 It´s 2007 now – and you will feel like listening to a tale of a long-lost old friend when your ears will get their first impression of the new Lake Of Tears Album Moons And Mushrooms. It's full of everything you dearly love about this band – from outstanding melodies to heavy riffing, psychodelic athmosphear and a great portion of melancholical depression.
But at first some history: When Lake Of Tears brought out their debut album, Greater Art, in 1994, there was no indication of the band’s true potential. If their first release came across somewhat bumpy – the songs still lacking that final polish –, the band from Sweden got their finger out only one year later with their second recording, Headstones (1995). The press honoured the disc with glowing reviews, and A Crimson Cosmos brought them their big breakthrough in 1997, the material reflecting a broad musical range, paving the way for Lake Of Tears to secure themselves a prominent position on the scene. This was consolidated by a tour with Therion.
The subsequent album release, Forever Autumn (1999), by the trio consisting of band leader Daniel Brennare, bassist Mikael Larsson and drummer Johan Oudhuis reinforced by varying guitarists), however, did not live up to its predecessor’s success. The Scandinavians realised that they had more to offer but semed unable to figure out just how to tap their sources at that time, and so the group broke up shortly after the arrival of their fourth album. To honour their contract with Black Mark, they had to record another CD, entitled The Neonai and released in 2002, Brennare cutting the final stroke all by himself. What had originally been planned as an act of liberation from a stalemate position proved that the band still had plenty of good ideas, which they didn’t want to use for this hasty effort. It seemed difficult to believe that so much potential was about to vanish to the small Swedish town of Borås. Luckily, fate still had a lot in store for Lake Of Tears, after all the fire still burned in band leader Daniel Brennare and his two long-standing pals, Mikael Larsson (bass) and Johan Oudhuis (drums).
After a joint rehearsal session in summer 2003, originally intended to kill the boredom, Lake Of Tears got together again. The chemistry between the musicians was as vibrant as ever, and once the rust had been shaken off, they set about working on ideas for new tracks. In 2004 Lake Of Tears delivered an impressive comeback in Black Brick Road. Their rediscovered joy of playing was evident in every track, Black Brick Road put a Rock'n'Roll edge to the psychedelic sounds in their guitar driven heavy music, not missing the essential vibe of darkness and depression.
After another 3 years, several festival appereances like Wacken, With Full Force, Tuska or Sweden Rock just to name a few, they finally have the feeling the time is right for a new album: For Moons And Mushrooms stand-in guitar player Magnus Sahlgren, finally joined in as a full band member and recorded the album together with Brennare, Larsson and Oudhuis at Studiomega, where they again worked with studio owner Christian Silver as producer.
As mentioned above Moons And Mushrooms is full of everything you love about Lake Of Tears, topped by the unique voice of Daniel Brennare, who gives the depressive lyrics the power to go directly under one’s skin. And again you’ll find as well some Rock'n'Roll influences as discovered on their predecessor. Eagerly awaited it is full of suspense from the beginning to the end, with a few slight surprises
Lineup Daniel Brennare - vocals, guitar Mikael Larsson - bass Johan Oudhuis - drums Magnus Sahlgren - guitar
Discography 2007 Moons and Mushrooms (Dockyard 1) 2004 Black Brick Road (Noise Records) 2002 The Neonai (Black Mark) 2002 Sorcerers (Black Mark) 1999 Forever Autumn (Black Mark) 1997 A Crimson Cosmos (Black Mark) 1997 Lady Rosenred (Black Mark) 1995 Headstones (Black Mark) 1994 Greater Art (Black mark) www.lakeoftears.net |