Ancient Mastery – Chapter Three: The Forgotten Realm of Xul’Gothar Review

Certain musical genres lend themselves well to fantasy themes, and Ancient Mastery has its finger firmly on the pulse of several. Perhaps the most recognizable of the many projects of Austrian artist Erech Leleth, Ancient Mastery doubles as a storytelling conduit for the land of Valdura. Doom_et_Al penned a TYMHM piece for Chapter One wherein he heaped deserved praise for the spellbinding integration of triumphant dungeon synth into epic black metal compositions. While we didn’t cover Chapter Two, I personally enjoyed its unexpected pivot toward blackened power metal even more. Upon receiving Chapter Three, I was intrigued to learn that its story is set long before Chapters One and Two, and I was eager to hear what surprise twists Ancient Mastery had in store from a musical point of view.

Fittingly for a prequel, Chapter Three sounds like a direct ancestor of the diverse array of influences that defined One and Two. The synths exhibit the timidity of a hero at the beginning of their journey, a far cry from the assertive melodies that almost single-handedly carried many of the music passages in Chapter One. But where the synths’ boldness falters, the guitars pick up the slack, alternating between icy tremolos and classic heavy metal hooks with practiced aplomb. While Chapter Three is a return to meloblack emphasis, it retains some of the exuberant guitar leads of Chapter Two. The common thread between the three chapters is Leleth’s dry rasps, which usher the narrative forward with surprisingly high intelligibility.

Chapter Three is the closest that Ancient Mastery has ever been to “traditional” melodic black metal. This is largely due to the increased investment in the guitar riffs, which are considerably more developed and striking. From the rollicking intro of “Behind the Walls of Urduk” to the crooked, menacing tune of “The Dread of Xul’Gothar,” they bring a lot of personality and energy. The drumming has also leveled up, with Jöschu Käser (Aara) lending his talents behind the kit. Album opener “Impending Shadows” is representative of this evolution, beginning with slow, deliberate percussion which gradually increases in tempo over the course of the song, culminating in intricate double bass-centric rhythms for the final verse. As a result, Ancient Mastery now sits closer to the midpoint between the synth-shrouded riffy intensity of Stormkeep and the ambient leanings of Summoning, a nice sweet spot for fantasy black metal.

As welcome as the improvements are, they seem to have cost a bit of Ancient Mastery’s core identity. Chapter Three is darker and more cavernous in tone and atmosphere, which can sometimes be an effective aesthetic, but here it often feels empty rather than imposing. The soft atmospheric sections have inexplicably become the thorn in the side of the album’s overall pacing, with nearly every song abruptly halting to shoehorn a quiet synth interlude. Aside from being out of place, they tend to consist of barely discernible notes (“Impending Shadows”) or empty oohs and ahhs (“Behind the Walls of Urduk”) that add little to the music. Thankfully, the songs recover their momentum and finish strong, so these are ultimately minor—albeit frequent—hiccups. Additionally, it’s hard not to miss the female guest vocalists who previously added such depth and feeling to the storytelling, particularly in Chapter Two.

With three chapters now under his belt, Erech Leleth has demonstrated an aptitude for adopting diverse musical approaches that all sound like Ancient Mastery. It took a little longer to grow on me, possibly due to preconceived expectations, but I expect Chapter Three to be a key entry point for potential new fans. The guitar-driven, synth-supported strategy and liberation from mid-paced tempos were exactly what the project needed to sustain a sense of progression. My hope for Chapter Four, though, is for these new traits to be joined more equally with the shrewd dungeon synth that originally earned Ancient Mastery my endearment. Until then, grab a goblet and witness the wonders of Xul’Gothar.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 190 kb/s VBR mp3
Label: Self Release
Websites: ancientmastery.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/Ancient-Mastery
Releases Worldwide: April 4th, 2025