Year: 2021
Total Time: 44:59
Label: AFM Records

    Almost a decade has passed since the last release of LAKE OF TEARS, “Illwill” in 2011 and the creative mind of Daniel Brennare decided that it was time for the band to re-introduce themselves by presenting us with “Ominous”. The beginning was in fact ominous to my ears, since I was confronted with an Electro – Dance, Gothic-esque with the use of strings (pardon me the expression) “muddle”, the wannabe space song: “At The Destination”.

    Daniel’s warm, sensuous voice in “In Wait And In Worries” immediately made me feel wonderful, while a familiar nostalgic sense runned through my veins and I thought of the reasons this band has always kept me company during special moments in my life. This feeling of nostalgia reaches its peak in “Lost In A Moment” where the essence of epic is added (not the Heroic of Homer but that of narrative speech that tells historic and didactic tales). In the two-part “Ominous One-Too”, speed levels are rising up only to drop again, giving their place to a slow-paced string oriented recitation, reminding me of ANATHEMA. In”The End Of This World” gothic experimentations take the lead to deliver it to cymbalisms of imminent destruction with a cinematic texture, for “Ominous” to conclude with “In Gloom”, a lyrical farewell  that avoids artfully of being labelled as over-dramatic.

    Production was made by Brennare himself and, apart from Christian Silver’s help in the drum patterns, the rest of the instruments are all performed by him. Brennare’s warm, distinctive voice will reawaken those that were unaware of their status  and will propel them to invest their time in LAKE OF TEARS once again. Some scattered moments of post-punk and gothic darkness are combined with their well-tested Dark Metal recipe, bringing out fragmentary memories of Kevin Moore’s solo releases and the unforgettable David Bowie (as far as the part of diastric wandering is concerned). 

    I believe “Ominous” was “conceived” during a period of sickness and depression, to be born in an uncertain reality and accompany us through grey winter days. These days that are being broken and reassembled as a tale interwoven with our own esoteric “diastric” odyssey to the corners of cosmos and beyond. By coming back to reality, I would like to point out that this is an album bearing the LAKE OF TEARS’ trademark sound, with its ups and downs and everything else that comes with it…

Rating: 7/10
Author:  Dimos Karadimos
Related Link: LAKE OF TEARS – Official Page