Hehe Daytold , not just in Dungeon Synth but in most genres i've gone through hopefully thoroughly, I find it (other people too I think) *very* hard to pin down just 10 songs
It's really impossible for me
but I always enjoy reading other's people thoughts on this and angrily reacting haha
I think that even a "top 10 albums/releases" of all time is extremely difficult and time demanding but yes, 10 songs is too hard
But I'll try since we're here anyway so out of the VERY VERY VERY top of my head to think some of my favorite but also "essential" in more ways songs for a mix to introduce someone to the genre :
- Any of the 5 jewels of songs from Depressive Silence's "II/Mourning"
- Well since I mentioned it earlier today, Basil Poledouris' "Anvil of Crom" of course, if I had to make a mix I'd probably start with this one to set the tone..
- One of either "Illussion of Time" or "Senseless" by Solanum (of Depressive Silence).
- Burzum's Tomhet or Han Som Reiste, another difficult decision here
- Erang has a HUGE list of favorites for me, but I'd go either with "The Last March of the Stone Giant" or with the cover of Lord Lovidicus "Mines of Moria" which would cover both modern masters of the genre, especially Erang I personally believe has done a LOT for the genre in so many ways besides being probably the king of my favorites master playlist with most songs (MANY many many
) ..
- Voormithadreth's Celephais from "Quest of Iranon", another great essential and classic solid gold album, I'd go with Celephais but that was a very hard choice... (Voormithadreth is Jute Gyte, Abandoned Places etc etc)
- Fief, 99% are diamond perfect so it's hard to even look at my playlist and choose but the first I think is "In the Glade of the Shy Dragon"
- Thangorodrim, again TOUOOOUGH choice here but longer songs which means with Narchost, so many great songs and albums again here..
- Sequestered Keep also has so many favorite songs n releases, again just one of the favorites is "Alone on Cliffs by ..." ..
- Finally I'd close with Emglev's "En Eured Ven", another very old gem from the early era...
Now, just like looking above I realize haven't included SO MANY other artists with not one but MANY fav songs (Mortiis,HDK native stuff,Splendorious,Mausolei,many many other that I gonna keep writing all day).. So these 10 songs lists are just a quick showcase for someone outsider to get into it, you can't be essential in any way on favorites of a genre, song-wise..
To get an idea Daytold, my Master favorites playlist of Dungeon Synth on Winamp is almost 3250 songs long (yes takes a while to load sometimes), always being sharpened.. If any song ends up on my favorites but later I don't enjoy it as much or find a flaw etc, it is removed and goes to a different playlist for such songs so I not lose track, that playlist is around 300 songs long. And there's also another Unique playlist with songs that are >10 minutes mark, which is smaller at like ~120 songs.. Now add to that a last not playlist but folder that I keep metal preDS (like Tomhet) which is also ~100.. And all these are favorites listened and relistened multiple times
So it's hard to just pick 10 songs from that many favorites already songs, but as you see I went for "top of my head" thing mixed with "essential and good for introducing ppl"..
Regards!