I know this may come off as a late treat of sorts, but there are two reasons why I decided to post this report. For starters, the festival was a defining moment for me as a fan of Dungeon Synth, and therefore deserves a spotlight on my blog. Secondly, I have already posted this report several months ago on the Dungeon Synth Forum, and I'm quite proud of it. If anything, it may have been the unintentional catalyst for me to start writing about Dungeon Synth. For those who have read the report before: there are some minor differences in wordings and grammar, but it will be a 95% copy/paste affair.
While you are reading this, please keep in mind that this was the first time I attended any of the DDF events and that my experience with live DS events up until that point was limited to one gig of Quest Master / Victorian Specter earlier that year, so it’s fair to say I was wet behind the ears when it came to DS gigs or events (I do have a lot of experience attending metal gigs). I do not pretend to be a journalist of sorts; I was just here for the music and wanted to share my experience. True to the DIY-spirit which has become synonymous with DS, I took amateur pictures during the performances with my mobile phone. I’m not a professional photographer, nor do I aspire to become one, but it should offer a glimpse. If I do not show any pictures of a project, it’s simply because the quality was too poor to bring any justice to the performance (they are mediocre at best as is). I did not take any pictures of vendors, the bar, the artists, or anything else related to the events for two reasons. I respect people’s privacy and do not want to take any unsolicited pictures (with the notable exception of the picture of the castle by night; I’m quite confident the people on this particular picture will not be instantly recognizable). More importantly, I think it’s important to keep parts of the experience a mystery and, when given the opportunity, see for yourself. Last but not least, I am not affiliated with the organization of the festival. My report is unbiased and lacks hidden agendas. I am, first and foremost, a fan of the genre and the concept of the festival.
There was an impressive list of artists performing at the festival. In chronological order:
Friday
DRAGON MASTERY
FRAGMENTED MEMORIES
SEREGOST
SKHEMTY
A SPELL ENRAGED
Saturday
THE WANDERER
SVAMPPRINSEN
ANGLACHEL
CAVE SPELLCASTER
ARCANA LITURGIA
SILENCIO PERMANENTE
VALEN
WRAITH KNIGHT
ELYVILON
The Setting - Chateau de l'Avouerie - Anthisnes - Belgium
For those who aren’t in the know, the Dark Dungeon Festival is an annual-ish DS event taking place in the town of Anthisnes, Belgium. Even though larger DS events are quite rare in their own right, what makes this event extraordinary is that it is held within the walls of an 800-year old castle. Unsurprisingly, the town itself has a rich history going back to the Middle Ages, which they showcase prominently, and not without reason. The castle has a museum, relaying the town’s and castle’s town history. It even serves as the home base of a local brewery called Brasserie Minne, whose beers you will be hard pressed to find anywhere else (even in Belgium).
The volunteers behind the event are all part of or tied in some way to a non-profit organization called AZ Live, which is an event branch of a joint collaboration between a local metal label called Meuse Music Records (MMR) and webshop M9Music. They are also the masterminds behind the Haunting The Castle event, which hosts a prime selection of Black Metal and Doom Metal bands and also uses the castle as a backdrop. I have no doubt the crew got most of their experience through hosting this event, and it shows. They are a small, yet dedicated and hardworking group. As it turns out, the idea to host a DS event within the castle started as a joke amongst the members of AZ Live. “Wouldn’t it be fun to host a DS event within the castle?” A bold, but nevertheless wonderful idea if ever there was one. The rest, as they say, is history.
Not only was there a plethora of DS acts throughout the course of two days, but AZ Live went the extra mile to add flavor to the event. They had invited renowned graphic artist Kris Verwimp, a ridiculously talented tattoo artist specialized in medieval art called Judith de Lotharingie, a living statue act and a couple of vendors/labels (Forsaken Relics, Ancient King Records, my fellow countrymen of Phantom Lure,…). Truly an event for the connoisseur of dark subcultures and the underground music scene.
The stage (yes, the lighting is terrible in this picture, won't be the last time)
There was a bar with a small, yet highly exclusive choice of beers and mead (courtesy of Brasserie Minne). The food was freshly prepared in the kitchen behind the bar, where a team worked tirelessly to prepare Belgian waffles, chili con/sin carne, chicken stew, and pulled pork sandwiches. Naturally, the meat (no pun intended) of the event is in the performances, which leads me to the following...
