One thing you quickly discover in the dungeon synth scene is many of the artists have a number of different projects. Often this is expressed via additional dungeon synth artist names allowing the performer a way to thematically group their concepts, but it’s also not uncommon for a solo synther to also be part of a band. This is the path that led me to Portland, Oregon’s Dolven, an acoustic doom metal (!) group featuring Nick Wusz on guitar, the same Nick Wusz who I devotedly follow as Travellers Rest. Nick posted about the Dolven album on Instagram, and the next thing I knew I had all three of the Dolven records arriving on my doorstep.
Normally when picking up a band’s entire catalog at once I’ll play the albums in chronological order to get a sense of how their sound developed over time. But I’m also trying to focus more on getting newer music onto the blog, so this time I’m starting with their latest, In My Grave… Silence, which came out just last month. The first thing that struck me was the jacket – there’s a strong medieval design and motif, and I love that the flower and leaf ornamentation has a bright American traditional / Sailor Jerry tattoo flash sensibility. Inside we get a two-sided full-color insert featuring art and song lyrics. The whole thing shows great attention to detail and intentionality.
The medieval aesthetic is in the music as well. Early in the opener “Sun Bleached Stones” we’re treated to lute-like guitar and hand-drumming percussion that makes the song feel… not old per say… but certainly from another time and place. The biggest surprise though is in the vocals. Jori Apedaile has a truly lovely soulful tenor, and the deep harmony of the backing vocals and bass creates a sense of both light and dark, a melancholy that somehow remains hopeful, that perhaps by embracing the reality of the darkness you can find some semblance of peace. You can absolutely imagine how this song would sound if played as a full-on electric doom metal track – it carries a gravitas that lends itself to that kind of weight.
Lyrically Dolven is heavy, addressing timeless feelings like alienation and creeping dejection. Inflation of your ego / It’s hard / When you’re running from / All of that shame, Apedaile sings on “You’ve Chosen”, truly making you feel it, not railing against the world but instead expressing the kind of resignation that comes with realizing a bitter truth about yourself. But there are warnings here too. Sleepwalking / Passing the past / Passing the future / Right on past the last, Jori laments on “Just Like All the Rest”. There is still time to wake up, time to not pass through this one life in a daze without ever fully experiencing life, a worry that so many feel in these anomie-inducing modern times.
There are a number of instrumental tracks on In My Grave… Silence too, compositions like “Beside Me” that are very dungeon synth-adjacent, folkish songs that convey an early morning walk in nature when the sun isn’t up yet and the day is just beginning to stir, all possibilities still open, both good and gloom. Four of the album’s seven songs are vocal-free, though you’ll hardly notice – sonically the entire album plays like a journey through one person’s mind, the inner voice sometimes talking, sometimes silent.
In My Grave… Silence is a beautiful album. The vinyl release is limited to 100 copies and can be purchased directly from the band on their Bandcamp page HERE, so go give it a listen and pick yourself up a copy while you can.