Lacrimas Profundere
Songs For The Last View

Founded by guitarist Oliver Schmid, Lacrimas Profundere have reached their eighth album and, as has happened to many bands mainly from the European continent, not long ago they made a decision that drew both praise and criticism from music experts: the shift from the doom/death metal of the nineties to the gothic/glam of today and especially in this "Songs for the Last View". Rightly so, there were those who appreciated them when they emulated groups like My Dying Bride, Anathema, and Paradise Lost, where the slow, dirty sound accompanied by growl vocals prevailed; and others who prefer them for what they have produced in recent years. The purely Teutonic gothic metal they have employed in recent years, however, has not contributed to a growth in qualitative terms but rather has made their songs particularly similar to what was already done in their last albums by The 69 Eyes, To/Die/For, and H.I.M.

Unlike the previous album, where from the first notes of "My Velvet Little Darkness" we were transported into a gothic setting that fascinated us right away, in this case, after the brief yet encouraging "intro," we realize how much good hope they have gradually left along their declining path. Let's start with the positive aspects that have always distinguished the works of this, all in all, valid band. Rob Vitacca's voice is to be considered, without a shadow of a doubt, perfect both on the record and live, and being both warm and simultaneously clear and powerful puts the listener in a position not to find objections. Another positive feature of this album concerns the recording of the video clip from the first single they decided to release: "A Pearl". All this involved work in a clearly goth-sentimental style that was carried out in a highly professional manner both in terms of shooting and mixing. The last factor that contributed to making the listening both pleasant and simultaneously satisfying was the work of drummer Korl Fuhrmann who, through his unfailing support and his unique way of "playing" so amiably on his drums, managed to salvage the fortunes of an album "that went a bit on its own" and that was fundamentally disappointing.

When with "Filthy Notes for Frozen Hearts" we could prove that Lacrimas Profundere were still alive and still able to deliciously convey great emotions to their fans for a long time to come, they should reconsider if they had the opportunity to savor this last half misstep. What led to the degradation was the lack of ideas and the presumption of wanting to release an album with songs that already sound heard. Excluding the first three songs, the following, starting from "We Shouldn't Be Here", present some parts where the H.I.M. school can still be sensed sporadically now. It should be made clear that we are far from those cadenced and dreamlike rhythms that made their sound particularly dark and claustrophobic and that generated a kind of "pleasant discomfort" in the listener. We are far from one of their best albums ever like "Memorandum" where Lacrimas Profundere reached their compositional peak, we are particularly far from those more or less dark, but mainly sad, atmospheres that seemed to be an ideal soundtrack for some of those moments when we want to be alone with ourselves. Their first fresh and interesting proposals and their spirit of not wanting to betray the first excellent compositions have completely vanished, and if we were to analyze framing what is the overall genre that emerges from this latest work we would say that the doom influences have completely disappeared in favor of a kind of garage rock with a gothic background.

Long-time fans of this commendable band should hope that the Germans return to their origins (although I doubt it) where grayish atmospheres, gentle goth breezes, and clear weather thunderstorms prevailed during their peak compositional period.

N.B. I highly recommend it to fans of The 69 Eyes. To those passionate about true, hard, and dark gothic, this work will not be for you.