Guild Of Lore - Storm Haven

Self-released, 2019

With no time to waste
I tied the boat rope to my belt
and dove headfirst into the choppy waters
of the Sunless Sea.

There are records that immediately communicate whether or not you did the right thing by picking them up. They have their ways of signaling that, yes, this is where you want to be right now. That this is, indeed, what you want to be doing. Storm Haven is one of them.

Guild Of Lore’s latest effort is, as you might have guessed, partly about stormy havens. It’s in the name, it is found on the perfectly fitting cover art and there’s a strong representation of this conveyed scenery within the music. Waves are crashing, port bells ring, we hear the cracking of boats and the falling of rain on open water. It’s very common for these types of samples to feel like filler material; uninspired and unnecessary. Here though, they beautifully complement the compositions and overall instruments, since Storm Haven’s music, like the weather and surroundings it often portrays, is moody, firm and proud.

Limited edition cassette release

There’s a lot to unpack here. Nearly 50 minutes of diverse songwriting, in which lutes, steel strings, and warm synths accompany the listener throughout a world Guild Of Lore so carefully crafted. A rapid pace runs through the music. Never hasty, but encouraging to tag along, and with some perfectly timed resting points throughout.

Guild of Lore understands that a story, no matter how exciting, needs to leave space for the listeners to catch their breath, gather their thoughts and regain their energy to fully dive back in again. The result of this is a record that is not very unlike the nautical landscape it’s referring to. Like a wave, it dances, tumbles over itself, dwindles, restores and finally reaches shore.

Even though the music clearly speaks for itself, I would highly recommend anyone to read the actual lore that is available on Guild Of Lore’s Facebook page. The tales surrounding Master Ingsmith strongly enhance the music and vice versa. It is also this degree of dedicational world-building that makes Guild Of Lore such a unique and easy to love entity.

TL;DR: Advanced storytelling through music.
The perfect soundtrack for your upcoming campaign - or dreamy evening.

Guild Of Lore on Bandcamp | Guild Of Lore on Facebook