Black metal’s rise from dungeon aesthetics and low-fi sonic attacks has been a thorn in the side of some who feel that this style of music should be as ugly and unpresentable as possible. There’s a definite allure to black metal that stays in that very rigid lane, but over time, bands figured out they could be just as deadly and affective with more ambition.
That brings us to Lamp of Murmuur, helmed by sole creator M, that started off going for the grislier, sootier pathways, but as time went on, his scale grew in scope. The project’s new and fourth full-length “The Dreaming Prince in Ecstasy” continues on a similar pathway as 2023’s “Saturnian Bloodstorm,” that went for bigger sounds, cleaner production, and an approach that froze your bones in the flesh. “Dreaming Prince” doesn’t really sound like that record, but it continues the project’s shift upward. The sound remains grounded in black metal but also bathes in gothier waters and even more drama, the title track trilogy of tracks toward the end of the record hammering that home. There is no compromise in sound, no barriers M won’t leap, and, as a result, it’s a more exciting world that’s seductive and bloody.
“The Fires of Seduction” is an intro befitting a great drama, the opening credits score, built on magical synth and immersive melodies, sweeping into “Forest of Hallucinations” that opens with guitars that begin filling in the colors. Then the pace ravages, keys raining down, zany riffs confusing and fueling, howls crumbling as fantastical elements explode. The pace gets speedier and catchier, storming as the keys shimmer, howls wrench, and jolts of electricity power dreams. “Hategate (The Dream-Master’s Realm)” blisters, trudging with gurgling howls and a trampling tempo, spiraling into psychosis. The playing gets more ferocious as a flutter of keys spits ice daggers, clean singing washes over, and ashen guitars fall into madness. “Reincarnation of a Witch” has riffs enveloping as the playing feels thrashy, beastly howls ripple, and a massive chorus stomps. “Fallen, come back to me!” M wails as the leads grow warmer, melting ice into streams, the guitars stabbing with a fiery attack that merges into instrumental “Angelic Vortex.” Synth clouds emerge as the guitars liquify, the gaze thickening and morphing, glowing as it fades into the darkness.
“The Dreaming Prince in Ecstasy Part I – Moondance” has a massive open, keys bubbling as the playing is melodic and weird, howls lashing out as a gothy dash darkens. Clean singing bellows as the guitars catch fire, growing stronger and more adventurous, growls gurling on the tail end of a loopy pace. Synth storms as the theatrical notes pummel, lashing into “The Dreaming Prince in Ecstasy Part II – Twilight Orgasm” that drips as the melodies glaze. Guitars pick up as the tempo pulses, deep, clean singing reaching into the guts for power, cold and steely guitars feeling like exposed steel on flesh. The playing sweeps, leaving minds dangling as everything spills into “The Dreaming Prince in Ecstasy Part III – The Fall” that swims in fluid guitars and snarling growls. Tornadic forces emerge, spirited howls sending chills, playful keys dancing over pits of lava, the singing bellowing as the drums march in step. Sweltering chaos returns as the soloing bursts and dominates, fire-breathing spirits engulfing with colorful energies, everything coming to a scorching end. Closer “A Brute Angel’s Sorrow” is rustic and mournful, acoustics and synth wrapping around the clean singing, shadows growing more foreboding. The vocals continue to power as hazy, blurring notes fall, drowning out tormented visions.
Lamp of Murmuur’s transformation from raw, wintry suffocation to melodic dramatics and towering metallic expression has been pretty breathtaking, and M’s work on “The Dreaming Prince in Ecstasy” is a high point for this project. This is ambitious stuff, music that feels cinematic even as the blood is rising knee high, and while it may leave some people behind in the dank basements, it’s clear the focus of this band is to create grandiose music with liberating ideas. This is a massive step forward for a band that already started making big strides last album, and who’s to say how far M will push the limit on future creations and what chaos he will unleash into the world?
For more on the band, go here: https://lampofmurmuur.bandcamp.com/
To buy the album, go here: https://www.wolvesofhades.com/collections/vinyl-wolves-of-hades-vinyl
For more on the label, go here: https://www.wolvesofhades.com/
Meat Mead Metal 