The Chamber Dark scene in 2023 was saturated mostly with projects of a Medieval and Pagan orientation. Good and bad, famous and unknown, dance and lyrical. There were not many Ethereal releases in 2023, but one ancient project returned from a long hiatus and created a miracle.
Covered genres: Ethereal, Neoclassics, Neofolk, Dark Folk, Death Country, Medieval Neofolk
10. The Coffinshakers - ‘Graves, Release Your Dead’ (Death Country | Sweden, Svart Records)
The Swedish project THE COFFINSHAKERS was formed in 1995 by Robert Fjällsby, a member of the Black Metal band GEHENNAH, but the Swede rarely plaesed listeners with albums. In 2023 only the third full-length work called ‘Graves, Release Your Dead’ Is released. The project continues to traditionally make Dark Country with male vocals in English. There is a little bit more darkness in some compositions in the new album, but the overall atmosphere remains the same. Good job. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coffinshakers
09. Ugniavijas - ‘Pulkun’ (Medieval Neofolk, Ritual Ambient | Lithuania, Self-Released)
The Lithuanian project UGNIAVIJAS was formed in 2007 in Vilnius and released its first albums on the famous Lithuanian label Dangus. In 2018 the first album was released on their own and in 2023 the Lithuanians continued their experience with publishing their albums by themselves. The new work is called ‘Pulkun’ and is made in a combination of Neofolk with Medieval background and Ritual Ambient in the Lithuanian language. The group of six musicians creates a unique atmosphere using instruments typical of the genre and acapella compositions with intertwining male vocals give the sound a certain charm. The Lithuanian Folk scene pleases the ears not for the first time, so I advise fans of this kind of music to become more closely acquainted with Neofolk performers from Lithuania. It’s worth it. And the new album UGNIAVIJAS will be in one of the prominent places in the collection. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ugniavijas
08. Weljar - ‘Tur’ (Neofolk, Ritual Ambient | Poland, Self-Released)
WELJAR is a young Polish project that was formed in the early 20s and released its first material in the form of EP in 2022. The debut full-length work is released in 2023 on its own and is made in a combination of Slavic Folklore in the form of Neofolk with Ritual Ambient and shamanic motifs. The vocals on the album are female with lyrics in Polish. Good quality work from a young project, somewhat reminiscent of their Polish colleagues OLS, but with a more Folk component. Great atmospheric album. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weljarofficial
07. Osi and the Jupiter - ‘Cedar & Sage (Riders of the Gallows Vol. 1)’ (Dark Folk, Neofolk, Death Country | USA, Eisenwald)
The American project OSI AND THE JUPITER was formed in the mid-90s in the city of Kent, Ohio. The Americans publish their music in Europe on the German label Eisenwald and have four solo full-length albums. The fifth work or rather its first part is called ‘Cedar & Sage (Riders of the Gallows Vol. 1)’ and is thoughts and reflections about life, death and rebirth as stated in the press release and is made in the genre of melancholic Dark Folk with elements of Neofolk, Neoclassics and Dark Country. Airy acoustic compositions with beautiful male vocals send the listener between the worlds of life and death to understand themselves. Conceptually strong work executed at the highest level. The album also featured musicians from the Czech project NEMUER, the American AERIAL RUIN, the British project WOLCENSMEN and other musicians of the Neofolk scene. The album was also released in a limited edition with a bonus disc featuring B-sides of older material and collaborations with other artists including KING DUDE and covers of PINK FLOYD, DANZIG, NEIL YOUNG and others. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/osifolk
06. The Radiant Light - ‘How to Leave This World in Peace’ (dark folk | Belgium, Ván Records)
The Belgian project THE RADIANT LIGHT is another new name in the Neofolk scene and in 2023 presented its debut full-length work entitled ‘How to Leave This World in Peace’. The author of the project is a member of mostly Black Metal projects CULT OF ERINYES, WOLVENNEST, LVTHN and others. The work is made in the genre of Melancholic Dark Folk in the best traditions of the genre with acoustic passages and muffled whispering male vocals close to recitation. Conceptually, the album also talks about death like the American colleagues OSI AND THE JUPITER, but in THE RADIANT LIGHT material it is done in a darker depressing form with elements of Dark Ambient, which does not in any way detract from the atmosphere. Good job and great debut. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090081511774
05. Toadstone - ‘Cernunnos’ (Medieval Neofolk | UK, Self-Released)
The Medieval project TOADSTONE was created by the British duo Michael and Lucy in 2017 and their debut full-length work was already released in 2018. After the release of their debut album the musicians went o tour to perform both their own work and covers of famous Rock artists and in 2023 the duo, which during this time had already become a trio, will publish their second full-length album on their own. ‘Cernunnos’ is an opus of Medieval music using acoustic guitars, mandolin, bells, flute and percussion. The result is an interesting on the one hand perky and on the other melancholic Medieval Neofolk with female vocals in English. The work differs from most Medieval projects in the absence of bagpipes and more Neofolk-oriented material, which in some places reminds the work of the famous BLACKMORE’S NIGHT. There are also long compositions of 8-9 minutes or more on TOADSTONE’s albums, which is not peculiar for this type of music. In any case, the album came out of high quality and non-standard and will appeal to all the genre fans. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/toadstoneuk/
