In summer 2025, I went through one of the worst moments of my life. And still, I was quite optimistic that a time of healing was coming. How wrong I was.
Some wounds do not heal, some scars do not fade. And the time of healing morphed into a time of struggle, one that has no clear end in sight. A casualty of this ongoing fight is ᚼᛁᛆᚱᛐᛆᚿᛋ, both as a music project and as a broader narrative endeavour. (Stars Over Lost Havens too, but the pacing of that project was intended to be erratic right from the start. The journey will continue, the story will be told. Under what timeline, only the goddess ☰☰☲☶ knows).
In this struggle and ensuing chaos, I cannot help but think I have failed one artist in particular, whom I contacted full of enthusiasm about a journal
I like to start the journals on artists I love from the perspective of my first encounter with them. Those memories are full of enthusiasm and childlike exploration, so it's understandable that I don't feel like going there at the moment. However, there is a Umbría album that feels very relevant for me in these last months.
Homecomer dates back to 2023, and it is a release that also sparks some wonderful memories. I recall watching remotely the recorded performance for Mazmorra Arcana with excitement and anticipation for the release of the new album.
But what brings me back to Homecomer now is the journey of the unnamed traveller, described in the lyrics of the songs. I can't help but feel close to her: after an implied time spent far from home, she longs to return to her place, a place of beauty and belonging. But the journey is not easy. Every obstacle seems minor, though, until the traveller discovers of the Legend of the Forest Bearer, a curse that is now rooted deep into her. And this is exactly how I feel: I have always known that my road held some tough challenges in the future, but now the future has become the present, and I need to face a curse of my own.
The narrative interwoven with the songs is not a unique feature of Homecoming, but is a constant in Umbría's latest releases, and it's one of the aspects that make them magical. But I have talked too much about myself, and have actually said nothing yet of Umbría's music. There are two qualities that come to my mind every time I think about it. The first is the astounding and intricate orchestrations, that intertwine so many instruments in a way that feels organic like a music high relief.
Besides, the amazing orchestrations, Umbría's music has a unique fingerprint that I couldn't place until I finally talked to Umbría himself a while ago. It turns out he is quite skilled at playing the theorbo, a kind of lute of the late XVI Century. And the Renaissance music influences, transfigured by Umbría's own approach to Dungeon Synth, are what make his music stand out. Indeed, from his first demos to his latest offerings there is a constant undercurrent that evolves and is ever-changing, but is also uniquely recognisable and uniquely coherent.
Mentioning the last two releases, The Rime Pathways and Frost and Wonder, brings me back to the splendid union of music and narration in Umbría. These releases describe a journey through a norhtern land covered in snow. It is a ritual journey, but also a journey of hope, of bringing light when the dark seems to devour everything.
A message I surely can't hear enough of.
And I also love it that there is a Krampus in there, since it brings me back to when I lived in the city where I met my wife, and also where I first met krampuses
And, finally, hope and light are what carry me back to the release that started my journey with Umbría.
Right from the start, The Entombed Wizard is an album that took hold of my heart and never let go. The initial astounding guitar arpeggio (that makes a lot of sense in light of Umbría's theorbo skills), the amazing synth sounds and their orchestration, the spooky tale told by the fireplace... It is such an iconic release that to me embodies the quintessential Umbría. I wish I had more words to describe it, but let me just say: go and listen to it, let yourself be carried away by the music and the story on one cosy night. Bonus points if you are under a warm blanket with your favourite hot beverage.
The Entombed Wizard is so dear to me also because it features one of my favourite songs ever.
I am a firm believer in the healing power of creativity, and I have already written a journal on healing music back in summer 2025. Healing Alchemy is one of the songs that cemented this belief. Everything about it, the sounds, the composition, the mood, and the final solo that comes as an unexpected gift, contributes to create this wonderful healing spell. If you don't have time for the whole The Entombed Wizard, sparing four minutes for The Healing Alchemy is the next best thing.
Also, it shouldn't be surprising that I am drawn to the themes of death, doom, and healing that seem to be ever present in Umbría's music. Even unhealing wounds can be treated, pain can be comforted. And there's beauty at the end of the road, either in the form of some healing magic or of a wonderful, magical forest that grows as a celebration of a life well lived.
Speaking of celebrations, a testament to Umbría's ability as a storyteller through both music and words is The Flames Witnessed at Temperance, a charming intro-level RPG inspired by The Sleeping Wizard written by D. D. Gant.
It is great how Gant openly recognises Umbría's inspiration and also encourages to use The Sleeping Wizard as a soundtrack for the game sessions. My roleplaying days are sadly behind me, but the adventure is great in so many ways. It gives me the same tale-told-by-the-fireplace vibes of the music, and it is full of charming details. Exactly like Umbría's music, that with each new listen reveals more and more secrets and gifts.
ᚼᛁᛆᚱᛐᛆᚿᛋ , February 2025