‘The Collector’ by Witch Bolt

‘The Collector’ by Witch Bolt

Named after a level one evocation spell in Dungeons & Dragons, Kentucky’s Witch Bolt has carved a unique niche in the dungeon synth scene with a series of rapid releases. In the year 2024 alone, the artist has unveiled seven albums that blend calming and ambient music, perfect for traversing dim dungeons or wandering through ancient lost woods. Despite the rapid pace of releases, each of Witch Bolt’s albums is crafted with meticulous care and intentionality. Whether it’s the soundscape of a mystical journey through a five-movement composition on Organum Hermitae or the creation of an enchanted, eerie landscape on Bellow, the artist's albums are consistently focused and thematically rich. 

Witch Bolt’s recent release, The Collector, continues the artist’s 2024 conquest of breaking into the dungeon synth space. As the artist states on Bandcamp, the album “is the story of a nomadic figure navigating the boundaries that separate the planes of existence. The Collector gathers overlooked fragments of nature and humanity, bestowing upon them a renewed honor and purpose. Through their mystical craftsmanship, they reveal the inherent dignity concealed within the humble.” The Collector builds upon Witch Bolt’s sound while setting it apart with a new focus on hope and renewal

The Collector evokes a sense of wonder and enhancement through the mundane with simple, droning synths veiled beneath the sound of ethereal tides churring over and over. Tracks like “Humble Harvest” and “Wandering Artisan” make use of light, plucking synth gently echoing beneath these sounds. Witch Bolt clearly isn’t afraid of relying on a recurring motif in each album as the entire run of The Collector follows some form of this with each track, though the artist will utilize different sounds to create fresh melodies, such as plucking harps on “Treasures Left” or woodwind and horn sounds on “The Earth in Me.”

Through these calming, droning songs, Witch Bolt creates a hopeful, reflective, relaxing, and renewing album. Though it pulls on themes of contemplation with nature and humanity, The Collector doesn’t lose the influence of fantasy and adventure it draws from. Think of this album as more wandering the Mirkwood forests rather than slowly dungeon crawling with The Legends of Grimrock. Songs like “Roots” and “In Praise of Gentleness” especially lean into this territory with even more subdued and murmuring synth than the beginning of the album. 

The Collector is an excellent dungeon synth album to calm yourself with, as well as introduce yourself to Witch Bolt’s discography. Given the artist’s prolific release pattern so far, it will be interesting to see what else Witch Bolt has in mind for the near future. 

You can follow Witch Bolt on Bandcamp.