Old Sorcery - The Outsider Review: A Journey Through Dungeon Synth and Black Metal
Swords and sorcery have been metal muses since the genre's earliest days, and Old Sorcery, a Finnish dungeon synth project, is no exception. The Outsider, their latest full-length, is a 71-minute behemoth that blends cinematic textures, classical instrumentation, and raw black metal. This album is a continuation of the 'Masks of the Magi' trilogy, with a focus on exploring the concepts introduced in The Escapist.
The album's sound is atmospheric and gritty, with 12-grit tremolo walls, blast beats, and echoing rasps. Old Sorcery centers icy synths, folk-minded woodwinds, and the searching reverence of Sojourner or Eldamar. The black metal on The Outsider is used as a malleable vehicle to further explore the concepts introduced in The Escapist.
The result is a journey, not a destination. The Outsider is a well-paced, well-written dungeon synth/black metal album that is always good, and often great. It's a rock-solid album that breaks from the Old Sorcery mold, with a healthy spread of longer and shorter songs, and a diverse songwriting approach.
The album begins and ends with dramatic epics, with the bulk of the album swirling through cackling, malevolent melodies, softer dungeon synth proper, and fantastical electronic/metal harmonies. The album is well-produced, with a mix that has a nice, approachable buzz, and the synths are always able to cut through the din.
The Outsider is a work that needs to be basked in and consumed organically, rather than dissected microscopically. It's a journey that's worth taking, and it's only gotten better with each spin. Set aside an hour on a cold, snowy day, cozy up with a warm drink, and hear The Outsider's tale.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Avantgarde Music (https://avantgardemusic.com/)
Websites: Bandcamp (https://oldsorcery.bandcamp.com/) | Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/OldSorcery/)
Releases Worldwide: January 30th, 2026
Mystikus Hugebeard, a practitioner of old sorcery, is another fan of Old Sorcery's music. He's grateful for the opportunity to double-review The Outsider with Spicie Forrest, as it's not just dungeon synth, but also an album of raw, wintry black metal.
The album opens with 'Magick Triumph', which sets the stage for a classic Swords n' Sorcery experience, until a grimy guitar chord descends like a fog. The tremolos and blast-beats buzz with wintry chill, and the vocals are way, way in the back. The synths are always able to cut through the din, and the mix has that nice, approachable sort of buzz.
Old Sorcery weaves dungeon synth and black metal together, with each being stronger for the other's presence. The dungeon synth elements in The Outsider enjoy an active melodic role in the heavier songs, with the inviting, pleasant tones of old-school dungeon synth exuding warmth amidst the cold black metal.
The album has a great deal of care in its construction of atmosphere, but the melodic focus given to the synths in relation to the black metal feels quite refreshing for the genre. As such, The Outsider rarely feels passive even across its length and maintains a strong sense of engagement from moment to moment.
The Outsider is a rare break from the Old Sorcery mold, but it's a rock-solid album that is always good, and often great. It's a perfect specimen of dungeon synth, with just metal enough to bypass Steel's gaze, yet with enough dungeon synth that I don't look out of place wearing my wizard robes while listening to it.
