Lacrimas Profundere

Four records into the band’s career, Ave End finds the members of Lacrimas Profundere well settled on the doom rock path begun on their last release. Very similar to 2002’s Fall, I Will Follow in both sound and aura, this latest album reveals more confident and consistent writing — songs that flow smoothly together but stand firm on their own as well. Lacrimas Profundere’s current incarnation could be the twisted offspring of Sentenced and Billy Idol, but once you let yourself get caught up in the darkly upbeat catchiness, easy comparisons slip away. Besides its deep, deep vocals and hefty rock licks, Ave End brings together a little doom metal atmosphere and some classic keyboard sounds to balance its brooding energy with moody sensitivity. "Astronautumn” is the closest look at the band’s more extreme past, but tracks like "Amber Girl,” "Evade” and "Black” are equally compelling and nearly impossible to resist.