The Italian Metal scene is totaly overcrowded by an extensive number of talented bands and some extraordinary gifted musicians. The result is extremely valuable and very interesting for the curious minds and the golden ears of the Metal Experts!

But of course the usual problem with such a burgeoning blast of bands, is the lack of consistency, the originality a little diluted behind the well known names and the expected emblazoned styles, if you go deeper into stirring, unluckily deep in the Underground the mediocrity is the norm...Even if this kind of uniformity isn't a real concern as long as the music is good, loud and played with integrity! A good symbol of this state of fact is pictured with IN MEMORY: hailing from Tuscany...

Once founded by brothers Rudj (now currently second guitarist of ELDRITCH) and drummer Darius Ginanneschi in 2001, later completed on Bass by Emily Rose and vocalist Laura Scappini, IN MEMORY remaining active for fifteen years, releasing within this period two albums "Intoxicating Mind" in 2003 and 2007's "Glyptic" with no much success or recognition nor glory!

Then the band split up at first in 2007 and returns to the stage after five years off, with a new singer, Christiana Musella and proudly shares her new powerful voice. In autumn 2015, exits "Lakrima", published by the Greek Sleaszy Records produced by Eugene Simone of ELDRITCH's fame, and consists of twelve tracks of Symphonic/Power/Prog, with the regular, numerous and indigestive references to Gothic Metal from Scandinavia, and is mixed/mastered by genius engineer and shred monster Simone Mularoni at Domination Studios (DGM). My copy includes a rather pointless cover-version of THE POINTER SISTERS hit-song ''I'm So Excited''. Oh my God. What a waste of time.

The introduction to "LaKrima" is given with "Buried Alive", which starts with a predictable gimmick based on an ultramodern melody, founded through the use of an Oriental keyboards loop. Almost over-layered built in a counterpoint classic trick, in a Prog Metal modern mood ("My Strength"/"The Path Of Steel"/"Sweet Deceiver"/"Still Alive") enhanced to reach a new found agression and focus, and perhaps a fresh Metallic credibility, with formulaic staccatto Guitars, a method quite typical in recent years... A very regular number except for the second half of the piece, enlightened by an interesting guitar intervention... A well spiced solo spot, a triumph in order to push this insipid track. There is a sensation of deja-vu for "Dust", another piece driven by very slow rhythm, and many layers of backing vocals which leads us to boredom rapidly; their attempt to sounds epic or progressive is just a disaster.

The title-track is introduced by a short melancholic piano part that is almost pointless and non-creative that that belies the song itself; the chorus becomes the apotheosis of a Gothic/Pop sound that the Tuscan group has been able to present beautifully.

Next with "Inexorabile", another attempt that follows the same style of Pop/Prog, but with a hint of the Gothic flavor in prominence (also very obvious in the melancholic "Beatiful Doubt"), notably through the use of gloomy keyboards, the chorus is one of the best moments of the album, along with the final cut "The Jewel Of My Life"; very typical from the modernish Electronic Spaghetti sound from groups that use those cybernetical beats such as VISION DIVINE or the mighty ELDRITCH... If the conceptual approach is quite similar, the final result is clearly a step behind in term of song-writing.