Echos

Written on 06 August 2018.

2003 found Lacrimosa with a new album, the long-awaited "Echos". Usually on the covers of the band we could see the happy-sad clown (happy smile/the lie - sad eyes/the truth), but this time on the cover lies a ship, the ship of Lacrimosa amongst the angry waves of the sea, the waves that this fabulous band had to face through all these years to become the great and unique act they are. If you look carefully you'll see that the clown is still there, under the Lacrimosa flag on the back of the ship staring at the past while the ship sails to the future, a future that seems so bright and very promising.

"Echos" of the past and of tomorrow is what Tilo Wolff, Anne Nurmi and the ensemble of charismatic musicians taking part in the album have to offer. Lacrimosa show a more mature symphonic face and Tilo Wolff has progressed a lot as a composer and interpreter and thus "Echos" is a step forward through the past of "Lacrimosa". The guitar distortion is less heavy this time and though wonderful guitar solos paint the soundscape at times with beautiful melodies the guitar riffing has stopped being an important part of Lacrimosa's sound and by saying that I mean that the guitar riffing doesn't play such an important role in the sound of Lacrimosa as it did during their middle period after "Satura". As we can see, the structure of the compositions refers to the early years of Lacrimosa when their sound was based mainly on symphonic ideas but in a more complex and mature way with Lacrimosa diving deeper and deeper in the world of classical music in various ways.

"Kyrie" opens "Echos" and it is a pure classical piece with a wide variety of classical instruments taking part evoking an intense devout atmosphere leading to "Durch Nacht und Flut" that follows filling the atmosphere with beautiful-sounding guitar melodies and symphonies that float here and there in the air accompanying Tilo's descriptive voice interpreting the poetic lyrics expressing deep longing and love. The melancholic "Sacrifice" continues the album in a sad tone with Tilo's fragile voice painting the soundscape with dreary colors as the grey keyboard melodies wither all beauty paving the way for the guitars to enter and enrich the sound of the composition with their wailing melodies at times.

The album flows beautifully with the emotional "Apart" and sadness fills the air through Anne's lovely interpretation evoking an intense sense of melancholy as the symphonic ideas accompany her harmonizing wonderfully with her voice and the desperate lyrics referring to a situation when you desperately need love like never before in your life. "Ein Hauch von Menschlichkeit" follows, a composition based on the inspired symphonic ideas that float in the air like a siren's song accompanying the descriptive voice of Tilo Wolff that for one more time sounds so expressive and unerring. And you are ready to cherish "One Night In Eternity", a deeply emotional composition with the melancholic piano pieces and the bittersweet violin melodies overrunning your soul, caressing your heart with their fragile sound as Tilo's utterly descriptive voice makes the whole atmosphere more intense giving meaning to every single word he utters dancing with emotions.

"Malina" lets the album continue in a groovy way with the bass lines holding tight the song as the inspired and various symphonies along with the guitar riffing that appears at times accompany Tilo Wolff's intense interpretation sounding really impressive. The 13-minute opus "Die Schreie Sind Verstummt" leads slowly "Echos" to its end. Every sound a tear, every word Tilo utters a bleeding wound, every second that passes an eternity of pain. The melancholy-evoking piano pieces, the bleeding violin melodies, the guitar riffing and solo ideas, the emotional symphonies and Tilo's chanting almost crying at times whilst at others desperate ecstatic voice evoke a unique devout melancholic atmosphere harmonizing in perfect entwine with the poetic and esoteric lyrics making "Die Schreit Sind Verstummt" one of the most beautiful Lacrimosa compositions.

"Echos" is a classical piece of Art and inspiration. All we can do is wait the next step of the genius mind of Tilo Wolff, the Mozart of Gothic music; in the meanwhile, I will press the repeat button and let "Echos" float in the heavy air…

Written on 25.11.2004 by KwonVerge