The Wanderer by Moonglow
I can usually go onto Dungeons Deep and see things that have (1) just come out (2) are from artists I have never heard before despite writing about this genre of music for more than decade. Moonglow is from the US with The Wanderer being only the second release in their catalog. Despite this short existence, The Wanderer presents the second chapter in a story of epic and cinematic old school dungeon synth with names like “Shores of Dust and Ash” and “Nosferatu Zodd.” The Wanderer is a musical adventure which much like the album art from Shannon Wild Smith is full of classical wonder. I will continue to check out Dungeons Deep if for nothing else than a reliable source of music I claim to know a lot about.
invocatio in aeternum by EARTHEN SHIELD
I feel the true comedy of knowing Nick, the artist behind Earthen Shield as well as the proprietor of Weregnome, is the contrast between a jovial creator and the esoteric darkwave they choose to create. Earthen Shield has always been a world for bleak emotions and even bleaker production with most of the records either drone or marked by funerary dirges. invocatio in aeternum still retains the somber moods of previous records but its music feels more active as if engaged in archaic ritual. Perhaps this mood is ushered along by the cover of its creator drenched in red light as if caught in the middle of summoning a spell. EARTHEN SHIELD continues to be a pillar of expression for the creator with its true meaning never decoded and always obfuscated.
Lord Of Lavender by Potions Of Eleanor
Last year I wrote about this project but I don’t think at the time it was known they were from the US. I am sure I would have made mention of epic choral dungeon synth from New Jersey. Lord of Lavender is the fourth release from the project since 2023 and continues to build a world which is both majestic as it is lengthy in description. Lord of Lavender comes with a PDF story due to what the artist described as “Bandcamp’s text limitations and the length of the fourth album’s story crashing the mobile app.” I appreciate when album come with stories if the music allows for a narrative. Since discovering Potions Of Eleanor through community compilations, I have known this artist as a creator who has a command on atmosphere and knows exactly how they want to tell a story.
Hedgemaze by Fernmage and Average Adventures
“Hedgemaze Cassette Tape, dark green shell in a full orange case.Handmade cross-stitched O-card, 20 Fernmage & 20 Average Adventures versions made, all with a unique maze featured on the back. Full Hedgemaze Tabletop Game included with game booklet, laminated player cards, score sheets, three handmade wizard hat game pieces, D20, “I got lost in the Hedgemaze!” pencil, and a sticker. Edition of 40. SOLD OUT”
I feel like this was inevitable given the amount of unique trinkets which adorn this split. For anyone who is familiar with either one of these artists, you are aware of the craft and care which comes in each release which will most likely be sold out. Hedgemaze is a shared record, a game, and also a collectors artifact which could only really exist in this time and space. While it would be great to have a handstiched maze tape case, those of us can take solace in a great record which is as unique as both of its creators.
Of Arcane Magic & Forbidden Knowledge: The Necromantical Passage by Wraith Knight
When looking at the page for Wraith Knight I was surprised and please to see the artist is embarking on a ..lengthy .. tour as support for both Mortiis and the melodic black metal act Uada. This sort of dungeon synth / fantasy synth support for larger bands makes sense but perhaps even more for Wraith Knight who has always been able to create instant atmosphere both on record and in person. Of Arcane Magic & Forbidden Knowledge: The Necromantical Passage is the newest record from Wraith Knight since 2022’s Deep in the Dungeons of the Dragonlord and continues with similar art and themes leading to a catalog which looks like RPG splatbooks which yield hours of immersive adventuring.
Mirror Umbrae by Arcysion & Weress
Weress is the project of John Lordswood and has been in existence for over a decade. Arcysion is the work of Morus the Sorcerer who has been around less than a decade but still has amassed a catalog of cosmic dark ambient. Together these artists combine medieval pageantry (and even sound effects) with the scope of deep space leading to something akin to science fantasy. Mirror Umbrae offers tales of imagination in their own respected languages and even though I do not know what any of the titles mean, a connection through emotion and atmosphere is still made.
