Last Updated on 12:32 PM by Giorgos Tsekas
Genre: Gothic/Doom Metal
Country: Sweden
Label: Επανακυκλοφορία μέσω The Circle Music
Release: July 1999 (first) – December 2022
One of the most iconic bands of the Gothic Metal / Gothic Rock scene is Lake of Tears, coming from Sweden in the early 1990s, when Daniel Brennare, who is still the only permanent member if memory serves me, decided together with J. Eriksson, M. Larsson and J. Oudhuis to leave Death Metal behind and chart a new path. Following “Greater Art”, “Headstones” and “A Crimson Cosmos”, Lake of Tears released their fourth full-length album entitled “Forever Autumn” in July 1999, a record brought back to our memory by the Greek label The Circle Music with its re-release on vinyl, CD and cassette formats. And it was long needed, since it is often remembered as the record that established the band’s sound and left its mark forever in the gothic chapter of music history.
In general, “Forever Autumn” explores what its title betrays: the melancholy of autumn, with its tensions, with the changes in the weather, with the day getting shorter gifting a minute per day to the night that is ready to embrace you. The record is characterized by continuous mood- and thought-provoking melodies, which are clothed in fellow vocals, placing the listener in the middle of a silent forest, where the only sounds – other than the music of Lake of Tears – are the rustling of faded leaves. Unlike their initial records, the Swedes here choose a different approach, more personal, more intimate. This is also confirmed by the choice of instruments added to their compositions, with keyboards and cello giving a more atmospheric flavor to their creation. The total of nine compositions on the album complement each other, creating a synesthetic experience that has something different to offer you in each listening session. A personal favorite is “To Blosson Blue” where the experimentation of the band is quite noticeable, with the warmth of the vocals and the blues touches immersing you even more in their “black” sea.
“Forever Autumn” is dedicated to the memory of Juha Saarinen, as the album’s title gives away. It was recorded between January and March 1999 at XTC Studios in Stockholm and produced by Ulf Wahlberg. It is considered one of Lake of Tears’ most complete and dense records and seems to have paved the way for several bands to follow along the way.