INFERNO

Without being a masterpiece of progressive music, this album is one of the best in symphonic gothic metal. One of the best (if not the best) recordings of Tilo, you´ll enjoy it, if you survive the sorrow. Very sad and deep, but really fantastic music!

'Inferno' was a great surprise for Lacrimosa fans, and for myself, as well. It introduced many more elements into Lacrimosa's music. First, there's a new band member. Anne Nurmi joined Tilo Wolff and does female vocals and keyboards. Second, theres an orchestra. Thirdly, there's now an actual drummer. 'Inferno' is definitely not as personal or dark as the first three albums. There is a heavy emphasis on electric guitars, with the orchestra mainly taking the back. Tilo's voice is probably the best it ever was on this record, deep, operatic and mournful. Anne is a wonderful addition to the band, adding female vocals to a number of tracks and even writing one song. (No Blind Eyes Can See). There are even some hints of prog-rock on some tracks, if you look hard enough. The guitars are mostly atmospheric, but there are a few solos visible on a few tracks. The one thing that disappointed me about this album was the lack of piano, which is only noticeable on "Vermachtnis Der Sonne". Also, the song 'Copycat' feels incredibly out of place with the rest of the album, because it is mainly an all-out rocker. It feels a little outjoint with the lush symphonic arrangements of the other tracks. I highly recommend 'Inferno' because it is an album of incredible beauty and depth, which will please many fans of many different genres.

One of the best symphonic gothic metal albums ever

With Inferno, Lacrimosa reches a new level in their music, adding more symphonic arrangements on their goth-metal music then on previouses albums and featuring a new member - Anne Nurmi who does female vocals and keyboards, and remains a constant and important member in Lacrimosa since . To me this is the best Lacrimosa album, with some of the best pieces i ever heard from a band from this genre, Kabinett der Sinne and Schakal. This two tracks are absolutely mindblowing, stunning from capo al fine. Very heavy, lenghty, both are over 10 minutes each, creating an atmosphere hard to beat by many bands. Dark, emotional, symphonic, with metal elements, all is here, and on the highest level. The rest of the tracks are ok specially the last one Der Kelch des Lebens is the best after two mentioned above. So if don't have this Lacrimosa, try it you will not be deseppointed, for sure. 4 stars without hesitation, Lacrimosa's music is very strong, dark, doomy and for sure pleases both categories of listners, the metal ones, and the symphonic one in the same time. Great album. And by the way, the front covers, art works on each album is made only in black and white to give to the viewer and to the lister exactly what is going one on the albums.

How low has the mighty fallen.

Of the bands I loved fifteen years ago, Lacrimosa is probably the band which has fallen most in my estimations. My love for this band was mostly based on this album, their fourth album. Back in the 1990s, I loved this album. But that was well before I got into Symphonic Prog, Jazz, Canterbury, RIO and Zeuhl. Those are in my view far more interesting music than the dishes Lacrimosa serves up. With my newfound wisdom, Inferno now comes up as a pretty bland album.

The music is pretty much Goth Metal with a droning male vocals and some sort of melodic female vocals. The music is medium fast with some heavy metal guitars over some pseudo- classical music pieces. This is what the teenybopper Goth scene likes. Those middle class kids with black lipsticks and "I am suffering" stares in their eyes. The less said, the better. Inferno and the other Lacrimosa albums is their soundtracks. I feel I have grown out of that kind of music.

When that is said, the music here is not bad. Schakal and Kabinett der Sinne is excellent songs. There is no real bad tracks here too so this album is the peak of Lacrimosa's musical outputs. But I still get bored by this album and it drives me to sleep. But just to be fair and fairly balanced in my views, this is a good three pointers. Maybe I should shun the Goth Metal scene and the suffering middle class teenybopper scene from now on. It just raises my blood pressure to the point of creating a fountain of red fluids.

3 stars