Moonworshipper Records has made a name for themselves as the premier label of harsh, depraved, broken synthesizer and tape-loop driven dungeon synth and dark ambient music. The Omaha-based label has been at the forefront of the recent surge in experimental and more noise-oriented dungeon synth releases, hosting such oddities as Effluvium, Satanic Abortion, and Ledrfadir, Their latest release, The Basilisk by Minneapolis-based black metal and dungeon synth project Roman Master, does not disappoint in taking the listener on a bleak, otherworldly journey.

From the opening percussion and bellowing brass of “Quest to Kill a Basilisk,” Roman Master transports the listener to a landscape that is at once vibrant and dismal. What Roman Master executes so flawlessly on this album is the focus on texture. Every synth tone fits perfectly into the cacophony like a jigsaw puzzle. The atmosphere and general feeling of the album remain consistent from beginning to end, which is really the mark of a successful concept album. Despite the consistency between tracks, each piece feels individual, some with a more dark ambient leaning and some more melodic. “Entrance to the Cave, Falling down a Hole” incorporates both of these tendencies in what one might describe as two separate movements. “Climbing Red Mountain” and the latter half of “Withering In Darkness” have a more epic feel than the other tracks, appropriate for their place in the story.

The melodies and compositions are rather simple, but show a certain complexity and clear artist’s vision in their arrangement. The leading synth tones of “Path through a Dark Forest” lead the listener through the sprawling wilderness. They sound weary and at the verge of breaking, occasionally stepping into atonal territory or cutting out abruptly as our protagonist stumbles in the darkness. Choices like these can often feel forced and unnatural in dungeon synth, but Roman Master executes them in a way that benefits the atmosphere and the concept. Roman Master is more subdued on this work than on their previous albums, never going into full harsh noise-territory. This is certainly a departure from the self-titled era, in both its aesthetic conventions and songwriting choices, and of course a departure from the lo-fi black metal also under this moniker. However, the album is undeniably Roman Master.

The Basilisk is perhaps Roman Master’s best dungeon synth release yet, feeling the most focused and cerebral. In this release, Roman Master manages to stay largely tonal and completely listenable, without sacrificing their experimental nature. The album does not overstay its welcome and is perfect for attentive listening or background music for horror/fantasy related stories and RPGs. Limited edition cassettes will be available soon.

For fans of Einhorn, Ranseur, “The Book of Margery Kempe”-era Chaucerian Myth

Listen here.