04. Ephemeral - ‘Into Being’ (Neofolk, Neoclassics | Germany, These Hands Melt)
A trio from Germany called EPHEMERAL begins their history in 2019. One of the participants in the project is Elisabeth, known for her work in such Folk projects as IGNIS FATUU, TIR NAN OG, HEITER BIS FOLKIG and others, so we should have expected interesting material from this band and that really happened. The album ‘Into Being’ is the debut full-length work of EPHEMERAL and musically consists of melancholic opuses in the genre of Neofolk with elements of Neoclassics and Ethereal. Different people sing on different compositions and different instruments are brought to the fore, which gave the sound variety and even long compositions of 7-10 minutes are easy to listen. The Germans’ debut became definitely a success. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ephemeralneofolk
03. Brisinga - ’Mond Cult’ (neofolk, medieval neofolk | Germany, Foxy Records)
The German project BRISINGA appeared on the map of the Folk scene in the mid-10s through the efforts of two girls, one of whom is known for her work in the Folk Metal band STORM SEEKER. The trio’s debut work was released in 2017 on their own and in 2023 their new album is released on the format label Foxy Records, specializing in various types of Folk music. On the new album ‘Mond Cult’ Fabienne, Fanny and Sandra create airy Neofolk with Medieval motifs. It will not be dancy and rhythmic, but rather atmospheric and lyrical. The project is inspired not only by Western European medieval history, but also by Northern European mythology and therefore uses lyrics not only in English and German, but also in Scandinavian languages. BRISINGA’s music perfectly reflects the spirit of medieval Europe in general and its northern countries in particular. Well, according to the historical artifacts founded and researched, but in order to find out how it really was we need a time machine. An excellent album by German girls. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Brisingamusic
02. Crane - ‘Beneath the Weeds Lies Her Faith’ (Neoclassics, Ethereal, Dark Ambient | Unknown, Isla Visión)
There is not much information about the CRANE project on the Internet, so thanks to the members of the Isla Visión label for the information provided. The only participant in the project is American Colleen Rogers from New York. Colleen is the vocalist, instrumentalist and producer of CRANE. Born in 1997 in New York City to an Irish-Catholic family, Gothic aesthetics have always been pertinent in her upbringing. Colleen started studying percussion at nine years old and sang at her church’s youth mass. She began creating her own works around 2017, ten years later, after being inspired by the experimental noise house that used to run in her college town. Concurrently, she began DJing under the alias YOUNG LINK in the basements of her friends’ houses. Since then, she has released two albums and one EP under this pseudonym and has been focusing recently on CRANE. The debut album is filled with atmospheric compositions that consist of Ethereal, Neoclassical, Ritual Ambient, Dark Ambient and even Dungeon Synth in some compositions. Even with such a diverse combination of genres it’s unlikely that you can surprise anyone today, but with amazing female vocals to the accompaniment of all this you can not only surprise, but conquer hearts and minds. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen such material where vocals in chamber genres of a dark scene are the fundamental component. Most of CRANE’s work has similarity with the ambient compositions of DEAD CAN DANCE, but there are works where the sound reminds the darker and more industrialized version of TROBAR DE MORTE. A brilliant album from an unknown project that could easily take top positions in the top 10 of industrial music for 2023. Facebook: https://www.instagram.com/sudoku.boy
01. Dark Sanctuary - ‘Cernunnos’ (Ethereal, Neoclassics | France, Avantgarde Music)
The French project DARK SANCTUARY is some kind of an icon of the Ethereal and Neoclassical genres of the dark scene. Its works of the mid and late 90s as well as throughout the 2000s became loved and recognizable, so the long break since 2009 plunged all listeners into anticipation of a new creation, although the musicians did not disappear anywhere and worked in other bands and musical projects. But new work did appear in 2023 and this longest break in collaboration apparently benefited the musicians, because the album ‘Cernunnos’ can be considered one of the best in the project’s discography and definitely the best in 2023, not only within the Chamber Dark scene, but in the entire Dark scene. The magnificent female vocals of Sophie Boss accompanied by Neoclassical opuses with piano and violin again reminded how ideally beautiful a Dark Chamber scene can be. There haven’t been many albums like this lately. ‘Cernunnos’ is far ahead and has settled in ears, speakers and players for a long time. Perfect. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DarkSanctuaryOfficial
Other honorable mentions: ESBEN AND THE WITCH, HARUGAZ, MAN REI, TROBAR DE MORTE, VINTERSKOGEN
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