Lacrimas Profundere - Hope Is Here (2016) (eng)

“Massive conscious effort with a single goal: achieving elegance”

Review written by Butch

It is well worth praise that a band that no long ago could have been considered “just another doom gothic band” has evolved into a shiny, powerful, well-oiled vehicle transporting gracefully the best metal they can produce. And that is just what this new release has achieved. Immediately you will feel this band from Munich has performed a tremendous leap forward in quality, and the word EVOLUTION will cross your mind. . But what you are enjoying is not exactly that. It could be described as simple IMPROVEMENT IN EVERY AREA. Because what LACRIMAS PROFUNDERE pulls off is simply to IMPROVE IN EVERY SINGLE AREA, RANGING FROM COMPOSITIONS, PRODUCTION AND SHEER QUALITY, AND ACHIEVING AN SPECTACULAR RESULT PRODUCT THAT SHOULD TAKE THEM UP IN THE METAL CHARTS EFFORTLESSLY.

Following the paths of DARK TRANQUILITY or LACUNA COIL these fine metal gentlemen return, this time with the homework done. As they themselves state, they have not just rested on the laurels, but keep getting better. Having toured intensively over 20 countries, sold over 100.000 records worldwide, and having some songs used in national German TV ( Nightshift – ZDF), and they could have, just by examining these data. Actually many a band do…But they decided to go and create a CONCEPTUAL RECORD, a cool thing 20 or 30 years ago, with a metal peak with QUEENSRYCHE´s OPERATION : MINDCRIME, worshipped by many metalheads, or rock with the possibly best album ever, THE WALL, delivered by Gilmour, Waters and Co. And the 3 year effort can now be in your hands, or music device. It is HOPE IS HERE.

And you will enjoy it, needless to say. Because this is candy for your ears. You notice a conscious, programmed effort to better themselves as musicians and composers. Writing about a record is needless to say a subjective feat. ( Like it or not, bands need to accept the outcome , BECAUSE NO ONE HAS A DOCTORATE OR A MA IN METAL RECORDS WRITING & REVIEWING, AND EVEN WORKING FOR THE MAJOR MAGAZINES WILL NOT HELP OFFER A BETTER REVIEW. ACCEPTANCE OF THE SINGULARITY AND SACREDNESS OF AN OPINION IS PRIME). Many times we take the time to justify ourselves not liking the album, when reality tells you that just after 3 to 10 times listening to a CD you already “know”. With HOPE IS HERE it happens after just 3 minutes. You see THIS IS POSSIBLY THE BEST RECORD LACRIMAS PROFUNDERE HAS ISSUED, OR WILL ISSUE. A singular mix of gothic ethos, melancholy, and metal introduce a dichotomy between rage and sadness and hope. A delicacy for tormented souls looking for a peaceful way out.

Up and running since 2004, Lacrimas Profundere seemed destined to be included in a lot with the likes of LACRIMOSA or THEATER OF TRAGEDY, bordering without danger the frontiers of doom and slow goth, and they were doing well. You could see with Filthy Notes For Frozen Hearts (2006) they were established, but NEVER FELT THEY WOULD BREAK BIG. Rob Vitacca in and things seemed to change, by 2008. At least the goals of the band changed. More refined sounds in Songs For The Last View (2008), a record that saw them achieve success national level in Germany. Extensive touring came since, and with Antiadore in 2013 a first word tour, headlining Wacken Roadshow 2014.

This is 2016, and through new label SPV, we receive this 3 year effort in the shape of a conceptual album, following the out and about of a special kid, named ARAMIS. According to Nikolas, founding member, “it has been a huge effort, and they sought to hit the listener with every single note and chord, inescapable. We feel we have reached the next level”.

Search like possessed for this album if you enjoy bands who try to reach excellence and finally make it. Look for it if you are into slow metal, aged matured, though of, full of feelings and atmospheres. Find it if you loved the evolution DARK TRANQUILITY came up with, or if you enjoy NIGHTWISH or LACUNA COIL, or the styles of DOOM or GOTHIC METAL. Once you are one of the chosen ones, you will be pleasantly surprised with high octane hard rock, metal and not a lot of dirt or hostile environments. Because this record will take this band way higher for sure, simply because it holds one and just one goal; REACHING ELEGANCE IN SONGS TAILORED TO SHINE. Each and every one of them is better that anything they have done before, that is why I do not see it important to explain in detail every song here, although I can easily recommend the intro to THE WORSHIP OF COUNTING DOWN so that you will understand what you are up to in terms of quality. This is 24 carat metal, as told from a sadness and hope struggle. I will also recommend MY HALO GROUND, a record peak, where the guitars show sheer power, pure power and expand a catchy song. Not recommending HOPE IS HERE, too structured and cadentious, still a good song in itself. I hope you listen to A MILLION MILES and see how KORN has influenced hundreds of bands, even though this is not a Korn song at all. PAGEANT and NO MAN´S LAND (wow this one…) will take you higher as they are awesome tracks. The elegance of a great metal song, the piano behind, the atmosphere of a tornado attracting everything into itself just to crush it. But this is my opinion, so please just listen to all of it, simply because it CONVEYS POWER AND SELF CONFIDENCE (As in AWAKE, such a riff master song) in a polished and well-oiled product full of melodies and great riffs. On a personal note, I salute LACRIMAS PROFUNDERE with awe. They have pulled it off.