Well, it's certainly been a while, but I'm finally back to posting. I currently have about thirteen more releases to post, but I'm always searching for more. What I was previously using to rip tapes is giving me a good amount of feedback now and I can't seem to get it sounding right even with head cleaning, so I'm stuck with posting reader submissions or CD rips in the meantime. I'll try to get something working soon since I do have a backlog of tapes to rip. I also haven't checked this email account in quite some time and I've been alerted that a few of the upload links are dead. I'll be re-uploading whatever has died, so try downloading them again tonight or tomorrow. I also have a better rip of the Ashmadai tape I'll be uploading soon. The last track was cut off on my copy, so those files that have been spreading around aren't complete (though it's just the end of the track that's missing, it's mostly all there).
For my return, I'm posting a promo tape rip from one of my favorite dungeon synth artists, Cernunnos Woods. Big thanks to the guy who ripped this for me. Immrama was a promo tape featuring three tracks that were to be seen on the Awaken the Empire of Dark Wood full length released on CMI sub-label Cruel Moon International in 1996. These versions here should be considered demos, later being reworked a bit and properly mastered for the album.The first track here, "Enchantment to the Empire of Stone" would come to be named "Dark and Ancient Visions". It's the same length as the album track, though this one trails off with some ocean sounds, so a little less DS, a little more waves. The second track, "Loch Dirge", didn't make it onto the full length, but it's a great one, melancholic and triumphant. The third track, "Into Glory... We Ride", wasn't really changed in any noticeable way for the full-length, save for better mastering. While these promo tracks are technically featured on the Forest Anthology compilation that was released in 2016, the tracks on that release that were labeled as being from this tape aren't actually the same, save for the last track. The Immrama track on the FA comp is closer to the album version and features the same name. The second track labeled as "Cad Goddeu (The Battle of the Tress" on FA is actually not "Loch Dirge" at all, it's a rougher mix of the actual album track "Cad Goddeu". "Into Glory... We Ride" however remains the same across all three releases. If the tracks on the compilation were the same as the tracks on this tape, I wouldn't really have a reason to upload this, but luckily we get some nice demos here and the unheard "Loch Dirge" track. If anything, even if the tracks were the same, this was worth uploading for the cover art alone, made by Bard on one his high school's computers. Some classic DS clip art. A fun little promo from a great artist.
Definitely check out the Forest Anthology compilation and everything else on Bard's legendary Dark Age Productions label, one of the classics from the 90s now active again and releasing more classic dungeon music.
Cernunnos Woods
Dark Age Productions
Descend
