(Napalm Records)
Huge turnaround for Lacrimas Profundere, who with 2004’s Ave End hit the snoozer trifecta with a glum, rainy take on what Bauhaus might sound like if they were trying to get their most un-hooky things a little respect in today’s billions-and-billions-served market. Their targeting of the gothie brigade has been recalibrated with loud guitar, hot-chick background vocals and a little animation, the vocals sufficiently Sisters of Mercy-like but retaining their Eurotrash aura. It’s rather amazing that the band were able to shake more money out of Napalm after such Ave End’s dreadfulness, but it’s been well used on a new and improved post-grunge wall of sound that recalls Stone Temple Pilots, or more accurately German industrialistas Megaherz, leaving the only remaining recommended improvement a willingness to stretch the vocals out of their dishwasher-safe vampire-chatroom routine.
