Morpheus, the lead single from Tempus Cucumis’ EP Alptraum, is a progressive post-rock meditation through shadow, a reminder of the darkness we inhabit, a wordless omen of the future we are sleepwalking into. It would be easy to dismiss Tempus Cucumis as protagonists of pretension with their cerebral nature, but it is clear that this prodigal powerhouse speaks a language purer than the Western common tongue. They lean into the diction of history while wrestling with metaphysical fear and existentialism through cinematic consciousness that breathes, writhes, and reawakens. The gradual build towards the symphonic metal crescendo is an exhibition of their ability to give aural intensity the integrity of emotive velocity.
The raw gravity of Morpheus lies in its wordlessness; it forces the listener to reckon with its atmosphere, rather than simply absorb lyrics. Each layer feels like a cryptic utterance from a half-forgotten dream, commanding you to engage with its pulse as it rises from stillness into orchestral enormity.
Tempus Cucumis formed Alptraum as a reflection of a year steeped in restless visions. Across four movements, they shift from spectral haze to fevered dissonance to phantasmal masquerade, before closing with fragile dawn. Behind the name stands Jeroen De Brauwer on guitars, drums, and composition, and Lukas Huisman on keys and production. Together, they forged an EP that is both a shedding of darkness and a testament to resilience. Morpheus sets the tone with its ominous grandeur, summoning the subconscious and translating it into soundscapes that pull rock beyond the tangible and into something timeless.
Morpheus is now available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify.
Review by Amelia Vandergast