After the release of their last album, Saturnian Bloodstorm, Lamp Of Murmuur proved that the one man behind the project has honed his skills, creating entertaining, blistering wintery riff fests. Yet, the greatest criticism directed at the band was its shameless mimicry of Norwegian legends Immortal, from the riff composition to the vocal style. And while there are worse fates than sounding like one of the best black metal bands ever, most metal fans wish to hear flavors of originality from new bands.
Already with the cover art of their newest album, The Dreaming Prince In Ecstasy, the bright, warm-colored painting gives the impression—and the hope—that Lamp Of Murmuur have greatly evolved. To be fair, after the elegant intro melodies of “The Fires Of Seduction”, the first couple of tracks blast forward in a style still quite reminiscent of Immortal. But, as the album continues, one is introduced to surprisingly new elements such as on “Hategate”, which ends with a mix of panpipes and melodic, clean vocals.
The true shift in style is marked by the enchanting interlude, fittingly called “Angelic Vortex”, which bisects the album, transitioning to an ambitious three-part title track. “Part I - Moondance” kicks off with charging, triumphant melodies, while “Part II - Twilight Orgasm” presents a psychedelic atmosphere with clean vocals singing in a mellow, dreamy haze and progressive guitar playing that sometimes even sounds reminiscent of Pink Floyd. Lamp Of Murmuur’s music culminates in “Part III - The Fall”, which ends with a chanting chorus and an overlapping mix of harpsichord synth, bass, and tremolo-picked electric guitar playing.
The final track, “A Brute Angel’s Sorrow”, feels more like a bonus song, as it diverges even further from their usual sound. Accompanied by guest musicians, the album ends in a warm, upbeat ambience with acoustic guitar strumming, sonorous clean singing and sweet synth melodies.
In conclusion, The Dreaming Prince In Ecstasy sees Lamp Of Murmuur finally breaking free from their Immortal shackles, exploring progressive and psychedelic musicianship to complement their trademark groovy riffs. Presenting an atmospheric journey full of synth melodies and clean singing, the second half of this album shows that Lamp Of Murmuur have the potential to create their own unique path in the wide world of black metal.
