lukretion German band Lacrimas Profundere have been around since the early 1990s with their melodic brand of doom/death metal. Released in 2001, Burning: A Wish is their fourth full-length album and was recorded by a somewhat revised line-up compared to their previous record Memorandum. The whole rhythm section was replaced on the 2001 album, where new members Willi Wurm and Rico Galvagno play drums and bass, respectively. The new record also sees the departure of violinist/singer Anja Hötzendorfer who had been with the band since the first album and had contributed to shape their sound with the alternation of male and female vocals. An uncredited female singer does appear also on Burning: A Wish (“Melantroduction”; “Morning … Grey”), but the baritone voice and occasional growls of Christopher Schmid dominate the proceedings here.

Burning: A Wish is firmly rooted in the melodic doom/death tradition of bands like Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride and especially Anathema. In fact, the Liverpudlians circa The Silent Enigma / Eternity may provide the most suitable comparison with Lacrimas Profundere’s 2001 album. Like those albums, Burning: A Wish is caught midway in the evolution from classic doom/death metal to gothic metal/rock. The tempos are faster than on a typical doom album and there is a stronger emphasis on catchy melodies, both on the part of the instruments (piano, guitars) and the vocals. There are also traces of dreamy, Pink Floyd-infused rock (atmospheric e-bowed guitars, gently plucked acoustic guitars, languid piano arpeggios), though not so prominent as on Anathema’s Eternity. Christopher Schmid’s deep voice draws parallels with Darren White’s and Vincent Cavanagh’s when the latter had just started his singing career. Oliver Schmid’s guitar riffs, arpeggios and melodic leads are also reminiscent of Danny Cavanagh’s, and in some cases the similarities are striking (“Solicitude, Silence”).

Although Burning: A Wish may not get many points for originality, it does make for a captivating listen thanks to its gloomy, rainy-day atmosphere and a nice overall sound, warm and well-rounded. The songwriting is smooth and dynamic and the arrangements are classy. There isn’t an awful lot of variation across the album’s 9 tracks – they all capture the same mood and follow similar melodic ideas and structures. Yet this isn’t too bothersome as the music flows smoothly, if without too many highlights. The acoustic, female-sung piece “Morning... Grey” grabs attention in this respect, as it nicely marks a change in pace and style

If you are looking for a slick, well-produced, and highly melodic slab of doom/gothic metal, you should look no further: this album will provide all the gloomy goodness you’re after. This LP may not stretch any musical boundaries, but it is effective, enjoyable and very cohesive, unlike some of the albums it draws inspiration from (Anathema’s The Silent Enigma, for example).