Band:	Lacrimas Profundere
Album:	The Grandiose Nowhere
Style:	Gothic metal, Gothic rock
Release date:	April 2010

01. Be Mine In Tears
02. The Letter
03. Lips
04. I Don't Care
05. Her Occasion Of Sin
06. A Plea
07. Not For Love
08. The Fear Of Being Alone
09. My Little Fear
10. Side
11. Dead Heart Serenade
12. No Matter Where You Shoot Me Down
13. All Is Suffering [digipack bonus]
14. Of Words And Rain [digipack bonus]

Well oh well, Lacrimas Profundere is one of those bands that have covered the essence of melancholy in various aspects throughout their 15 year old discography. But what is in the past remains in the past and their early doom/death releases or the later doom/gothic metal ones are no longer present, what followed was more gothic rock oriented compositions and nowadays through a more modern and, dare I say, commercial view. I will try not to fall in the trap of comparing something very different in sound, past and present, and if I do there is the album compared only to their post-2004 era, if my words reach to a comparisson point.

So, the name of their latest effort is The Grandiose Nowhere, the second album with Rob Vitacca on the vocal lines. I will have to admit that I did not see Lacrimas Profundere live just because I consider Christopher Schmid one of the most charismatic vocalists in the whole gothic metal/modern gothic rock scene, yet, despite the fact that I did not see them it does not mean that Rob has a bad voice, on the contrary, he is a gifted young man with attitude and sensation being rotated whenever he sings. And this release helps him stand his ground with Lacrimas Profundere in a better position.

Concerning the compositions now, the band stands united and strong, the production is the ideal one to promote them to the audience and despite the more commercial air there is always the complexity, through their nowadays sound of course, Lacrimas Profundere had since the dawn of their existence. Light electronics blend with gothic rock harmonies with a little heavier distortion on the guitars, whereas the rhythm section lends open its arms to hold the melodies as it should, dynamically or tenderly. The piano-driven and the more atmospheric keyboard passages add the air the songs require to become complete concerning the aura the band wants to let flow, a fragile and melodic one, caressing the vocals the way they ought to. Rob on the vocals gives his best either with his melodic or deeper lines, proving to have been a good choice for the band. Rob, nothing personal concerning Christopher, preferences, preferences.

Standout tracks should be "The Letter", "Lips", "Her Occasion of Sin", "No Matter where you shoot Me down" and "The Fear of being Alone" among other pleasant to the ear songs.

Concluding, this is an album for the later fans of Lacrimas Profundere and/or the adorers of the modern gothic rock scene of Germany, with seeds from Finland, you know who they are. A good album for what it has to offer, the rest is history.