Year: 2026
Label: Misantropia Records/Ambirial Mvsic Productions

Finnish dungeon synth act Waeltaja are nothing if not prolific. In under ten years the one man project has released 13 albums according to Discogs. This time around, the project outdid itself: two lengthy full-length albums released on the same day (the other one was reviewed here).

But hey, as long as standards are kept and the quality is good, all’s good, right? And, luckily, here Waeltaja checks the right boxes.

The colour scheme and style of artwork (sadly, looks like the imagery is entirely AI-generated) tie the two albums together. Centuries Of Sorrow and Omega Monolith appear as companion albums. This carries to the music as well. There are similarities – but luckily also differences, which set the albums apart from each other. Let’s start with the similarities.

The two albums have a similar sonic timbre, which is pretty obvious considering Waeltaja have always played with a rather traditional dungeon synth palette. The synths lean toward the plastic, and the synthesized instruments never sound authentic at all. But that’s of course not the point, either: dungeon synth has always toyed with an aesthetic of cheapness when it comes to sound. Waeltaja has always made it work, and so too here. It sounds nostalgic in all the right ways, like the intros and outros to black metal albums of yore.

Then there’s the atmospheres. Like Centuries Of Sorrow, Omega Monolith is heavy on melancholy sadness. There’s a deep sense of longing, but also of loss and tragedy here. Again, the word anemoia I used in my review of Centuries Of Sorrow applies.

The major difference between Centuries Of Sorrow and Omega Monolith is how they approach dungeon synth. Where Centuries Of Sorrow expanded beyond the purest dungeon synth towards a more Berlin sound inspired, synth-driven ambient sound, Omega Monolith embraces the traditions of the genre.

In other words, where Centuries Of Sorrow’s compositions were more abstract with less percussion and rather understated melodies, Omega Monolith brings the archetypal faux medieval melodies to the fore. From time to time percussion also has a prominent role. As is typical of the genre, the melodies are pretty simple and straightforward, and the arrangements tend to put a single melody in focus instead of more intricate compositions. This makes for some pleasantly uncluttered music.

A track like A Glorious Storm is a perfect example: it starts with a (synthesized) plucked string instrument that could be from one of Burzum’s synth albums. From there it evolves into a majestic (but melancholic) medieval fantasy melody accompanied by powerful percussions. You can’t really get more dungeon synth – the contrast to Centuries Of Sorrow is clear.

Objectively, I’d say the two albums are of a pretty equal quality. However, the more traditional dungeon synth approach on Omega Monolith appeals to me much more. Especially since Waeltaja have already on previous albums proven they’re one of the few projects out there who pretty constantly make good quality stuff within the genre.

So, too, now: Omega Monolith is a fine album of meandering, melancholic dungeon synth. Its long compositions – all are between 13 and 15 minutes long – never overstay their welcome. Whilst this may not quite be the equal of Heremite (review) or Beholding The Ruins Of My Kingdom (review), this is still top-tier dungeon synth. If you’re a fan of the genre, don’t miss out.

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