Flowing Tears has often been described as a
gothic metal band. But is
Razorbliss really
gothic metal? Or is it simply
goth rock that happens to be very guitar based (as opposed to all the heavily electronic
goth rock that has been coming from both the United States and Europe)?
Razorbliss definitely rocks harder and more aggressively than, say,
Black Tape for a Blue Girl, although the presence of a loud, crunching guitar doesn't automatically mean
metal any more than having a tenor sax automatically means
jazz or having an acoustic guitar automatically means
folk. But however one categorizes
Razorbliss --
gothic metal or simply
goth rock -- this CD is a strong addition to
Flowing Tears' catalog.
Razorbliss is the German band's first album since the departure of former lead singer
Stefanie Duchene and the arrival of her replacement
Helen Vogt, who fits in perfectly on darkly melodic items like
"Virago" and
"Ballad of a Lonely God." Duchene's admirers were sorry to see her leave
Flowing Tears, and some of them had serious concerns about how well the band would function without her. But
Vogt knows exactly what she's doing; she definitely rises to the occasion on
Razorbliss, and the fact that
Vogt has a deep, rugged voice is a plus. In many cases. female
goth singers have favored very clean, ethereal vocal styles -- an approach that has worked well for a lot of
goth bands. But
Flowing Tears aren't afraid to stand out and be different, and
Vogt -- much like
Duchene -- helps them accomplish that. While
Vogt is her own person, she isn't a radical departure from her predecessor -- and she is clearly an asset to
Flowing Tears throughout this excellent album. ~ Alex Henderson
