Guild Of Lore Strikes A Vein Of Terror On The Skin Witch Soundtrack
Put your ear to the ground and you’re likely to hear a wind whistle, carrying chants and incantations whispered by lantern-light. Somewhere deep below a presence is lurking, stalking long-forgotten tunnels, and trailing claws along walls of carved rock. A creator in Columbus, Ohio had a story to tell of vile things that dwell in forgotten mines where men once toiled, but they needed the sonic atmosphere to seal their folk-horror package. So they turned to one of the most proficient producers in the Dungeon Synth scene: Guild of Lore.
Guild of Lore is a one-man Dungeon Synth jack-of-all-trades operating out of Visalia, California. His work and aesthetic has always impressed me. We’re talking about a guy who writes his own fantasy concept albums, creates all of his own visuals, and markets all of his own merchandise. And he does it all with a unified style and vision. And I truly hope you were able to catch his excellent performance at the first Northeast Dungeon Siege Skirmish a few months ago. Inspiring stuff, to say the least. Obviously others have taken notice as well because indie game developer Blackwood Specter reached out when they needed a soundtrack for their new survival horror title Skin Witch. So how does Guild of Lore, seasoned in the art of aural fantasy immersion, handle a left turn into the realm of terror?
As I mentioned, Guild of Lore handles everything when it comes to his brand (including packing and shipping orders, of course) and his visuals really shine. I love a project with a unified aesthetic and his simple, black and white, brush on canvas style creates a breathtaking gateway into the musical world of each album. This soundtrack is no different with it’s cover rendition of the mine shaft where you will spend your time trying to make it out alive in Skin Witch. I love this cover because it fits the game perfectly, but is simple enough to stand with the more fantasy-oriented work in the rest of his discography. This is a guy with a masterful grasp on presentation.
The soundtrack opens with a haunting and unsettling theme, “Song of the Skin Witch”, which sets the tone for the subterranean descent it has in store for us. The use of strings on songs like “Who Pass Through Worlds” and “Ravenous Revelations” adds a folk element that brings us into the backwoods, Appalachian horror tone of the game. Other tracks like “This Can’t Be Good” and “Subterranean Spells” rely on pure ambiance and dread to unseat us from the brief respite that some of the more composition driven tracks provide. Some sounds surprised me, like the tribal percussion on “Sprawling Mauling” and the clear call back to Akira Yamaoka’s tremolo ridden theme from Silent Hill on the track “A Miner Serenade”. There’s a huge array of technique and style present here and because of that it never gets boring. Songs know when to come to the forefront and build cinematic poise and when to hang back, lingering just outside of your peripheral vision. Whether you jump into the video game or not, this soundtrack is one to pick up. Some of these tracks are honestly catchy and none of them disappoint. And just like any good dungeon synth album, this has a place in my boombox at the next horror themed D&D session.
This gets a 9/10 on the madness meter.
You’re definitely going to want to add this release to your collection, whether you're a fan of dungeon synth, dark ambient, or the video game itself. If you’re quick you can even snag this one on cassette as they are, against all odds, still in stock on the Guild of Lore Bandcamp page.
Check out Guild of Lore at:https://guildoflore.bandcamp.com/
Check out Skin Witch at:https://store.steampowered.com/app/1164990/Skin_Witch/
Read more within the Museum of Macabre Media here: Eldritch Wizardry Goes Bravely Where None Dare Venture