Cyprian’s Gnome by Ransuer
You can go back through this artists discography and find experiments all the way through 2013. In the early days of the dungeon synth revival Ransuer existed as the strange alchemist who would usually be drinking potential poisons to find their effects. To adorn these sonic adventures were hand drawn sketches ranging from scribbles to monsters made of scribbles. It was something that could only have existed and been nurtured by this type of community which seem4ed to be into anything weird. You can rad the notes on Bandcamp about this record which is pretty much an experiment using a microkorg. It is difficulty to pitch this type of music to people but for as long as this artist has been making art, there has always been a small group of weirdos who follow them into the unknown.
Rest in the Arms of the Dragon by Weeping Amulet
This is something else and I think I just found it by random. Weeping Amulet is a two piece from Michigan who during the process of writing this digest updated their picture to show they were a two piece. While there is certainly fantasy synth within the project’s DNA there exists many other influences including early electronic music and new age. In fact the combination of flute and synth is reminiscent of legendary acts like Emerald Web. Rest in the Arms of the Dragon has an extensive vinyl release which is surprising given it is a debut from an unknown project. This sort of context is sort of moot given the hypnotic quality from the music which lays in the hinterlands of naive synth and immersive soundscapes.
Codex of Sand by L A N D S R A A D and Psychic Hood
Codex of Sand is a split between the UK based L A N D S R A A D and the US outfit Psychic Hood. Codex of Sand seems to be inspired by the worlds where both artists draw their inspiration. Though both take from very different worlds (Dune being the main focal point for L A N D S R A A D and Psychic Hood being devoted to Warhammer 40K), the union between these artists feels thematic and natural and even to the point this sounds like a collaboration. The melding point between the two artists is the love for fiction and the immersion in worlds where yields something that is functionally a split but thematically feels like a collaboration and potentially the start of something even more interesting.
Bestiarum Marginalia by Douves et Doloires
Douves et Doloires is a french based fantasy synth act and Bestiarum Marginalia was released digitally early in 2026. The cassette version ofBestiarum Marginalia is being released by the German record label Mushroom Keep Records matching the potential of this project. Douves et Doloires is a project based around not only medieval ambient music but also artwork and imagination with the bestiary characters drawn by the artist themselves. The entire package is a love letter to not only a centuries old art style but also the world of imagination and the classification of mythical creatures.
Star Roamer by Darkest Dungeons
Darkest Dungeons has a wonderful catalog of cosmic dungeon synth with even fun designs like an album series based around the Mysteries of the Unknown book series which you probably know just by template and mood. Star Roamer was released digitally in February of 2026 but is seeing a tape release through Fantasy Audio Magazine. though there have been minor changes, the layout for the cassette tape is so subtle yet effective making the entire package feel like an audio companion to that Mysteries of the Unknown series. Darkest Dungeons continues to make music that even lays outside of this namesake often eschewing expected aesthetics for something more astral and befitting new age stores.
The Warlock’s Moon by Klyvr
At times one could be overwhelmed by the amount of projects from US based Myst. I originally bookmarked another album for this digest but three more came out and chose this one. I have watched these releases come out usually through Instagram and am aware of them due to similarities in artwork, layout and even sound. Thought here are many similarities int terms of lofi dungeon drone, each of Myst’s projects offers a different path for experience. While there are many projects devoted to wilderness worship, there are others, like The Warlock’s Moon which revel in escapism and fantasy media from the 1980s-1990s. The Warlock’s Moon offers music, much like its xeroxed art by famed illustrator Clyde Caldwell, that is bombastic and distant and perfect to escape on a rainy or cold winters day.
Petals by skullstorm
To be honest, it took me a little bit to understand Skullstorm and even now I don’t think I full have. Petals is listed as dungeon synth though that genre is one of many in an array of sounds. Dungeon synth, instrumental guitar, modern classical, VGM, and dark ambient all run around this record like a playground. In fact this diversity is the marquee attraction for this artist who seems less interested in following conventions and more about breaking them like tree branches. Petals is a statement and though its sounds might seem idiosyncratic the whole of the record is an extension of a creator who is unable to stand still in a genre for long.