Been ignoring this thread for a bit but I'm compelled to explain a few of my recent name changes and the reason behind them. Necessary? Absolutely (not)
Zeal & Ardor - This one ought to be obvious but I'll say it anyways, they're my current favorite band and have influenced a ton of my writing, fantasy and horror. They started off as a joke band, combining black metal with old African slave spirituals, but have since evolved into one of the best avant-garde metal bands in the last 30 years. Three albums, an EP, and a live album under their belt and each one of them is pure gold.
An Old Sad Ghost - Get ready for a torrent of dungeon synth projects. I've rekindled my passion for the sub-subgenre recently and will be annoying you all with tons of different names soon. An Old Sad Ghost is a favorite of mine, sticking with the more neo-classical vein of dungeon synth (there are so many veils it would make your head spin) and incredibly prolific. It is not uncommon to see dungeon synth artists put out three, four, or more albums out in a single year, owing to the lofi nature of the music and the fact that most dungeon synth is a single guy/goblin in a cave cranking out adventurous tunes.
Mortiis - The man that started it all. While synth music, neo-classical, and ambient have existed for decades, it was Mortiis, former bassist of the black metal titan "Emperor", that put this particular sub-subgenre on the map. In particular, he helped craft the atmosphere that most dungeon synth albums chase after. He is also connected to black metal and the atmosphere of that music scene. Those two factors are what set Mortiis apart from Vangelis or Jim Kirkwood. The band Burzum is also influential in the foundation of both black metal and dungeon synth but since I find Varg to be one of the most reprehensible humans on this earth I will be giving him no credit for anything. Mortiis also a Tolkien fan who dresses as a goblin when he performs so, I mean, it was inevitable, right? Seriously though, Tolkien's influence in dungeon synth cannot be understated; pick any album or project at random and there's at least a 30-35% chance you will get something Tolkien inspired. Everyone should go search it now.
So was all this necessary? Probably not. Will anyone read this and care? Very unlikely. Does it make me happy to write about dungeon synth again? Damn straight it does.
Strange Fruit got holes in the flesh but it ain't gonn' spoil cause it never was fresh