Friday – Journeys into the dark
Dragon Mastery
We started things off with Dragon Mastery, a small project from the Netherlands. The man behind Dragon Mastery had a simple backdrop of the logo, sat in front of his keyboard and played without any gimmicks, stage act, or costume. His performance was by no means less heartfelt than the other acts; he was visibly proud and grateful. Right from the start, he conjured up a massive wall of sound which was like a dark cloud blocking the sun, brooding and methodically moving along the sky. As the set progressed, his compositions gradually allowed for cracks of light to seep through by means of ethereal keyboard play; as if a massive dragon tore through the clouds in search of celestial realms. However, it was a little short in length, seeing that he started 5 minutes late and ended his set well ahead of time. Afterwards, he expressed his gratitude for allowing him to open the festival. A modest, though sincere applause was appropriate.
Fragmented Memories
Contrary to Dragon Mastery, Fragmented Memories has the whole package; a stage act, costumes, and scenery going along with the music. The lady behind Fragmented Memories has a clear concept in mind, involving astral projection, fear of loss, doubt, regret, and spiritual guidance through realms of fading or damaged memories. This was a performance I was looking forward to, seeing that I like her latest release quite a lot. While she herself played the keyboards expertly, she was accompanied by a masked individual who played a small electric drum set (who acts as a spiritual guide within the story). Even though there was no story I could discern within the actual performance, the message came through and had its effect on the crowd. She is very talented and on two occasions played a melodica to great effect. The sound was darkly romantic at times and, dare I say, quite accessible as far as DS is concerned. The overall atmosphere was one of loss and sadness, though not without hope. Towards the end of the set, the masked individual stepped down from the stage and handed out tiny specks of light to some members of the audience: a token of much needed hope in dark times and small souvenirs of a moving performance. I would not be surprised if she becomes one of the driving forces of DS in the Low Countries in the near future. Highly recommended!
Seregost
Seregost live is as metal as you can get whilst playing DS without actually playing metal. He plays DS with fast, pounding drums conjured up by a drum computer accompanied by epic orchestrations, voice-overs narrating the story, and an edgy metal persona. He is quite the showman whilst displaying his custom-made Keytar and actively encourages the audience to throw their fists into the air and participate. He draws heavy inspiration from epic dark fantasy tales and perhaps, if I were to guess, the manga Berserk and the Dark Sun RPG setting. At one point, I felt like I was trapped in a hellish battle between angels and demons. However, he had some technical issues, which caused some of his choir elements and his keyboard play getting buried by the drums. I kind of felt sorry for him; if not for the aforementioned issues, his performance might have been truly for the ages. Nevertheless, he gave it his all and it was by far the most active performance I have seen all weekend. I might have one criticism for his music, which is that the meat of his music seems to lie in the epic orchestrations and infernal drums, not necessarily his keyboard play. Then again, this perception might be wrong, given that there were technical difficulties to consider. I did like his gusto and performance overall and felt genuinely invigorated after this adrenaline rush.
Skhemty
Skhemty is a praised project which conjures up images of ancient Egypt. It was announced well in advance that this would be a one-off (first and ever performance), so there were definitely high expectations. It turned out to be a performance with two distinct parts (although the latter part was much smaller when compared to the rest of the set). The smell of incense lay thick in the air as the man behind the project walked onto the stage, all dressed in black (with the notable exception of typical classical Egyptian jewelry) whilst brandishing a large hourglass, signaling the start of a journey which would take us across scorching deserts, the River Nile, mirages, starlit nights, and forgotten kingdoms. If I had to describe his performance in one word, it would have to be magical. At one point, a guest musician joined the stage to play the clarinet for just one short song, but the effect was great. The act was nothing short of a triumph. However, we were in for a surprise, for things would change radically before the end.
