Lord Lovidicus is a project of Crow, one-man-band and multi instrumentalist, who i have had the pleasure of communicating with as I've followed him progressing as an artist. LL once represented the essence of Dungeon Synth, Crows vision beyond the genres restraints has allowed him to evolve the once low-fi, minimalist sound into a rich, textural construct with clean, approachable instruments, yet completely retaining the themes and style of Dungeon Synth. Across his discography you can follow the evolution, with never a dull moment I have always been engrossed in LL, and this, his 12th release under the Lord Lovidicus moniker, i have chosen to write about as possibly the most accessible album for those of you reading.
The album opens with "The Madauding Passage" and quickly we are plunged into an ancient, feudal, sometimes mystic environment, with gradual pounding drums, crashing symbols and subtle buzz saw synth. As the lead introduces itself, its quickly overpowered by a roaring horn like sound thats again accompanied by more instrumentation. In this short moment the tone is set and we are immersed in a rich, expansive and layered sound. Across the course of the song the drums and crashing symbols pound as many instruments and sounds feature. This is a theme followed across the album and Crow utilizes an assortment of sounds that build the themes and topics as he explores the melodies of his inspiration.
One of Crows biggest strengths is his avoidance of hooks. There is rarely a moment that the instrumentation is simplified or given a "catchy" vibe. At all times the music is focused, the notation is rich and exploitative. This quality has a strange effect on me personally. I find myself unable to remember a lot of the melodies, however when listening they are thoroughly enjoyable, i have a similar experience with Classical, and it makes a lot of sense when you consider how layered these songs can be, and how they are great through the unison of the instruments, rather then a focus on just one. The only criticism I have is with the production, the instruments are loud and sometimes a bit shrill, they can often collide with one another and peak some frequencies. With this said i do wonder if this works in the records favor, it adds a touch of rough around the edges which sits well with the themes this album explores. As always a fine effort from Crow.
Favorite Songs: Crystalline Fountains Of Vitality, Ghost Wind Within The Mist
Rating 5/10