Burning: A Wish

Germany's expansive Lacrimas Profundere have spilled forth an atmospheric, melancholic splattering of dark colors to the painted frame of metal. Staying true to their North European doom roots (à la early Theatre of Tragedy), the sextet has entered into the progressive doorways of gloom, currently transversed by the likes of Anathema, Katatonia, Entwine, and scant few others worth mentioning. Clearly, though, it is the aforementioned British dark rockers, Anathema, that Lacrimas have endeared themselves to, almost religiously, as each song is almost a reminiscent cavalcade of previous Anathema recordings. Especially prevalent are the Vincent Cavanaugh-esque vocals of Christopher Schmid, which permeate strikingly in the heart of each track, showcasing an impressive palette for such a young crooner. Whether it is the "Silent Enigma" rasps heard on "Solicitude, Silence" -- complete with the doom-laden musical craftsmanship "Silent Enigma" is notorious for -- or the desperately downtrodden Vincent Cavanaugh-meets-Aaron Stainthorpe-from-My Dying Bride tone of "A Summer's End," Anathema's influence is abundant. Add a touch of ethereal female vocals to accentuate the psychedelic doom tones, as in "2 Sec. and a Tear" or the "Eternity"-sounding, aptly titled opener "Melantroduction," and Lacrimas serve an appetizing musical dish every devotee of all things beautifully melancholic will swallow up. Sparse, shoegazer-ish Katatonia (circa "Discouraged Ones") guitars bring simplistic tracks like "Without" to lush, transcendent life. In fact, the whole album carries incredible weight with it, careful never to overindulge in musicality, sacrificing fierce showmanship for even more violent and blinding emotional pull. The guitarists provide feedback-driven, down-tuned walls of sound, as the rhythm section holds a patient, somber pace for the vocals to sound more stunningly painful. Not to be outdone is keyboardist Christian Steiner, who sneakily absorbed Paradise Lost's piano intro from "Enchantment" and crafted some fine original music for "Morning...Grey," which features a more prominent presence of female vocals -- enough to make any British doomster smile with glee. All this aside, one cannot go further without mentioning the standout track, "Adorer and Somebody." At first, the soaring chorus might seem flat or bitterly controlled, but upon initial listening, it becomes an enchanting journey through a subdued emotional explosion of loving remembrance. Christian's vocals weave together with the quiet female vocals quite erotically, as they yearn through the chorus, "and when you weep, I understand what you mean to me/I break into and for a while I die." Truly magical and subtle -- something missing from today's overt flashy metal scene. Props should go to Napalm for the impressive packaging and tasteful cover (a far cry from Napalm's recent string of notoriously nude or tasteless covers) of dark, grayish blues set against what appears to be a close-up of flowers. "Burning" is worth seeking out at all costs -- probably the finest release Napalm has put out in the past few years, and Lacrimas seem to be heading down the most fruitful of creative paths, as their future looks gloomily bright. ~ Jason Hundey