From a press release, “TEARS’ HEAVEN will release their debut, studio-recorded album “Godfall” on the 11th of April. The north Italian band has carved out their own style of dark, cinematic alternative rock infused with gothic and post-rock elements. The self-released album contains 12 cuts ranging from powerful and melody-driven tracks to evocative instrumental pieces. They emerge as a beacon of musical reverence, tasked with divulging the forgotten story of a fallen god and the loss of his divine nature, perpetrated by other deities. The band members are his last followers and, as such, they have the purpose of spreading his word to prevent its fall into oblivion.”

The album has 12 songs, and “Requiem for the Fallen” is first; a short intro that has gentle melodic tones, as well as a sense of wonder from the keyboards. The title track is just as melodic, and the band pushes that hard over heavy metal structures. Some darker elements come into play after the halfway mark, and they grey the skies a little, but don’t overpower the melody. “Celestial” begins with melancholy tones but the bottom end is still firm and melody still forges ahead. The song is short, sweet, catchy, and easy on the ears. “Moonlight (King and Queen)” has another simple melody that hooks in the listener. The songs are overly complicated, but are sugary and fun to listen to, and the vocal harmonies soar.

“Divine” has an energetic and catchy sound, and you can definitely pick up on the emotional quality of the song. Again, they aren’t overly thinking things, they are just focused on creating catchy melodies. “Lumina” has a big chorus, where the vocal notes are sustained for impact, and layered harmonies reign. The verses are just a bit pensive…a bit thoughtful, but the big punch is in the chorus. “Oracle” features some thicker elements, mostly from the backing choirs in the opener, but the riff is hard and strong, never losing sight of the melody that got them there in the first place. These songs are so catchy. “Black Rose” begins with clean guitars and a lot of emotion. It catches me off guard, and reminds me of the better parts of my life, and how to focus on them more and leave the other things behind.

“Oblivion” has an 80’s throwback feeling for me…those AOR songs that pepped up my youth with a chorus you can easily sing along with. Each time they sing the title, it goes down even smoother. “Ascension (Ring of Blazing Light)” closes the album, and the tones of struggle and longing are bested by a sense of hope. That sense of hope fires up the skies like a colorful sunset. Although I don’t hear many Post elements, that is neither here not there, and only matters to some people. What I do hear is well-crafted melodies, an art that seems to take a second seat to aggression these days. It may not be pure Metal in the classic sense of that word, but who cares? The songs are simple, but catchy and meaningful, and that’s all that matters.