Entering The Realm of Malfet's Dolorous Gard (Album Stream)

For modern, "dungeon synth"-dubbed synthesizer music from the United States, one artist reigns supreme: Malfet. The project of a single artist from the Atascadero area in California, Malfet's discography is an offering of the whimsical, the fantastic, and, most importantly, the cinematic. Together, these elements weave a story, this time of the mythic knight Lancelot, which is both visual and captivating. 

On Dolorous Gard, Malfet's fourth album (and first since 2020's Alban Arthan), musician and songwriter Ross Major explores the realms of higher production value and more soundtrack-inspired musics alike, offering the world a more pristine and even more emotive view of the Malfet project. Though Major has expressed deep emotion through previous recordings, most especially in a tribute to the fallen Morrowdim, the added mixing and mastering found on Dolorous Guard offers a starker look at Malfet, as well as Major himself. Dolorous Gard, when compared to other Malfet records, is just as beautiful, but more polished and pristine, making each part of the music stand out with more confidence and emotion. Most importantly, Malfet feels the most comfortable with this hyper-fantasy, near New Age type of production, helmed in such a way that the Muse herself, Enya, would not feel out of place on these new recordings.

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