Review Summary: Short and sweet medieval dungeon synth.
If successful dungeon synth can conjure images,
Mythical Metallurgy, feels like reading an ancient dusty tome. You see, it’s the combination of the artwork that dates back to 1871, and the mystical atmosphere created by the music, which transports the listener to another dimension. Listening to Gullinbursti’s debut is the equivalent to visiting a mythical subterranean land lost in space and time, ruled by dwarves where ancient myths about honorable deeds and achievements are shared from mouth to mouth.
Those who love medieval dungeon synth and acts like Fief or Sequestered Keep, will find a lot of redeeming qualities here. The most important one is the convincing atmosphere created by the well-crafted songs that feature clever arrangements. There is a great sense of melody, which is evident on the album opener, and enough variety to keep the listener engaged. For example, the melodic opener is followed by the menacing “Through Cavernous Halls of Mountain Stone”, which has an eerie feeling similar to when you’re entering a cave in
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Overall, there is a sense of continuity and clear direction which makes
Mythical Metallurgy an engaging listen compared to other plodding dungeon synth releases. The transitions among the songs feel quite natural even though there are mood changes, and the titles are very representative of the tracks’ content. For example, “Gilded and Tempered in Dragon's Blood” has a grand feeling, whereas “Toiling in a Sunless Realm” is the darkest composition on here.
Maybe the most significant drawback of
Mythical Metallurgy is its duration, as it clocks at 21 minutes and ends rather abruptly. As a result, it leaves you with a feeling of wanting more, even though you can always press the replay button and immerse yourself into its magical, mythical world.
