Ancient underground temples, dark knights, mysterious labyrinths, sorcerors, forgotten tombs, enchanted forests, and creatures await you on this new release containing over an hour of orchestral music from the masters of gothic/horror soundscape. It's the ultimate musical accompaniment to the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS roleplaying game, and promises to take listeners on an epic adventure through the darkest corners of their imagination.

Working closely with the game designers at Wizards of the Coast, this CD is a simple yet dynamic way for gamers to take their adventuring sessions to the next level.

I am a regular roleplayer. We recently put this disc on a continual loop in the background during our Dungeons & Dragons session. Like their other discs, it set a good background atmosphere without distracting from the game. Additionally there were several times where the music or (in one instance) a sound effect timed up uncannily with the action of the game. Kind of a nice effect since it made us feel like we were in a movie - which I guess is the goal of the discs they produce.

As with most Midnight Syndicate discs, some of the tracks are more melodic "main-theme"-type pieces. Some of my favorites of those include "Heroes' Valor," "Craft of the Wizard," and "Beasts on the Borderlands." Other tracks (often shorter in length) are more sound-effect/ambient-type tracks. In my opinion, these are the tracks that really put you in this "world" they are trying to create. "Stealth and Cunning" and "Fens of Sargath" are really creepy, suspenseful interludes that definitely set a mood. I also enjoyed "Behind Door #1" which is a 20 second bit of what an adventuring party hears behind a dungeon door before opening it. Fun track (especially for gaming sessions).

So here are my closing thoughts on this disc compared to the others. It was darker than I thought it might be (which was good because that's my personal preference). It works well as a fantasy roleplaying tool (after using it that one night during our gaming session, all five members of our group ended up purchasing their own copy -- that sentiment seems to be mirrored in all the reviews I've seen in the gaming zines). I think the band shows more of its range. At the end of the disc there is a track called "Final Confrontation," a 5+ minute track of battle music (much like a chase theme from a Zimmer score). A good change of pace for them. "Eternal Mystery" also is a great Gregorian chant-type piece that put me right in a Mummy's tomb. Lastly, and most importantly, I think it's a great listen with more than a few memorable tracks. If you enjoy orchestral instrumental music that you can either listen to actively in headphones or just pop in for background as you write or do whatever, it's great.


Wonderful Background Music   October 3, 2003
 12 out of 14 found this review helpful

I had heard this band was doing this a few months back and went out to find older CDs to listen to; I got hooked. I even found a nice hole in the wall store where I live in Philly called Dancing Ferret that I went looking for and almost didn't find. No real advertising and easy to over look but a gem worth rooting out in Philadelphia. I started my collecting there and I keep going back when I have a little extra cash to blow on experiments. I have yet to get something I haven't liked from this place on 5th just up from South, but I digress. This particular CD has some wonderful tracks to play while gaming or planning to game or even thinking about gaming. It's a great CD from a great band. Their earlier CDs lend a more Ravenloft atmosphere but this one is appropriate for most campaigns. If you're a d20 GM looking for some killer music to put in the background for your next Greyhawk, Forgotten Realms, Scarred Lands, etc. session, look no further, this is what you need. Great artwork and great music combine to make this a CD I am proud to own. Bottom line, a great instrumental CD that adds just the right ambience to virtually any gaming session.