Nick Wusz is back at it again with what I believe to be his sixth album under his nom-de-dungeon-synth Travellers Rest. I’ve been been following him since the start, having picked up all the prior cassettes and pre-ordering In the Citadel of Solitude, and once again he doesn’t disappoint.
A melancholy thread runs through In the Citadel of Solitude‘s eight songs. Even when the music is more energetic and we’re treated to cheerier pitched flutes in tracks like “Breath of Night” there’s still something tugging down on us, pulling us back to earth to get our feet on the ground and our ambitions in check. Perhaps the most intriguing element across the album is the keyboard work, which brings a retro-futurist element reminiscent of 1970s film scores, while the stringed instruments are where the album truly shines – the intro to “Time Is a Lie” is absolutely lovely (as is the entire song, frankly). “A Powerful Bane” is where the tempo is most aggressive, the pounding drums conjuring forth images of an army on the move, their feet pounding the ground flat as they march, but even after a dose of triumphant electric guitar the song is brought to a close while quiet strings in minor chords to temper and re-center us.
Listening to In the Citadel of Solitude is a wonderful way to spend half an hour, and you can check it out on the Travellers Rest Bandcamp page HERE. As of when I’m posting this there are still some copies of the cassette (edition of 30) available there as well. An even more limited edition of 7″ tape reels were produced, though those all appear to have been purchased. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been tempted to buy one… but ultimately I try to stick to cassettes for dungeon synth whenever possible.