Band:	Lacrimas Profundere
Album:	Ave End
Style:	Gothic metal, Gothic rock
Release date:	June 28, 2004
A review by:	Malcolm

01. One Hope's Evening
02. Ave End
03. To Bleed Or Not To Be
04. Sarah Lou
05. Amber Girl
06. Testified
07. Astronautumn
08. Evade
09. Wake Down
10. Black
11. Come, Solitude
12. Ever [bonus]

It happens quite often that a band change their music a bit, to evolve, but it's more rare that bands change their direction totally, from one genre to another, and it's even fewer that can keep any of their fans by doing it.
I don't know how many of the old fans that like what Lacrimas Profundere does today, but I like it? No, I Love it.

"Ave End" is the second album in the new style, from what started like a Doom band is now a serious challenger to HIM about the throne of Gothic Rock.
But even if they both play Gothic Rock, there are some major differences between the two.
I shall mention a few of them, bigger ones and smaller ones.
First of all, this isn't any cheesy ballads about lost love, it's rockers and the theme is the question about death.
Christopher isn't a playboy, ala Ville Valo.
The music is more Hardrock than HIM's, and therefore better suited for rockers.

But even if HIM is the ultimate name in Gothic Rock, there's another band that's even closer, at least vocally, The 69 Eyes, the Finnish band and Lacrimas got more similarities than Lacrimas and HIM.
So to be straight forward, the music that Lacrimas plays reminds you a lot about other bands, but even if that's a fact, it's hard not to like it, because the more you hear it, the harder it is to resist to sing a long.

As mention, Lacrimas started out as a Doom band, but after four albums, they change to Gothic Rock, or "Rock N' Sad" music as the vocalist describes it.
And I know that many, that liked their first four, was substantial disappointed when "Fall, I Will Follow" saw the light of day in 2002, and for all of you, you'll still be disappointed, because "Ave End" continues were "Fall, I Will Follow" left of, but without sounding exactly they same.
"Fall, I Will Follow" sounded darker than "Ave End" does, it might have been that they main songwriter was going through some crises or maybe that was done with purpose, I don't know, but that's what I recall after listening to both records.

But let us concentrate our last lines on the album, that's a very strong one.
There is a lot of songs that's haunting my mind after like 20 spins, (I used the whole weekend to listen to this album), but there is one that I can't get out, one real masterpiece, "Sarah Lou", that might be the best song of the year, simply fantastic.
But also songs like "One Hope's Evening", "Evade" & "Ave End" deserves to be mention.

So if you heard and liked "Fall, I Will Follow", I'm sure you'll love this one, if you can go for an album that's a little big faster and "happier" than it, of course.
But for all fans of the old Lacrimas, I'm sorry to say that it seems like that times are long gone, this is what Lacrimas will play in the future.

Check Out: "Sarah Lou" - Masterpiece. "One Hope's Evening", "Evade", "Ave End" & "To Bleed or Not to be" or the rest of the album.