I’ve never considered myself a fan of Lamp of Murmuur — I actively disliked Saturnian Bloodstorm for its unsubtle At the Heart of Winter-isms that stayed almost exclusively on one side of the tasteful tribute vs. blatant ripoff debate — but given the act’s ongoing ascension within black metal I’ve continued to pay attention in the hopes there will be a release that finally hooks me. Synthesizing the black metal that characterized the previous album with the gothic undertones of Submission and Slavery and some triumphant heavy metal The Dreaming Prince in Ecstasy has not won me over, but nonetheless contains some of the best material from M. thus far.
There’s two sides to Lamp of Murmuur on this album; what works and what doesn’t, what feels like more of the same versus a bold leap into uncharted territory. Conveniently enough these diverging paths evenly split the record in two, so I’ll begin with side A and what’s lacking on The Dreaming Prince in Ecstasy. The first major hurdle to get over is the production. Yes this is black metal, but that doesn’t mean it has to sound so compacted! The first few years of Lamp of Murmuur’s existence were defined by raw, lo-fi black metal, and that is sorely missed in comparison. It seems only natural for an artist seeking out broader sounds and horizons than black and white/red Bandcamp demos to up the production value over time, yet Lamp of Murmuur still seems stuck between two worlds. The end result still sounds muggy, without either the sharp bite of raw black metal or the grandiosity attainable through a more clean sound. Add the gurgly harsh vocals to the mix and it’s not a recipe for a pleasant listening experience… yet better things are coming in terms of vocals! Dreaming Prince coming out just six months after the great Magus Lord debut is frustrating considering how well the dark, lo-fi production fit the fantasy themes of that album.
Side A is defined through three metal tracks in addition to a couple interludes. First single “Forest of Hallucinations” hits with devilish melodies, with “Hategate (The Dream-Master’s Realm)” bringing some devastating palm-muted riffs and more technical flourishes in addition to the Immortal-esque staccato notes that characterized Saturnian Bloodstorm. While not a constant presence, there’s some great synth work on both tracks that complements the primary melodies and gives the impression of a more mystical atmosphere. “Hategate” introduces some crooning post-punk cleans that don’t totally fit, but are the shape of things to come. Thus far The Dreaming Prince in Ecstasy is not great, but it’s fine. Thankfully things take a turn for the better in the second half.
The highlight of side B (and perhaps the entire Lamp of Murmuur discography) is the 20+ minute title track split into three parts; lulled into complacency by the preceding tracks, I truly didn’t know what was in store upon first listen. Right from the intro of “Part I – Moondance” there’s a vastly heightened sense of energy as a guitar lead swirls around a bombastic opening riff leading into fist-pumping heavy metal riffs that feel straight out of an 80s arena. It doesn’t even matter whether it’s black metal or not at this point, I challenge you to not shake your ass to the grooves of this track. Despite my overall opinions on Lamp of Murmuur I have to give it to M. for his soloing abilities, ever-fluid and in this instance perfectly guiding the track from bombastic heavy metal to mystical synths. “Part II – Twilight Orgasm” is the soft break that slowly builds up in rapturous fashion to a gothic, post-punk-inspired driving beat replete with more melancholic cleans that do fit the music this time.
“Part III – The Fall” brings this dark and epic saga home with an overall more symphonic black metal sound — dancing harpsichord melodies, layered clean vocals, and bombastic chords — that works so well I wish the entire album had been in this vein. It also showcases the first major improvement in harsh vocals with some eerie melodicism thrown into them, similar to what Travis Ryan has pioneered over the past 15 years. My issues with the production remain, but there’s enough of note going on here that the problems are easier to overlook. We’re not quite done following this trilogy however, as the album is at last concluded with the darkly romantic ballad “A Brute Angel’s Sorrow” featuring some guest vocals from Këkht Aräkh’s Crying Orc and someone credited as just xofrnk (I’ll let you look up who that is yourself; it’s a crossover I never would’ve expected).
It may take half of the album to get there, but the title tracks of The Dreaming Prince in Ecstasy make the journey as a whole mostly worth it. Whether or not Lamp of Murmuur is doing “authentic black metal” at this point is irrelevant; I just want him to continue in the directions these tracks hint at. An unlikely fusion of moody gothic rock/post-punk, triumphant heavy metal, and symphonically-tinged black metal has resulted in some of the best work from M. to date, and I sincerely hope this is just Lamp of Murmuur’s first steps into a bolder and more interesting future.
— Colin
The Dreaming Prince in Ecstasy will be available November 14 through Wolves of Hades. For more information on Lamp of Murmuur, check out their Instagram page.