Review by Adam M on February 11, 2012.

"Lacrima Mortis" represents some incredibly good Doom Metal wrapped in a glistening package of stellar production values. The songs have an incredibly huge impact with massive riffs and wired vocals that create a brilliant atmosphere that can be likened to Paradise Lost’s classic "Gothic" album, but has a much more modern appeal. A comparison can also be made to bands like Candlemass as well.

This is very much Doom in the classic style, but is bolstered by a punishing production job and a very morose atmosphere. This downtrodden style is one of the elements that is pushed to the limit on the album and makes it such a standout Doom Metal overall. This is seen right from the excellent opening track 'We All Die Alone' which gets things off to an enormous start after a serene intro. There are plenty of great moments in many of the other songs, but none of them really stands out as much as the first one does. Regardless, the very despondent vibe carries through each song and there is an almost religious nature to the sadness that prevails throughout the cavernous riffs and lead vocals. If there is any knock against the album, it’s that it all begins to sound a bit too similar on the whole, with little deviation in the nature of each track.

However, "Lacrima Mortis" is still some of the best Doom metal I’ve heard outside of some of the greatest classics of the genre. It’s also a bright glimmering glimpse of what could be a great year for Doom Metal in general.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 8.5
Atmosphere: 9.5
Production: 9.5
Originality: 8
Overall: 9

Rating: 8.9 out of 10