Review: Skymningsvävd - Bakom Berget Dväljas

Artist: Skymningsvävd

Album: Bakom Berget Dväljas

Label: Self-released

Release date: August 2025

It was barely two months ago that I highlighted Skymningsvävd's debut album (otherwise a largely unknown hidden gem of the dungeon synth genre) and expressed my hope that we would get a sophomore album at some point in the future. Well, I should probably go out and get a lottery ticket, because my wish came true in record time, and Anders Ragnar (perhaps better known for his main project Örnatorpet) is back with the follow-up to 2023's excellent Fragment under this moniker that approximately translates to twilight-woven.

An apt description if there ever was one; indeed, genre-wise, there are few surprises here compared to the debut. This is another love letter to the early era of dungeon synth, with a rather old-school compositional approach and aesthetics to match - the cover, courtesy of Anna Ostroumova, wonderfully weaves the project name into the dark, marshy landscape it depicts. The music remains strongly driven by synth melodies that are interspersed with neofolk-like string instrumentation and calmer soundscapes that verge on dark ambient. The raspy spoken vocals may be gone, but if there's any major difference to be noted between the two albums, it's hidden in their respective flows; while the debut was more staccato-like in its shifts between bright, uplifting moods and moments of pensive gloom, the sophomore album is more uniform in its exploration of the endless flatlands that lie ahead. What the album lacks in dynamics, however, it makes up for in depth, as this is unquestionably some of the finest work Anders has put out so far under any of his alter egos. The tracks are dense enough to occupy the attention without overwhelming the listener with layers of sound, while each theme is given sufficient room to breathe without overstaying its welcome. The sound is at once accessible and layered, leading to massive replay value, as I can personally attest, having listened to it from start to finish with great gusto at least a dozen times since its release six weeks ago.

At the risk of my reviews starting to sound repetitive, I simply have no choice than to commend Anders for yet another glowing release in his musical catalogue. Bakom Berget Dväljas manages that rarest of feats, which is to improve upon its predecessor in every meaningful way without losing even a tiny bit of its originality and authenticity. It's at once a wonderful journey back to the 1990s and a step forward for the dungeon synth scene as a whole. May the journey long continue.

Rating: 9/10