I must honestly admit I feel a bit sorry for the German gothic metallers LACRIMAS PROFUNDERE. For over a decade now, the musicians have been constantly trying to find their niche in one metal style or another. But while perpetually searching for their identity, the band keeps churning out releases that to varying degrees resemble their famous peers. If the first albums — "...And the Wings Embraced Us" (1995) and "...La Naissance d'un Reve" (1997) — were written in the style of early My Dying Bride and Anathema, and "Memorandum" (1999) and "Burning: A Wish" (2001) channeled mid-period Anathema and late Katatonia, then starting with "Fall, I Will Follow," LACRIMAS PROFUNDERE increasingly gravitated toward Finnish love metal, which understandably wasn't particularly pleasing. After the not-so-successful "Ave End" (2004), LACRIMAS PROFUNDERE released their new creation "Filthy Notes For Frozen Hearts" on Napalm Records in 2006.
The first thing that catches your eye is the beautiful and very stylishly designed cover featuring rain-soaked passersby, instantly evoking sadness and melancholy. This stands in stark contrast to the music video for the hit "Again It's Over" — a peppy rocker with a made-up Christopher on vocals — that I'd watched beforehand. So my skepticism ahead of listening to "Filthy Notes..." was entirely justified. Adding fuel to the fire was the fact that the album was produced by none other than John Fryer (HIM, Nine Inch Nails, Paradise Lost, Cradle Of Filth, Depeche Mode), which suggested the band's final descent into pop territory.
To my great relief, my fears proved unfounded. True, the sadness characteristic of Anathema or Katatonia is virtually absent, but a dose of melancholy has been preserved. The entire album is maintained at mid-tempo and is primarily geared toward live performance. The choruses and vocal melodies have become much more interesting, and some compositions even feature choral refrains. Fortunately, the only things reminiscent of HIM are the signature Finnish sound (the album was mixed at Finnvox Studios) and Fryer's involvement. If they'd just toned down that mainstream image a bit, one could consider LACRIMAS PROFUNDERE's seventh full-length their best album since "Burning: A Wish" (2001).
P.S. A separate mention goes to the excellent russian edition of the album, as in addition to the 12 compositions, the disc includes the music video for "Again It's Over" and a making-of documentary, which will undoubtedly bring a smile to any collector.