The artist checked his hourglass (which had run its course by now) and looked around as the mood suddenly began to change. The map of Ancient Egypt warped into Middle-Earth, the man behind Skhemty was getting flanked by two others joining the stage, pounding drums militaristically, and lastly, the name Skhemty changed into Balrog. We had suddenly arrived in Middle-Earth. Although cool in its own right, the change was a bit too sudden and out of place after a trip through Ancient Egypt. Some of the members of the audience found the experience mostly confusing, which is understandable. To me it, it felt as if the mastermind behind Skhemty ushered in a new period and left Skhemty for good. Truth be told, the effect would have been more profound if the act had stopped after having checked the hourglass, allowing him to leave the stage silently and maintain that aura of Egyptian Mysticism. Despite the bonkers ending having left some of the audience confused (myself included), the performance was easily the best I had seen up until that point.
Skhemty feat. Elyvilon!
The moment Skhemty became Balrog
A Spell Enraged
RAL needs no introduction; he had earned his spurs a long time before the name Dungeon Synth had been coined. He is the driving force behind ASE and stated in recent interviews that it was time for a new chapter. Conceptually, ASE treads the same path as bands such as The Vision Bleak, but bears a softer and slower sound in nature. On stage, RAL adopted the form of a suave, yet clearly deranged nobleman all dressed in white, accompanied by other members of the band, all dressed in various costumes of horror story clichés (I mean this in a good way). RAL started off the set with a monologue to set the tone, which would be one of tongue-in-cheek horror and dark rituals. The set started off with a false start involving technical difficulties related to the intro (which he took like a champ and went on undeterred). Although he was at times genuinely funny (including a short act concerning a burning book and nods and winks to Depressive Silence), he often treaded the thin line between cheesy and spooky and sometimes missed the mark. He seemed to be having the time of his life and I can’t fault him for chasing his new dreams, but it was a bit too much at times. As for the music itself, it had little to do with Dungeon Synth, which was a bit weird to some of the audience members. The long compositions conjured up stories of vampires, zombies, witches,… the whole bunch. At one point, they had a dressed-up bride dance a short waltz with Death. Points for effort and style, but it feels to me that the majority of the audience would have preferred a Depressive Silence V2, myself included. The hour was getting late and some of the gruesome artwork of the backdrop was making me queasy (yes, I am a wimp), so I left before the set ended.
Saturday was coming, and already my old legs were aching, so I would have to conserve my energy, lest I would burn out well ahead of time.
Saturday – A day to remember
The Wanderer
The Wanderer is a smaller project of the same artist who released a couple of records for his Knight of the Sun concept. I had only heard a couple of songs loosely before the performance, so I was not really sure what to expect. What we got was the most extensive performance of the entire weekend; a costume, a clearly defined story during the performance, even a decent portion of worldbuilding, and he himself playing no less than six instruments live: a small keyboard, an electric guitar, a hand drum, a string of sea shells, a pair of tambourines (equipped with blue lights!), and at one point, he even used his impressive walking stick for dramatic effect. The dynamic backdrop showed evocative and quite impressive visuals, as well as an extensively written story (turning it into a lyric video of sorts). The font was a bit small and his hand drum was not amped, but that didn’t bother me as much; it was the most memorable performance I have seen in a long time. To call his music DS would be too narrow; this is contemporary medieval music with inclusions of various subgenres of Dungeon Synth and occasional cinematic elements, wrapped in a warm blanket of perfect fantasy escapism. The Wanderer became visibly emotional as we came towards the end of the set, elevating his performance from impressive to stunning. Authenticity is a big plus in my book, and this was played from the heart.
I’ve talked with the Wanderer after the show, and he said the idea for the concept was conceived during the COVID-19 lockdown. As a result, the story of the Wanderer includes quite a few metaphors, serving as an emotional outlet during a very difficult period of his life. I, for one, am humbled to have played a very small part in his emotional journey. He has my deepest respect.
SvampPrinsen
How can you try to surpass an already extraordinary experience? Leave it to the Owl of SvampPrinsen! Although treading very different waters when compared to The Wanderer, this was an amazing experience as well. First of all, the artist donned a cape and custom-made mask in the shape of a barn owl, which, along with evocative gestures throughout the set, left a shamanistic vibe. The backdrop showed the logo, along with videos of northern forests, mushrooms, small rivers, and woodland hills in black and white. There was no story to be told, just forest moods. Not that there was a need for a story; we were being transported into a realm where whimsy and nature came together, mixed to create a mesmerizing fairytale atmosphere. The music itself was at its core Fantasy Synth mixed with folk elements. The audience loved him, and rightfully so.
