Album Reviews : Lacrymae – The Hallowed Design

It’s always a great feeling to discover a new band who, despite having minimal familiarity with them, manages to blow you away as soon as you hear their music and leave a lasting impression and Lacrymae, from Western Australia, have done just that with their fantastic debut release The Hallowed Design.

Whilst the music has been described as being for fans of Sonata Arctica, Rhapsody Of Fire and Symphony X, who would certainly gain something from this release, there is also a far darker undercurrent at work that is enriched with a poignant thread of classical music which adds an almost cinematic quality to each song.

Lacrymae are blessed with two talented vocalists in the form of Agostino and Francesco Piscitelli whose voices effortlessly morph from fragile to emotive all the while employing harmonies that are exceptionally well done. Based upon their performances here it is no surprise that they were awarded ‘Best Metal Vocalists’ at the Western Front Heavy Metal Awards in 2009.

Or course, all this would mean nothing without the rest of the band and you obviously can’t overlook their vital contributions as the music is just as impressive. Throughout The Hallowed Design each member clearly shows their abilities without any pretension and they give each of the songs the shades and textures that make this such a well rounded work.

There is also an enigmatic quality to the artwork that complements the music, from the illustrations courtesy of Perth artist Chris Nixon through to the smattering of words that are included in the booklet, and the lyrics are also very well written though you’ll have to pay a visit to their Myspace to read them in full.

As far as I am concerned, The Hallowed Design is a magnificent effort in all aspects and, at a mere five songs, certainly leaves me eagerly anticipating what Lacrymae will do next and has been on constant rotation since I received it. If such a high standard is kept across a full length release it would be a brilliant thing indeed so, until that happens, this is a mandatory listen for discerning fans of melodic and intelligent metal anywhere.

9/10

Band: Lacrymae
Album: The Hallowed Design
Year: 2009
Genre: Progressive Metal
Label: Independent
Origin: Australia
www.myspace.com/lacrymae.au
www.lacrymae.com

Track Listing:
1. The Forgotten
2. Violenza
3. Theorem (Reviewers Choice)
4. Handel’s Apocalypse
5. The Hallowed Design