Is there not a thread for this one yet? Wowza! I'm trying it for the first time and liking it MUCH more than his previous albums- the better production quality and massive introduction of Immortal influence is boosting it quite a bit for me. Hard to beat Karmazid art, too!

https://lampofmurmuur.bandcamp.com/albu ... bloodstorm

I posted it in the Worthwhile Albums thread but I agree 100%, I think this a huge step up from his previous work. Moving away from the raw black metal of his earlier albums was an inspired choice and the Immortal influence is just the cherry on top.

Just wish it didn't have the mediocre programmed drums! But yeah, think I'm gonna have to buy it!

i don’t think i’d say it’s the best lamp just yet, but it’s definitely very good. i appreciate the 00s USBM worship of the earlier material and i’d be lying if i said i didn’t miss it somewhat here. not the biggest damned in black/sons of northern darkness fan but i’d be lying if i said this didn’t rip like an mf

I already wrote a review of it earlier today. Submission and Slavery is the better album, but the Immortal-worship on here is pretty good. Also got a chance to pre-order a shirt of In Communion with the Wintermoon from Out of Season, so I'm looking forward to getting it in the mail.

I will be surprised if this album misses my top ten. Just love everything about this release.

This is fantastic! I'm only on my second listen but hot damn this rips.

Lamp Of Murmuur has been great for some time now. The raw bm sound has had a huge resurgence in the past few years and theres a lot of garbage there, but Lamp really stands heads and shoulders above the majority and is far from a one trick pony.

I was a little surprised to not see as much goth rock flavor in this one but it’ll likely end up being better than whatever the “real” Immortal puts out this year.

I'll have to listen to the rest later but so far I'm really disappointed with the change in style, I guess Immortal worship isn't too high on my want list in 2023 but to each their own.

I prefer my Lamp of Murmuur a bit muddier and murkier but I dig the late 00s Watain vibes this is giving me.

Split with Ebony Pendants have the best Lamp songs in my opinion,must listen last album yet…

Remember when this guy was a perfect stranger hope he doesn’t sell his soul to Satan…

I'm less disappointed in that change then I am the less raw vocals, the cleanliness is not a pleasant change of pace.

good

I like it. I like everything LoM has done thus far. And I also really like that this project is breaking away from the endless plethora of "wampyric" raw BM copycat clones. I'd way rather hear this guy evolve and grow over time than them re-making "Chasing The Path Of The Hidden Master" over and over again (which apparently many would prefer).

I enjoyed this album quite a bit. It's a departure from Lamp of Murmuur's go-to style of black metal, however, this shift in the project's sound only helps in my opinion. As mentioned earlier, the Immortal nods are fluid and work with the music. In particular, Karmazid's artwork really sold me on checking out this album, as his artwork always tends to grab one's attention. It seems like the man behind the project is gradually incorporating different influences, which is fun to hear. I'm certainly curious to hear what he releases next.

What the what. Yeah they were a clone, not.

Hopefully something with his better vocals back.

I wouldn't expect any reversion black to the raw BM sound, he's said in interviews that he intentionally wanted to change his sound. Most of his previous releases were inspired by an illness that he was suffering from and he wanted to make Saturnian Bloodstorm an album about overcoming it (and other obstacles) In a Decibel Magazine interview I read he mentioned he had to program the drums because he physically couldn't play them.

Can't say that's a good thing and can't imagine the couple of fans I know enjoy this direction.

I doubt he cares, in the same Decibel interview he basically said he doesn't care what people say online about his music so he's not going to change course unless he wants to.

And nothing wrong with that, never said he had to please his fans, not sure where you got that. Just saying it's not a direction I like but I'm not blaming him in the slightest.

Never said you did, just saying those fans that are unhappy are probably going to stay that way for a while.

Evolution isnt a bad thing if the music remains good…

Raw bm scene is satured and what he did with previous works was awesome so fingers crossed for that album…

If only shipping to me

Didn't say they were, but if that's all you took away from my comment then okay.

