New Phantom Plus More Tolkien/Led Zep & Heavy Metal TTRPG Fashion

Cauldron & Tower

If you’re looking for some old school metal to set the mood for an old school dungeon crawl, consider the new album Tyrants of Wrath by Phantom. The album cover provides the first clue about the music, with action-packed artwork by Maegan LeMay:

Here is a description from the band:

Sharpen your stakes, salt your swords and bring your chains to journey into 48 minutes of sonic lacerations, total death, lethal steel, and heavy metal absolute power.

They were highlighted in April’s Best Metal on Bandcamp, in which they were compared to bands Venom, Slayer, and Bathory. From a lyrical standpoint, they have a song called “Nazghûl” while album closer “Dark Wings of Death” describes the destruction of a castle by a dragon-riding conquerer. You can preview and purchase from the Phantom Bandcamp page:

Led Zeppelin & Tolkien

Although this is well-covered ground for most of us, having a mainstream media source cover how J.R.R. Tolkien inspired Led Zeppelin is always a treat for me. In this instance, Arizona classic rock station KSLX posted a short video listing some of the Led Zep songs with Tolkien references:

Heavy Metal TTRPG Fashion

Earlier this year I highlighted some producers of clothing that combine sword & sorcery with heavy music aesthetics. Now, another one has come across my radar: Cauldron & Tower.

They provide “adventures of imagination through fashion,” and they “love classic TTRPG & heavy metal art.” Here are more details from their About page:

Cauldron & Tower seeks to not just foster the fandom of tabletop roleplaying games, but integrate it into the hobby itself. We accomplish this by not only creating from our imagination, but also putting forth the art, music, and magic that surrounds us, ensuring for a full experience.

We work with local printers, independent artists and musicians, with an eye for that little extra bit of the occult.

Among their offerings are officially licensed Skate Wizards shirts, which feature art by Michael C. Hsiung and are based on the Skate Wizards RPG co-created by Appendix LP Podcast guest Levi Nunez. These include special Southern California fire recovery shirts, in which Cauldron & Tower donate $10 with each sale to World Central Kitchen's Relief Team.