The historic tribulations of ELDRITCH are complicated and over-stretched for a more than 20 years period, I still clearly remember having seen them playing, opening brilliantly for ANGRA on their glorious "Holy Land Tour" in 1995, their first album literally blowing me away, and their originality was tangible back then, in showing a very untraditional mix of Thrashy guitar with many layers of keyboards, asymmetric patterns and load of harmonies the whole enhanced by a powerful, organic and genuine vocals of the great Terence Holler.

The time is running fast, the path wasn't always easy for Holler and his musical partner Eugene Simone, many turmoils and a lot of change in the lineup, also in the management team / Records company, some ups and some letdown. "Tasting The Tears" is their ninth studio album and I'm happy to say that is a great return to shape, a restoration of the more classic ELDRITCH sound signature with a lot of dark mood and a particular depth in the atmospheres but with a constant melodic target enhanced by this omnipresent bubbling keys, overwhelmed by the heaviness of the guitar duet superbly incorporated in homogeneity by the new guru of the sound in Italy Mr. Simone Mularoni (also an amazing lead guitar player with DGM / EMPYRIOS) at Domination Studios in San Marino.

The more harsh shades & the Techno-Thrash influences, once displayed in the very underrated Metal Blade Record's "Reverse" (2001) are barely seen now (except in the harmonic weirdness of "Love From a Stone"), as I said before,  the style is more Prog Metal focused on the melodic side with a clear keyboards driven prominence, and maybe a little more experimental flavor ("Don't Listen"), Holler's vocals are as unique as ever.

The track listing is clever in its construction, flowing perfectly with mastery from ultra-heavy chromatic riffage ("Inside You" / "Clouds" / "Something Strong") to a more controlled pace ("The Trade" / "Iris") with some more commercial stints and delicate touch, like the fine "Alone Again" or the majestic "Waiting For Something" and also enhanced in the tangled fills in the six minutes long title track or the catchy "Seeds Of Love" with some additional elements, more melancholic and an introspective feeling demonstration with a few splendid piano parts .

But before the CD draws to the end, another piece of choice is waiting with an unexpected cover of the "Rage For Order" classic tune "I Will Remember" originally created by QUEENSRYCHE, this rendition is courageous and refer more to the version once heard in the MTV unplugged session than the regular album version, not an easy task and finally it's a smart move and the best way to close this terrific records.