More than a decade after Weiland, their last studio full-length in 2002, Germany's
Empyrium return further evolved on The Turn of the Tides. Multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Ulf Theodor Schwadorf (aka Markus Stock) and vocalist/keyboardist Thomas Helm deliver a deeply emotional, intimate recording that at once reflects their now signature sound rooted in folk-metal, but expands their sonic palette exponentially. The keyboards, guitars, tom-toms, and cymbals that come to the fore in opener "Saviour" portray a melancholy so profound, everything is swallowed by it. Helm's vocals profoundly reflect loss but question its finality. The music is near gothic (à la early
Dead Can Dance), but is too wide to be defined by a single musical trope. "Dead Winter Ways" weaves his operatic vocals with Schwadorf's guttural doomy growl as stinging electric guitars, kick drums, and snares frame the interior darkness in the mix. Strings slip through its density to underscore a kind of prayer in the song's last line: "Rescue me from desolation's sight." "In the Gutter of the Spring" reflects the tender, fragile season as not yet distinct from the death grip of winter. Resurrection is almost a vain hope. When waves of electric and acoustic guitars and layered vocals enter, they deliver a shattering sense of drama illustrating the way the emerging season finally and violently asserts itself. "The Days Before the Fall" is an elegy both musically and lyrically. Hand percussion and a balalaika add a folk element to its processional quality. The lyrics recall the sweetness and beauty from the perspective of a forlorn reminiscence. "We Are Alone" is a brief, sparse ballad that recalls Helm's piano songs on Weiland. There are post-rock elements in "With the Current Into Grey," as guitars dominate after a brief pastoral intro. As the tempo and dynamic increase, they contrast with the melodic beauty in Helm's vocals. The closing title track is also the longest. Two minimal, entwined, and staggered guitar melodies and reverbed percussion illustrate the nearly liturgical choral vocals, while the mix remains minimal, illustrating the presence of hope in the song's lyrics. The music eventually gives way to the sound of waves breaking on shore, which in turn gives way to silence. The Turn of the Tides is often somber yet but it's musically enchanting and emotionally powerful. This beautifully sequenced and produced song cycle portrays nature's incessant movement, disintegration and evolution, as a metaphor for the soul's developmental stages (which is perhaps the heart of nature itself): from isolation and desolation to acceptance, disintegration, and transformation. The music here may employ rock, folk, and classical tropes, but it exists on its own plane, and is almost overwhelming in its beauty. ~ Thom Jurek