Review: Lamp of Murmuur – The Dreaming Prince in Ecstasy

Review by Jeger

Lamp of Murmuur – The Dreaming Prince in Ecstasy

Record Label: Wolves of Hades

Year: 2025

Rating: 9/10

We’re a little all over the place over here in The States… It’s been said that true Black Metal is a Satanic art. If that’s the case, then there’s not much in the way of true BM to be discovered here in the old US of A. Nachtmystium, Xasthur and Judas Iscariot are the three pioneers of the USBM movement. Since their inception, prominent bands like Wolves in the Throne Room and Abigail Williams have emerged, making a notable impact. Further down the rungs and we have burgeoning Artists/bands such as Wuldorgast and Lamp of Murmuur – both are erstwhile in their capabilities and possess a knack for writing good Black Metal, but where are the Demons!? Where’s the blasphemy and where are all the goats?

I happen to be of the mind that true Black Metal pulses from the heart and bleeds from the soul. No matter its substance, as long as it is genuine, then it is true. With that being said, I believe the USBM scene is a versatile one. One could even say that it is evolutionary, transcendent of the norm. When it comes to the creation of Black Metal in America, I can think of few other projects that are doing it as well as Olympia, Washington’s own, the above-mentioned Lamp of Murmuur – masterminded by a guy who simply calls himself M. On November 14, LOM will release its fourth LP, “The Dreaming Prince in Ecstasy”, via Wolves of Hades.

Lamp of Murmuur

It’s through enchanted nightly forests under the guidance of seduction’s blaze where we expedite now. Under Huntress Moon! And in wonder of the tale of the Dreaming Prince. A voyage into the endless, the surreal and into a place where the influence of dreams holds sway. To sacrifice is to liberate. To strip away all that confines, all that defines and to transcend this earthly prison. To achieve a state of existential gnosis is the idea here, as M proves to be a conceptual avant-garde. Musically? “The Dreaming Prince in Ecstasy” is a multi-faceted, riff-dominated work of Black Metal abundance. From the ensnaring intro, “The Fires of Seduction”, and the bold statement-making following track, “Forest of Hallucinations”, to the midway point with the instrumental interlude, “Angelic Vortex”, with its many dreamlike qualities, all the way through to the imaginative “A Brute Angel’s Sorrow” with its Watain – “They Rode On” vibes, “The Dreaming Prince in Ecstasy” is a complete, a comprehensive and a brilliant venture through and through.

What we have here is a perfect balance between keyboards and guitars, a beautifully mixed record, properly engineered in a way that all phases get the treatment they deserve. More than a valiant effort… A triumph! The trilogy of titular tracks tells an immersive tale, but they testify to M’s world-class talent. It takes patience and a certain level of class to accomplish an album such as this one. The veteran understands that less can be more and that quality should always trump quantity. M is proving to be not only an apt student of the genre, but also an innovator.

Lamp of Murmuur is one of countless underground USBM projects that are fighting for relevance within what I call an international Black Metal Renaissance. The underground is teeming, blowing the steam of effort and of sacrifice into its acrid atmosphere, all the while, as Lamp of Murmuur just makes it seem easy. Just casually strolling along – austere in gaze and confident in posture. In this, M’s fourth chapter, Lamp of Murmuur’s statement will make itself heard loud and clear; reminding us all of what true American Black Metal should sound and feel like. So, raise your banner high! Because the USBM panzer is plowing onward. Don’t sleep on it!