Anglachel
Being a big fan of Tolkien’s work, this Greek project was definitely higher up on my list of must-sees. I was particularly impressed with his release “Of Eärendil and the War of Wrath” and expected something in the vein of “Summoning-light”, for want of a better term. Indeed, the performance was quite epic, particularly because a session musician played a stationary drum live. The backdrop showed medieval battles, ancient ruins, and dragons flying across vast seas, as well as concise phrases written in English, more to enhance the setting than to tell a full story. These did have added value, especially when they played a song which retold a portion of the story of Prometheus’ rebellion against the Olympian Gods (that’s right; a rare song of Anglachel not related to Tolkien). It was also great to see how his family in the audience supported the artist on his first performance outside of Greece. An excellent performance, I might add.
Cave Spellcaster
This is a side project of the mastermind behind Tales Under The Oak. Both his attire and his backdrop were simple, but his magnetic personality is enough to get you into the mood for some DS mixed with tribal rhythms. This was one of the few acts this weekend which could invoke some impromptu dance moves. You would have to be a stoic if tracks such as A Letter in the Tavern and Goblin Town in the Fog doesn't get you in a cheerful mood. He also seemed to be enjoying his beer as well, though his mask made things difficult for him, much to the delight of the audience. When he left the stage, you could tell the audience would have enjoyed more. His positive vibes reverberated throughout the festival, bringing smiles to everyone for a long time after the set had ended.
Arcana Liturgia
This Italian wizard is one Europe’s finest projects (and oldest) when it comes to Dungeon Synth, and his influence is not to be underestimated. He had a minimal backdrop, but his sound was as bombastic as an Italian orchestra. He drew heavy emphasis on his latest release “The Wizard”. Although his performance was a bit too theatrical and his narration a bit too verbose for my taste, there’s no question he crafted both his music and his persona meticulously. He’s a master at the keyboards and of the detail, and he deserves credit for it. However, I was getting hungry and I still had my shopping to do, so sacrifices had to be made and I consequently left during the second half of the set.
Silencio Permanente
I knew in advance this Argentinian project would be less my cup of tea. I had looked it up before the festival and concluded it was too lo-fi for my taste. However, I was curious how this would play out live and went to see anyway. It turned out to be the most experimental of the acts. There were two masked individuals all dressed in black on stage (the masks reminded me of classical Greek theatre masks), playing various keyboards and sound devices whilst red candles burned ominously. This was an exercise in minimalism, creating moods through lo-fi ambient mixed with hints of DS and noise. While it wasn’t what I would normally listen to, I was impressed by how the duo complimented one another in a gig which was, at its core, performed more for the sake of creating music from a technical view than anything else. At least, that’s how it felt for me, though I might have missed the bigger picture (my Spanish is nonexistent). Nevertheless, I was impressed by what they tried to accomplish.
Valen
The first of the American trio who would play this evening, Valen is the same artist who performed the Seregost set the day before. I was very impressed with the release of “Viarum” earlier this year, and was looking forward to his first gig on European soil. It is an entirely different beast. If Seregost is fast and dark, then Valen is meticulously slow in execution. If Seregost is about never-ending war and dark magic in an unforgiving world, then Valen is about heroics spanning different worlds with a clear message of hope. It is a befitting opposite to the darker alter ego of Seregost, though in no way lighter to digest for different reasons. The compositions are long and the backdrops helped set the mood, ranging from space nebulae to traditional fantasy. Again, the sound was far from perfect, especially during “In War and Triumph”. His own keyboard got dwarfed by the tape bombast. This was a bit of a shame, as it lessened the impact of his songs. Again, Seregost/Valen was undeterred and enjoyed every second of being on stage, which was lovely to see.
Wraith Knight
I might have anticipated the gigs of Fragmented Memories, Anglachel and Valen a great deal, but it does not compare to the expectations I had for Wraith Knight. Even though only one record has been released up until now, this is one of my favorite DS acts, so you can imagine I was expecting great things. He used a simple backdrop of his logo and had a simple hooded cape as a costume, letting the music do the talking. The atmosphere changed the moment he played the first note. The sound was instantly pitch perfect, as was his keyboard play throughout the performance. He took us on a trip “Deep in the Dungeons of the Dragonlord”, a place where the Cloaked Conqueror with the Great Ancestral Sword comes face to face with the Dragonlord. Clearly, having a single record to this day has allowed Wraith Knight to perfect his sound. This is what epic cinematic DS with fantasy elements should sound like. His rousing, grateful speech at the end of the set was the icing on the cake. A triumphant performance for the ages.
