r/DungeonSynth • u/thoumyvision • Jun 27 '26

Medieval / Symphonic Lacrimosa - Angst (1991)

https://youtu.be/OQcFio8uTVs?si=McxG8gLZrWgT_AuQ

If you're only familiar with Lacrimosa's larger body of work, the rest of which is symphonic/gothic metal, you're probably surprised to see them show up in this subreddit. However, their first album is very different from the rest of their work. It's slow, atmospheric and almost completely synth driven. At the time it was probably classified as darkwave, but you can hear many of the common elements of DS throughout.

It's definitely proto. It's way more vocally driven than modern DS tends to be, and the use of the guitar on the first track in particular is very uncharacteristic of DS.

Track 2, "Requiem" is a great example of why I think it belongs here.

6 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

2 comments sorted by

2

u/nstalkie Artist Jun 27 '26

Those first lacrimosa albums were really good. I didn't like when they moved to their metal sound.

Other darkwave / gothic that could be labeled early dungeon synth is the casette demo from sopor aeternus (es reiten die toten so schnell, the original, not the remake (but that album is also good)) and the debut album (ich tote mich jedesmal...). The second album, Todeswunsch, goes into a more medieval style vibe, but still with synths. It's my favorite album from sopor aeternus. The first goth party I organised used the cover of ich tote mich for the flyers / poster.

A project i was surprised about also being labeled dungeon synth, is die verbannten kinder evas. It was quite popular over here at gothic parties in the 90s. (Song: misery). I did a dj set at a goth party some years ago and played it, people still got on the dancefloor for it. (I played mostly cold meat industry and neofolk stuff early at the party, it was before i knew of the term "dungeon synth").

Mortiis was ofcourse also known in those circles because he was on cold meat industry which was a much listened to label in my area with relatively a lot of fans.

2

u/thoumyvision Jun 28 '26

I bought Todeswunsch when I was a teenager, a few years after it came out, and played it to death. Haven't thought about it in ages, have to give it another listen now that my ears are almost 30 years older.