I only remember hearing one previous release and it didn't stick with me, but this one is a scorcher. The Immortal influence really helps because I can't think of anything that gets worse with more riffs.

Only real complaint is that the vocals are mixed low enough for it to have to have been an intentional choice and I'm not sure it was a wise one. Not the end of the world really but it's noticeable.

Not sure how this isn't about being a clone but sure try to say that, good luck,
endless plethora of "wampyric" raw BM copycat clones

The lower vocals is the only reason this is at all more than just another passable release from this year.

Odd take but sure. Vocals are usually the least important part of extreme metal and their lessened presence does help the riffs take center stage, but I like their inclusion because it helps add color and variation to the music. Can't say I've ever once thought "this album would be better if it was mixed poorly" though.

Like I said, it's a nitpicky personal grievance of mine but doesn't really affect what I think of the record overall. Definitely a cooker and early candidate for the AOTY ballot for me.

I like vocals low in the mix. It usually adds to the atmosphere and almost never detract from thee experience. I'm much more concerned about the fake programmed drums. Those kill the mood for me.

Lamp Vampyric black metal?

I don’t think ever with demo(maybe only aesthetically)they are a new wave of raw bm togheter with Saidan,Ebony Pendant,Klanen etc usbm that have roots in gothic and pop music.

Catching some Averse Sefira vibes off some of this riffage. Sounds great, starting my second spin through it now.

First time listener here - I mean, I use programmed drums myself and don't really have a problem with them most of the time, but what the heck is THIS? I'm all for Damned In Black/At the Heart of Winter/Between Two Worlds - style riffs and Immortal-ish atmosphere, but those drums are pretty high in the mix (lots of treble too), especially the goddamn hit-hat and these ultra-robotic fills are extremely off-putting to my ears. Can you really put that aside here? I'm trying, as the music by itself sounds good enough...

If I wasn't already used to black metal with programmed drums I might have struggled with it but after the first song or two I was able to let the killer riffs and atmosphere override them for me. It'd definitely be better with real drums but I think it works fine as is- what matters at the end of the day to me is that the album fucks, not individual quibbles. I can absolutely see why those quibbles would be deal breakers for other people though!

Full agreement with BH that the vocals are just a bit lower than they should be, but that’s the only nitpick I have. Having listened to earlier LoM, I think it’s just that he’s not the most powerful black metal vocalist in the world, but eh, it works well enough. This album to me is all about the endless blizzard-riffs. I still can’t stop listening and I finally caved and ordered the vinyl for a million dollars worth of shipping.

O my,Mutiilation have a career on programmed drums.

And New False Prophet is ever fantastic song .

Agreed.

One only needs to look at some of the reddit pages like the black metal vinyl page to see that some of the most discussed albums there are third rate low fi raw bm releases, vinyl only and in limited quantities with the same xerox black & white Transylvanian Hunger style cover, which for some reason are heavily coveted. Some one called it instagram black metal before due to the labels advertising there. No harm in that, they gotta promote their products, but the quality of the music it not there on a lot of them. Having deliberately lo-fi and / or barely audible music doesn't cover up a lack of musical talent I'm afraid.

Glad to see Lamp stepping out of that scene and proving his talent.

Yes and there are a infamous market of people who buy vinyls and reselling them at stellar price…

A shame..

90% are raw black metal vinyls

My comment was simply that LoM are separating themselves from those types of bands, not that they were one themselves. And LoM absolutely were lumped in with the raw bm clones at one point in time. Indisputable fact. If you disagree then good for you, feel free to pedantically nitpick away.

These last few days I've been listening to their previous material, and today I finally listened to this album. The truth is that I understand the fans who are disappointed with this new direction more than those who say they prefer it now because it's more accessible. Heir of Ecliptical Romanticism and especially Submission and Slavery are some of the most accessible stuff you can find in the raw scene today. And somehow the production on this album seems worse to me, everything sounds compressed. It's still a good album and I've been convinced that M. has a lot of talent for writing riffs, but also his previous work had a bit more personality and identity of its own, this is Immortal worship so blatant that it loses some of the fun.