If you are a fan of modern Goth Rock/Metal you've most probably came across German the band LACRIMAS PROFUNDERE. They've been around since 1993 - that's more than a quarter of a century. They started off as a Melodic Death/Doom band but adopted a more streamlined modern Goth Rock sound by the end of the millennium. I'm mainly familiar with their 2002 album "Fall, I Will Follow" that I've picked up on CD from a bargain bin without having heard any of their music before, but I didn't come to regret the buy, quite the contrary. Twelve years later, during which LACRIMAS PROFUNDERE got six more albums (not counting the newest one) under their belt, the band hasn't changed their style much, but they do throw some curve balls. "Fall, I Will Follow" sounds to me like a pretty straight-forward, HIM-like Goth Rock album, maybe not as radio-friendly, but pretty close. "Bleeding The Stars" also has that Pop Rock feeling, but there are also some more "Metal" moments reminiscent of KATATONIA or even MOONSPELL. Some symphonic orchestration is incorporated - with measure - as well, which reinforces the Metal vibe of the music.

"Bleeding The Stars" is a lean Rock album with ten bangers that are three to four and a half minutes long, emotional impact and catchiness are the name of the game here. The opener "I Knew and Will Forever Know" is a good example of the incorporation of Doom/Death influences that I've mentioned above. The riffs in this mournful song are heavy and angular, with a bit of a PARADISE LOST feeling to them. The following song "Celestite Woman" stands in contrast to the opener: it's a straight-forward, up-tempo Goth Rock banger, which stylistically falls more into the radio-Rock territory. What also caught my interest about the song are the lyrics: I don't expect this kind of music to blow my mind when it comes to lyrics, but here the songwriter went full-on existentialist (the chorus goes: "If we just deny our meaning we can be our selves"). "The Kingdom Solicitude" is a standout song. I get some strong KATATONIA vibes from it, it's the only song here with growled vocals and they make the emotional chorus even more explosive and powerful. "Like Screams In Empty Halls" is another standout banger with a heavy, sinister verse with spooky backing chants which give the song a bit of a MOONSPELL vibe and a big, bitter-sweet chorus that is catchy as hell. The rest of the album is really solid, "A Sip Of Multiverse" sounds a bit like a standard song to me, but it's by no means dull.

LACRIMAS PROFUNDERE seem to be as strong as ever even with all the line-up changes that they've been through. They stick to what they do best, which is writing insanely catchy Rock songs, but they also have their ear on other genres and incorporate ideas that fit their style to create an engaging listening experience.