Damn it! Rarely it happens to encounter such deep relations among the monicker of the artist, the title of the album and the relative frontcover. In many cases, but for the brutal and gothic releases, there’s nothing to tie these components (like in the case of “Lonesome Crow” of the very early Scorpions). Take these Tears. What do you want tears to do? They’re destined to an inexorable fall. Aren’t they? But the drops of this band, led by Matagos Yannis authors of all the sounds and lyrics, remark the effect the listening of “Falling Certainty” could excite in the earth of the pure-spirited…Starting from a rather approximate production, especially as far as the drums are concerned, Tears have cooked much meat on fire. Of the six songs in there, two are not over the minute of entertainment; the first part of “Self Destruction” is just a litany where the agony mixes its tentacles with trust, while “A Beginning after Each End” almost wants to confirm my impression, exploiting a fresh arpeggio that seems coming from the cellar of an old castle! The four remaining pieces, the bone structure of the mini album, blows into the sails of a balanced mixture which unites many present realities under a shining flag: Arcturus of “Aspera Hiems Symphonia” and “La Masquerade Infernale”; some edges with Ulver of “Kveldsjanger”; and again different lines from the german power metal. Unfortunately the production damages the good intentions of Tears! “Time Master” embraces the decadence put as flag of the band, the same which shines through the very early piano beats of “Things Imaginary”, but follows on this line until a certain point. Indeed, after the orchestral samples (a good keyboard offers many solutions, unfortunately is often forgotten in metal), it breaks out a proud rhythmical section with very epic and very old fashioned features, well extremized by the harsh singing of their leader. The focus of the whole work is represented by the two self destructive movements. To listen to such an album as a whole could induce to smile, but that’s why I suggest to taste every song in little bites, maybe alternating it with some very faraway musical riff. Just this way you can appreciate the wide dreamy and instrumental excursus of Tears. Trust me, and be carried by sudden tempo changes, majestic choirs, long suffering sad prayers, tribal inserts which throw you into the belly of a dark unreachable world…Meanwhile, I’m awaiting for their next full length, from which I’m expecting a more appreciable recording. They don’t’ lack any potential!

Filippo Pagani