Wood Archer - To Pierce a Monarch (full demo, 2022)

Our closing chapter in this weeks’ Dungeon Synth Sunday continues the pastoral medieval theme, with an assertively composed regicidal flourish in the form of Wood Archer’s debut album To Pierce a Monarch. In the artist’s own words, this project is one of true iconoclastic lo-fidelity dark ambient dungeon synth, and was recorded midi-free, in single takes; though even that extensive descriptor falls short of conveying the characterful narrative and nuanced details of this storied album. The track titles infer the course of a tale, and it is one played out with compelling marvel as the music unfolds. A truly worthy headlining release from this new artist, that is mesmerising from the opening ominous drum beat, with its deliberately paced rhythm propelling the lister through the track by which time you find yourself drawn deep in this soundworld, among the Whispers in the Privy Council.