Though probably best known for the more recent output, Druadan Forest was initially active between 1998 and 1999, releasing a trio of demos during that time. The project, now, is mostly a mixture of black metal and ambient, to varying degrees, with newer releases like The Lost Dimension offering a fine amalgam of the styles and the 2019 release, Dismal Spells from the Dragonrealm, being rooted in ethereal ambient. It shouldn't be surprising, then, that one of the project's earliest release is pretty much straight up dungeon synth.

Mirkwood was released in 1998 and features six tracks of (mostly) epic/fantasy-tinged dungeon synth, inspired by Tolkien and Middle-Earth. There isn't really a lot to different this from a lot of other late '90s dungeon synth, like Cernunnos, but it's an enjoyable effort in its own right. Whimsical keys lead the charge, sounding like they were recorded straight from a dollar store Casio to the tape with rather simplistic notes and patterns to form the soundtrack to dungeon keeper basement sessions. Some militant percussion is worked into the music throughout, as well as some severely out of place growled vocals, but for the most place things stick with simplistic keyboard driven grandeur and medieval vibes.

Druadan Forest's early work might not be as essential to the dungeon synth community as, say, Mortiis or Depressive Silence, but it's a nice stroll down memory lane. With the recent influx of dungeon synth and ambient projects, Mirkwood calls to mind the actual early days of the genre. I know 1998 isn't exactly the earliest period for dungeon synth, but it's well before the explosion of iPad driven projects. A quick mention of the last track, "Rivendell" is warranted, as it plays like a long lost clip from an early '90s RPG boss battle, though with a bit of MarioKart or Donkey Kong Country flair mixed in (it's worth finding a stream for this track alone). It's completely off the wall, compared to the rest of the release, but it's fantastic in one of those "you just can't look away" type of ways. So, yeah, Mirkwood isn't what I would deem an essential release, but dungeon synth fans will find some enjoyment and everyone needs to hear "Rivendell".