From Bandcamp, "Paris-based SOROR DOLOROSA (Sister Pain) belong to the most visionary contemporary groups in the blend of Gothic/Death Rock and Cold Wave. The band name comes from the novel "Bruges-la-morte" by Flemish symbolist writer Georges Rodenbach, which is marked by nostalgia and mourning, thus perfectly encapsulating their aesthetic aspirations." I wasn't able to find a band line-up. The album has six songs, and "A Dead Yesterday" is first. The synths hit you first, with an upbeat tempo, and pulse like a laser gun. That 80's nostalgia immediately comes back to me, and the energy is infectious. The vocals are low, as is fairly common in this type of music, and they are presented without much inflection. "Autumn Wounds" opens with steady bass notes and another pounding, catchy beat. It has a sentimental sound, almost like he is remembering something from his past that occurred in August that still pains him today. 

"Silver Square" has more melancholy tones, still with meaty bass notes and an electronic pulse. The vocals are poignant, emotional, and introspective, as if he is trying to figure something out. There is another big punch in the chorus. "Beau Suicide" has some trippy guitar effects and the slow pace allows the emotional gravity of the title to really sink in. It sort of saunters, as if it's a subject no one wants to talk about. "Trembling Androgyneous" hears the melancholy continue, as if you are faced with an endless month of grey skies and rain everyday. It's enough to wear down even a person with a strong will. It swells with emotion like the rising of the tide, or like someone driven to anger. "Everyway" closes the album, and the sad sound is also very catchy. For me, it's like watching a train wreck…part of you knows people were hurt and it's wrong to watch, but the other part of you just can't look away. This song is packed to the gills with emotion.

Let me be clear, this isn't "Metal" in the classical sense of that word. But it still has a heavy, driving beat that can penetrate even the most dubious metalhead. The nostalgia was big for me, and I loved the combination of Cold Wave and Goth. The songs were very catchy as well, emotional, and performed with confidence. Don't let labels get in the way of your listening experience, because this was fantastic.