Artist: Arthuros & Budrum
Title: Where Night Ascends The Iced Thrones Of Wizardry
Type: Album
Label: Digital / Dale Of Shadows
There are so many dungeon synth and releases that it is of course impossible to keep up. But I still listen to so much each week in amongst all the black metal and other stuff. It’s a good job I really don’t get out much I suppose. But why does one get the dim spotlight of my little blog over another? Often it is simply because either it hits me hard out of the blue, or it is just the perfect soundtrack to shield me from the world for a while at that moment.
This split album between two acts I have quietly followed with an intrigued eye managed this week to do both.
‘At The Mouth Of Pale Mountains’ is the opening of the pair of tracks by the wonderful Arthuros. It has a dark, night time feel in the backwash of synths, their sound heavy with a wow and flutter that makes you feel as though you have stepped into a world that overlaps your own. It feels starlit, and those delicate light notes that come are the stars. It is a slow and sombre passage, imposing, but there is that magical delicacy of something so ancient you winder if it can possibly stand much longer. There ia s lonliness here too, as though you the sole traveller has chanced upon this vast forgotten world in the night and find it is as lonely, and perhaps as sad as you yourself. It breathes of long memory and of some sadness in the passing of times, but there is so much in its memories that it wishes to share, gently. A piece of grace and beauty in soft tone
‘Throne Of Glacial Majesty’ is the step through the doorway from the first. A hall of ice, a throne frozen. A perfect companion piece to the first; it srides forward with an undiminished power, a slow and beautiful rhythm behind the glittering and sparkling sounds. The melody is keener, the mind sharp and aware. This is their mountain hall and respect, and obeisance, is required.
Budrum then take up the mantle of world builder with ‘Hail Of Absence’. The sound is more layered perhaps, marvellous chime like notes and synths and strange old piano woven together like some medieval tapestry from a far awar world. It is incredibly arresting; its approach both curious and mesmerising. Almost as though some old automata has stirred into life one last time just for you. It is just so unbearably beautiful, and touching, you just want to be there forever.
But we have to walk ‘The Icy Path’ which closes the cirlce by bringing some of the dark, pulsing Arthuros sound but Budrum’s own unique touch of melody to the passage. The variations of the melodic theme rise as the percussion wafts into the night. Careful and precise but the music breathing in and out about it has a gentle but wild of spirit feel. Enshrouded, enveloped and enraptured the path may be icy but Budrum is the most perfect of spirit guides.
This split is beautiful, yes, but the ease in which it takes you into its world and the bittersweet beauty of age and cold, of majesty and delicacy both musicians offer is all you need to assure you that you can indeed go on, and that you are remembered and wanted.
Both artists need to be celebrated fully. Dark bight dungeon synth gets no better.
Gizmo
Walking The Liminal Space 