One of the most influential and notorious labels within the (Dark / Cinematic / Space / Drone) Ambient scene is, without any doubt, Oregon-based Cryo Chamber. It’s a label run by Sweden-born artist Simon Heath, whom you might know from outfits like Atrium Carceri, Cryo Chamber Collaboration, Krusseldorf, Sabled Sun, as well as Abnocto, Musterion or Za Frûmi, which he ran, all three of them, with Simon Kölle.
In 2023, Simon started a new solo-outfit, Mountain Realm. Yet since the aural content did not exactly fit to Cryo Chamber’s roster, and because of his adoration for rather Fantasy / Dungeon Synth oriented material (cf. both projects I mentioned, with the other Simon), he decided to start a sublabel to his Ambient-laden one. That new label was baptised as Cryo Crypt. For what it’s worth: I do think that this moniker is the most plausible one, totally fitting the dungeon-oriented direction.
So, the first release on this new label indeed is one by his newest creation, Mountain Realm. It’s called Grayshadow Ruins and was completely done by Mister Heath himself: song-writing, recording, production, mastering; and not that strange either: Simon took care of the artwork and design himself too. The cover artwork goes well with the conceptual approach, even-though one might see an Orcish Yoda-like entity in it.
It is not such big surprise, knowing that this album got released on tape. That’s actually the idea behind this label, to have the albums pressed on cassette, in a limited edition, of course. In this case, there are 100 copies available. It comes with a double-sided print, including nice artwork at the inner sleeve too (with an extra fold-panel). Besides, there is always a digital opportunity too.
In a desolate and forsaken corner of Mountain Realm, hidden amidst the vast expanse of the Northern Spine Mountains, lies the haunted Grayshadow Ruins. This ancient underground kingdom, devoid of warmth and light, has a history steeped in shadowy secrets and legends of long-forgotten kings still kept alive by dark powers.
The narrative of fateful realms, haunted woods and evil creatures consists of thirteen individual yet cohesive tracks, having a total running time of 33:23 minutes. Opener Temple Halls does bring the ingenious elegance of the mastermind behind it in all its glory: doomy, cold (yet somehow warming at the very same time), oppressive and desolate Dungeon Synth Majesty. Several layers of keyboard-driven melodies get canalised into a bleak, little haunting, yet intriguing and beautiful piece of aural story-telling.
Yet things aren’t always as gloomy and abandoned, because the second opus, Beyond The Mist, rather floats through illuminated yet somehow foggy lands. It’s like a soundtrack for a walk onto the vast fields, surrounded by enlightened clouds, teasing the listener’s fantasy. And that more luminous yet nebulae-surrounded approach continues through most of the album. Compositions like The King Lives go even further with that enlightened approach, adding almost ‘happy’ elements and structures into the deep-dark-based frontline. Videogame-like ideas might surely come to mind.
Slow melodies, generous in imagination and exploration, get well with more secretive harmonies, fairylike waves-of-sound, and mystic textures. The basement might often be constructed around a repetitive core (cf. Gravedigger, for example, Beyond The Mist, with that simple yet effective four-note set-up), yet the multiple additional synths (once in a while even xylophone-like in sound, like in Goblin Cave) and, once in a while, some supplementary percussions, uplift the richness behind, and around, every single chapter.
At the other hand, once in a while things return to utter darkness again. Take a track like aforementioned Goblin Cave, for instance, with doomed a piano lead, slow beats to strengthen the ominous and menacing atmosphere, adjuvant creepy melodies and ghostly soundscapes. Or A Lone Wizard Emerges, covered in so much agony of mind, drama and doom. And just like the opener (see above), the closing chapter, called Castle Halls, sounds like a tragic, shady symphony, fanciful and captivating, little dolorous yet forbearing…
Refill your health flask and light your lantern as day turns to endless night…
https://cryocrypt.bandcamp.com/album/grayshadow-ruins