Epic Levels Celebrate Dungeons & Dragons with Their “More Than Meets the Eye” Single Premiere

Despite the perils of today’s music industry, one benefit is that it opens the door for acts like Epic Levels. This Dungeons & Dragons-loving troupe of like-minded individuals today reveals their new single, “More Than Meets the Eye.” It’s off of their brand new release, The Mega Dungeon Men EP, due out April 12th. When you’re introduced to Epic Levels, you find out quickly that the band has very focused tastes, and their music is all centred around it.

2024 marks the 50th anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons, so this EP couldn’t come at a better time. It’s a celebration of the game and the lifestyle that comes with being a die-hard fan of that game. The release of The Mega Dungeon Men coincides with season two of their Mad Dungeon podcast. It’s a show where the band interviews members of the tabletop RPG community.

Discussing the development of “More Than Meets the Eye,” band member Steve Albertson aka Dragon Warrior, states:

“(Beatmaker) Inner Resting brought us this super fun ’80s cartoon beat and we thought about how we can twist this concept into the world of fantasy gaming. This song hypes up the sound of robots transmorphing against a funked-up breakbeat and commercial break synth horns. (Game designer and Dungeons & Dragons co-creator) Gary Gygax and company had created a ton of gotcha trap monsters, like the cloaker, who’s like a jacket who eats you, or the floor and ceilings in this room are alive. The idea of walking into a place and you’re just food, like if the animated furniture in Beauty and Beast was out for blood.”

Epic Levels co-MC Andrew Bellury, aka Tiger Wizard, adds:

“This song sounds like a sentient robo-boombox made sweet love to a stone-worked temple for a long forgotten horror God. We were riffing off the crap you find in RPG dungeons that isn’t really what it seems, like mimics or piles of treasure that eat you. We wanted to highlight that super annoying gaming trope in a fun, lighthearted, ‘oh well, I guess I’ll just die’ kind of way.

“I love the mental image of the adventurer kicking down a door expecting trouble only to find the hot dog seller in the second verse. It’s some real Looney Tunes style comedy all the way to the end where he gets handed an explosive wiener.

“Anytime you run into one of these ‘looks like a harmless something else’ bullshit monsters you’ve gotta fully commit. Seasoned players don’t trust the forking silverware at the tavern, but you’ll have more fun at the table if you just roll with it. Let yourself be surprised, even if you secretly suspect, and enjoy the game!”

The Mega Dungeon Men is a wallop of both intense nostalgia and comedy for geek-minded lovers of music and gaming. It’s the follow up to the band’s debut album, Armor Classy, a collection of synth-heavy party anthems and satirical Dungeons & Dragons lyrics. The Mega Dungeon Men EP is even more musically diverse, featuring out-of-this-world beats from Inner Resting, aka Mason Grant, who really influenced the direction of this record.

Within the realm of nerdcore, MC Frontalot and Mega Ran hold a special place as innovators of the subgenre. This EP was heavily influenced by them in particular. Mega Ran brought video game soundtrack beats to rap music and has helped define the musical direction of Epic Levels. With their podcast rising in notoriety and a new batch of tracks on the way soon, Epic Levels are just scratching the surface.

Epic Levels “More Than Meets the Eye” single artwork