Flowing Tears - Serpentine (2002)

Flowing Tears - Serpentine

Flowing Tears is one of a few original Gothic Metal bands wandering the Metal scene today. They're unique take on chord progression and structure coupled with their singers’ very different voice and their usages of samples makes for one melodically bombastic album.

The production is more on par with a debut or a good demo, but its far from bad. The guitars are an interesting mix of Doom and Goth blending an assortment effects and rhythms into an original yet easily digestible soup. There are no solos but the leads are haunting. There are parts of the music that remind one of mid period 'Novembers Doom' and 'Anathema'. Surprisingly however, this band isn't Doom in any way. The songs are about even in their muted to open chord passages.

The bass does some interesting things here and there but mostly follows the guitars. The Drums on the other hand are very well excited and tight. The rhythms they put out are very classy and heavily rooted in old school Doomdeath.

The keyboards and samples (done by the guitarist) are mostly used for subtle effects and moods. They are never dominate but always present. The vocals are unique, not because they are done by a female, but rather that they are deep and somewhat bass heavy. This is in stark contrast to the legions of Christina and Tarja clones flooding the scene today. While not the best singer, she works well with the songs as a whole.

Over all the songs are a mixture of beauty, silliness and sorrow. The lyrics are kind of strange and the singers grip on English is shaky at best, but this is very different and very good music. There is a energetic vibe that is overlapped by thick layers of regret and teen angst and introspective doubt.

This is something that everyone can get into as they sound like no other. Granted that the middle of the album isn't as interesting as the beginning; there is a lot going on in this fairly simplistic yet very rocking music.

copas from http://www.metal-archives.com/reviews/Flowing_Tears/Serpentine/10224/

Tracklist:
1 Intro     1:14   
2 Starfish Ride (For A Million Dollar Handshake)     4:20   
3 Serpentine     3:51   
4 Children Of The Sun     4:01   
5 The Marching Sane     3:16   
6 Breach     5:24   
7 Portsall (Departure Song)     3:12   
8 Justine     3:40   
9 The Carnage People     3:01   
10 Merlin     3:23   
11 Cupid Of The Carrion Kind     3:33   
12 For Tonight     3:51

TKP

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