Band:	Lake Of Tears
Album:	Illwill
Style:	Doom metal
Release date:	April 29, 2011
A review by:	KwonVerge

01. Floating In Darkness
02. Illwill
03. The Hating
04. U.N.S.A.N.E.
05. House Of The Setting Sun
06. Behind The Green Door
07. Parasites
08. Out Of Control
09. Taste Of Hell
10. Midnight Madness
11. As Daylight Yields [live] [Limited Digipak bonus]
12. Demon You / Lily Anne [live] [Limited Digipak bonus]
13. Crazyman [live] [Limited Digipak bonus]

What happened when renowned bands of the gothic metal scene stopped experimenting? Hark! They made their sound rougher (again), more metal (again) and revived their most glorious period, becoming successful phantoms of themselves. Tiamat, Paradise Lost and Moonspell have to be the brightest examples. The same thing happened with Lake Of Tears, but to a different extent. This means that they made their sound rougher and present an ill-natured form of gothic metal, named Illwill. This new attempt is their strongest release to date in terms of heaviness and a very brave decision at the same time, with the key lying in the fact that they are still experimenting.

Lake Of Tears didn't want to repeat their very own Clouds/Wildhoney (Tiamat) named Greater Art. They didn't need to go back to the Headstones era. A Crimson Cosmos was just fine the way it was. Forever Autumn's fragile aura could not be surpassed. Repeating The Neonai's psychedelic air would be too much and coming back with another safe-sounding, but still very good, gothic metal work such as Black Brick Road or Moons and Mushrooms would tire. What they're trying to accomplish with Illwill is forge their very own Vision Thing (Sisters Of Mercy); and why is that? Cause the album rocks the hard way and the band doesn't forget to print their personal sound signature to the compositions, despite the many influences or references that appear here and there. It still relates to gothic metal, but through a rocking attitude with quite enough solos.

It's been done before and some Endorama references (Kreator) couldn't be missing, especially when the sound comes to a "violent" climax. The album opens with "Floating In Darkness" and grabs the listener from the face with its upbeat character and groovy air, leaving you wondering of what to expect. Well, expect the unexpected! The signal was given in the most appropriate way and nothing's going to be the same again. This time misery's not chasing you, it is you who's after her! The title track sounds like a mix of Endorama and a more serious aspect of Peter Tagtgren's Pain without the electronics; and then a Slayer-esque riff comes into play, what the hell? "The Hating" is what the title says, but where is Tom Araya?! And what the hell are W.A.S.P. doing in here? Are the dots a coincidence or "U.N.S.A.N.E." was a gift from Blackie Lawless? Of course something familiar couldn't be missing and "House Of The Setting Sun" is a trademark Lake Of Tears song coming your way oh dear nostalgic, mid-era fan. But then again, what do Billy Idol and Tiamat have to share with Lake Of Tears while they are winking at Sisters Of Mercy? The verse "lipstick on my cigarette" says it all and so does "Behind The Green Door". And what's the outcome if Iron Maiden and Motörhead were to sleep together? "Parasites"! The band is definitely "Out Of Control", a "Taste Of Hell" is unavoidable while you're rolling down the stairs, but wait, "Midnight Madness" leads the album to an end none would ever guess, not even Lake Of Tears themselves. A black metal assault with their most aggressive vocals to date in their most extreme composition so far closes the curtain of a surreal release.

So what does Illwill stand for? Is it a demented genius' work or a release to please Lake Of Tears themselves? Yearning for a drastic change without setting aside your personality or just whatever? A bit of everything but whatever I'd say, Illwill is a solid and decent work for what it is, for sure it will sound obscure to many ears, but give it a chance and a few spins, it's a love it or hate it work somehow and who knows, only time shall tell and I'm not "Dr. Feelgood".