GREATER ART

This is the debut album from the Swedish combo Lake Of Tears. A band that never got any commercial break. A band and an album I forgot until I rediscovered it again after gathering dust since I bought it back in the 1990s.

Lake Of Tears went down the doom metal path on this album. References is Candlemass, Pentagram,Solitude Aeturnus, Cathedral, Anathema + countless other male vocals doom metal bands. The music also have some Celtic Frost influences. The music is guitar based with some additional keyboards. The tempo is sludgy and sirupy. In other words, doomy.

Doomy also means lack of dynamics and variations. In the case of this album, lack of any real good melodies too. The vocals is pretty tiresome. The guitars and bass is pretty basic. So is the drums. With the benefit of seventeen years since the release of this album, I get the feeling of having heard this music before. The title track is very good. But the rest of the songs are pretty dire. Hence I am not that in awe of this album. Sorry.

2 stars

Don't be fooled by the heavy riffs and scratchy semi-throaty vocals. The Lake of Tears of "Greater Art" are the same ones that would later bring excellent retro-gothic albums like "A Crimson Cosmos" and the masterpiece "Forever Autumn".

What happens is that here the influence of Celtic Frost and Black Sabbath is still very long, and the true personality of the band was yet to emerge. A somewhat raw production, too ethereal lyrics and a similar structure in almost all the songs do not help too much either.

In any case, if you enjoy doom-gothic metal with progressive and seventies touches, you can give this "Greater Art" a try, although without a doubt the best of the group was yet to come.

Best Tracks: Under the Crescent (a very powerful riff and a trademark chorus) and Upon The Highest Mountain (fine keyboars arrangements)

My Rating: ***