Elyvilon
Elyvilon was the closing act of the festival, and he, too, would give us a performance we would not easily forget. Dressed in furs and showing blue war paint which reminded me of the Picts (I know his latest release is related to Finnish folklore) and a radiant personality to boot, Elyvilon had given us an unspoken promise the festival would go out with a banger. Cave Spellcaster had given us some tribal vibes earlier this day, but Elyvilon emphasized this even further, creating trance-inducing rhythms, inviting the audience to initiate a dance (he himself doing so). Whether he pounded his drums or handled his keyboards at the same time or separately, he succeeded magnificently and the audience loved him for it. As much as it pained me, I could not finish the entire set, as I still had to drive more than ninety minutes back home. It was already past midnight by the time I left, a sad smile fixed on my face as I drove away from the parking lot.
Epilogue
The festival was a huge success for me. I do have some minor comments for improvement:
1. The time between the first announcement and the start of the actual festival was very short. Two months really is too short a notice to attract a larger audience. I live in Belgium, so I’m lucky, but I can imagine many have missed out because of the late announcement. I understand this had to do with the restoration of the castle, but there seems to have been an air of urgency and uncertainty in the months prior to the festival. As it so happens, they confirmed the dates for 2026 for Dark Dungeon Festival IV a while ago, which will take place on 09/10/2026 and 10/10/2026. You better believe I'll be there, health and money willing.
2. The ground floor was a bit confusing to navigate. For example, to my knowledge, there were no signposts towards the vendors. I had almost completely missed them, who ended being tucked away in a separate room deeper within the castle.
These are just two suggestions; I could not think of anything else worthy of improvement. The positive elements are too many to count.
As I was driving home in the middle of the night on the highway whilst blasting my newly purchased record of Jim Kirkwood’s “Souls that Dance on the Edge of a Sword” through the speakers, I realized I was driving away from an event which had given me a lot of joy. I’m not exaggerating when I say I’ve made memories for life. What makes this experience so special is not just the location. It’s the artists who maybe play only once in their lives, living a dream they only dared dreaming perhaps mere months prior to the festival. It’s the vendors who allow us to support their dreams. It’s the volunteers who are perfect hosts for a special occasion (they can’t get credit enough). It’s the incredibly diverse audience who are all joined in celebrating the same underground scene, whether they are dreamy fantasy escapists, metal enthusiasts craving something new, medieval reenactors into contemporary music, or music fans exploring the borders of the conventional; they’re all part of something deeply authentical and inherently human which I can’t quite explain. The feeling I have is akin to having a revelation; life-altering and profound.
The last thing I can do is pulling the true stars of the festival into the limelight one last time. In alphabetical order:
Anglachel -> anglachelds.bandcamp.com/music
Arcana Liturgia -> arcanaliturgia.bandcamp.com/
A Spell Enraged -> a-spell-enraged.bandcamp.com/album/demonized
Cave Spellcaster -> mushroomkeeprecords.bandcamp.com/
Dragon Mastery -> vetussupulcrum.bandcamp.com/album/magic-and-steel + vetussupulcrum.bandcamp.com/album/the-holy-sword
Elyvilon -> elyvilon.bandcamp.com/music
Fragmented Memories -> fragmentedmemories.bandcamp.com/music
Seregost -> seregost.bandcamp.com/
Silencio Permanente -> silenciopermanente.bandcamp.com/
Skhemty -> skhemty.bandcamp.com/music
SvampPrinsen -> svampprinsen.bandcamp.com/
The Wanderer -> songsofthewanderer.bandcamp.com/
Valen -> valen.bandcamp.com/
Wraith Knight -> wraithknight.bandcamp.com/album/deep-in-the-dungeons-of-the-dragonlord
It’s been a long report, but it’s the best I could do as tribute to the festival and the genre. I do hope it was an enjoyable read. What are your thoughts? Feel free to comment.
Until next time!
#dungeonsynth #festivalreport #livedungeonsynth #livemusic #music #darkdungeonfestival
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