Lacrimas Profundere is a Gothic Rock band that already toured over 29 countries, sold more than 100,000 records and played not just Berlin and Moscow, but also have Tokyo and Beijing under their belt. And yet this is my first time as a reviewer and sadly I missed their gigs so far too … Hope is Here!
Be aware it’s a concept album, but hey that can’t bother you as they simply worked very hard to create a jewel! Indeed: with Hope Is Here the guys drag you out of your comfortable world, deep into a forest – to a boy named Aramis drifting through the dark trees, alone, forsaken, outcast, because he’s not like other people ....
The Worship of Counting Down is a melancholic & bluesy Gothic Metal track that burns and slowly consumes you! I feel it’s the perfect mix between two of my Gods: Anathema and Beseech! They bewitch me from the opening track on. It’s clear that they want to set another landmark and conquer more hearts. They attack you like a candy crush: it’s sweet and sticks at you once you have tasted it and for sure you want more after each bite! It’s like the perfect drug! Once they have your heart it’s impossible to escape from their great sound! They stick on you as if 1.000 little anchors have been dropped on you, they intrude you like that monster from Alien giving you something sweet and catchy instead! Rob Vitacca is simply a great singer, who knows what he does and knows what he can do! It’s clear that this bands has grown! My Halo ground sounds a bit heavier (more into metal), listen to the guitars and bass! Hope Is Here is more into accoustic guitars and has even a violin. There is a dramatic/epic feel. The sweetness makes it simply great, whilst the catchy touch just makes you love it even more. I sense that this track might survive for ages, it will stand as a never aging rock!
Aramis sounds bittersweet with again that Anathema versus Beseech dance: bluesy gothic rock with a catchy sound. Listen to the backings and the instruments: they simply aim straight at your heart! It’s a powerful track, without big bangs. The music is simply so strong, it doesn’t need any violence or any aggression.
A Million Miles goes back to the stadium heavy metal sound (in the beginning), towards the end it goes more into sweetness with that classic catchy touch of them. They sound a bit like the softer version of Soundgarden. No Man’s Land starts pretty angelic until the guitars tear it all down. The structure of this song is a bit different from the other ones, it sounds more complicated, with more details and more changes in the rhythm. Towards the end we get more of their catchy feel. It could figure on one of the The 69 Eyes albums (and that is a great achievement)! Pageant sounds like recorded in the USA, somewhere in a hot place, surrounded by lizzards and sand. The backings give it a melancholic and catchy vibe. I reckon a John Garcia touch, in a sweet version.
You My North has a slow start but grows pretty fast and becomes a sweet gothic Blues metal track, where the guitars sometimes have a 80’s retro sound. The synth and violin are giving it that extra little push to make it as a pearl! The melodramatic feel is just pure gold! This song is for sure one of my favorite tracks on the album! Awake has the right title and explodes from the start with strings and roaring guitars. It feels like the perfect track to perform live on a stage! The symphonic feel is just smoothly changing their sound a little bit.
A short interlude breaks the high tempo a bit as we hear birds singing in the background: The Path of Broken Homes. It has something scary too, for sure with these mysterious steps …
Timbre is a melancholic soft rocker: sweet and catchy with now and then a heavy metal guitar shredding our ears. It’s yet another highlight on this magical album! Black Moon is sadly already the last song, driven on an acoustic guitar and a synth/piano. The powerful and utterly melancholic vocals touch you deeply. It’s a killer track! Feel the emotions: they are real, feel the sadness and shed a tear! It all feels so true and so real. It moves me and conquers my heart. The silence in the end demands to use the repeat function over and over and over and over and over …
It’s the first time that I reviewed this band and frankly I hope it won’t be the last time! I can state that seeing them on stage will be a must do after listening to this album filled with only pure gold! There are no fillers and the fact that it’s a concept album doesn’t bother me at all (it’s simply the best concept album so far)! I have become a big fan! Melancholic music has always been my favorite style and Lacrimas Profundere can crown themselves as kings of this genre from now on! The music touched me, the vocals bewitched me, the sweetness and the catchy sound conquered me! I long for more, like a thirsty vampire!
