they could sell a tape. I just couldn’t keep up with everything coming down each week, and a lot of what I was listening to was frankly uninspired and bad. So, I stopped listening to it for a couple of months just to give myself a little bit of a break. Cut to August and I started to pick it back up. Certainly not at the volume I had been before, but I was being a little more thoughtful with certain labels and artists who have so many creatively different projects vs who were just trying to cash grab, and that’s when I found the Dungeon Synth albums from this year I truly love. And that’s what these 25 releases signify. The absolute best Dungeon Synth music from 2023.
Before we dive into the list I just want to share a few things. First, I’m once again sharing the absolute best primer to get into Dungeon Synth for new fans. This is a must-watch in my opinion.
Second, this scene and its popularity wouldn’t be where it is without the writing of Jonathan “Kaptain” Carbon over on the Dungeon Synth subreddit, as well as his blog, Naïve Magic over at Invisible Oranges.
Alright, without further ado, here are my picks for the Top 25 Dungeon Synth Releases of 2023.
25. Kalameet – Within My Tower of Solitude
Independent
24. Valen – Fortress of the Black Sentinel
Obsidian Relic Records
23. Hermit Knight – Of Frost and Woe
WereGnome Records
22. Howling Mire – Daughter of the Crystal Forest
Ithildin Tape Production
21. Cefaris – An Oeuvre of Bloodletting Beneath the Wintermoon
Serpent’s Sword Records
20. Secrets of Maya – Heartslayer/Ablaze at Sunset/Dame
Dark Sorcery Records
19. Nighthorde – Moonlight Over Wallachia
Spellcaster Records
18. Radagast – Yavanna
Yuggoth Records
17. Woodland Spells – Key XVIII: Harvest Tales
Windkey Tapes
16. Castlesiege – The Council of Trees
Independent
15. The Toors – Dwarves and Plants
Independent
14. Frog Concert – Slumbering Sounds of the Frog Fellowship
Fiadh Productions
13. Frostgard – Urulókë
Independent
12. Aura Merlin – Illuminations
Independent
11. Lord Bakartia – The Final Boss
Independent
10. Erythrite Throne – Of Vampyric Bloodletting and Nocturnal Romance
Serpent’s Sword Records
9. Malfet – Dolorous Gard
Independent
8. Fogweaver – Magelight
Independent
7. Aindulmedir – Star Lore
Hypnagoga Press
6. Ithildin – Arda’s Herbarium: A Musical Guide to the Mystical Garden of Middle-Earth and Stranger Places – Vol. IV
Independent
5. Erang – A Blaze in Time
Independent
Erang is a name that most, if not all, of the entirety of the fandom knows. Erang sits up there with Depressive Silence, Secret Stairways, and Mortiis as one of, if not the most influential artists in the scene. Especially in the sense that Erang has released so many samples over the years for Dungeon Synth artists to use at no cost. A Blaze in Time was released way back on New Year’s Day 2023, and due to its extremely personal nature towards the artist, that love and emotion have rocketed this above literal thousands of other releases. It is a nostalgia piece meant to walk you through the life and family that resides within the Kingdom of Erang itself. While being quite epic, this release keeps the basic, and lo-fi sensibilities that Dungeon Synth purists love.
4. Dusklight – Key XVI: The Book of Wonder
Windkey Tapes
I wanted to make these little reviews for my Top 5 short and sweet, but so much can be said about any Windkey Tapes release. As of this writing, you can purchase the entire discography for $8.10. That’s 19 releases by the way. At the top, I also mentioned Kaptain Carbon’s amazing work with the Naïve Magic blog. He also wrote a compendium with Windkey as the subject here.
If you don’t know Windkey Tapes and its works, it is the DIY brainchild of Evergreen. The mastermind behind some of the best acts in Dungeon Synth today, and some that have already been featured on this and past lists of mine (Fogweaver, Keys to Oneiera, Snowspire, etc.) They run the gambit of what is possible within the genre. Always staying true but bending it as far as you can go within the confines of the genre. For instance, this release, The Book of Wonder is basically Dungeon Drone done in two movements. This has been a constant for me this year as I have been trying to meditate and practice yoga somewhat regularly and this feels authentic to me, which is I know a movement Evergreen wants to make sure gets felt through their music.
3. Mournbound – Legends of the Dragon Forge
Independent
For years I have been looking for a really good fantasy/horror book or series. I always seem to come up short. However, this is the next best thing. This is Dungeon Horror outside of the Erythrite Throne way of doing horror-themed Dungeon Synth. This is well well-produced, not lo-fi Dungeon Synth that is dripping with grandiose terror. From the mind that brought us Ghoëst, another excellent more traditional dark ambient style of Dungeon Synth, we have the natural progression of their work. Enthralling synths utilizing the Roland Sound Canvas gives us that somber energy we love in the genre with the feel of something big as if something worldwide is about to happen to us.
2. Flickers from the Fen – Stoned in Gielinor
Independent
Psst, if you didn’t know, I’m a big dumb dork. Shocked? I know right? And while I never played a ton of Runescape, I am so excited to see such a passionate and emotionally charged release in tribute to this game that has changed and is still changing people’s lives to this date. While a more driving experience than the average Dungeon Synth release, this still gives one the motivation that comes at the core of the genre, “let’s make music to capture a world of make-believe,” and with Flickers from the Fen’s first release, they knocked it out of the park.
I can’t wait to see what the artist does next… But, I have an idea. How about an album based solely on the Falador Massacre? Call me, Flicks!
1. Hole Dweller – With Dreams of Hereafter
Dungeons Deep Records
Tim Rowland was busy this year. Whether making an incredible death metal album in the vein of Morbid Angel’s Gateways of Annihilation with his project, Alchemy of Flesh, or whether it be the amazing electric mandolin Hole Dweller release, Crossroads, or, this absolute masterpiece of the genre, and the subject matter.
I could be here all day telling you about the awesome story of Hole Dweller and that the music follows Tim’s character from Lord of the Rings Online, Jamwine through various adventures, and as wonderful as all of those releases are, this is something else. This is something different. Good music makes you feel, and this music no matter if you’ve never listened to music of this genre, or if you’re a veteran is a masterclass that sits up there with Depressive Silence regarding the emotional experience one has with the music, and sits right up there with Secret Stairways on the Tolkien concepts. I know that might be blasphemy to some but it is true. What some might gripe about is the production quality of the release. A stark step beyond what Hole Dweller usually releases, the production is clean and majestic. Mountains Fade, a primarily piano piece on the album is absolutely breathtaking. I have listened to this album at least once a week to let go of my worries since its March release and I will continue to listen for a long time coming.
Alright! Those have been my picks for the 25 best Dungeon Synth releases of 2023. Do you agree with this list? I assume not. Please come over to my Instagram page, give me a follow, and let me know what you think about the state of Dungeon Synth in 2023. Am I crazy for thinking there is too much of it out there? Let me know!
