Lake Of Tears – Forever Autumn

I’m bleeding, I’m bleeding in ways of the fire burned
I’m crying, I’m crying in ways of the nightbird
No more is there one to lay by my side
I’m straying, I’m straying in nightmares all the time.
(Lake Of Tears – To Blossom Blue)

In 1999 the Swedish doomsters/prog/gothic metallers Lake of Tears released “Forever Autumn”, an album that was destined to leave an indelible mark and be loved madly by Lake Of Tears friends all around the world.

Everything in this album, every note, the production, the acoustic parts, the vocals, the melodies, even the cover art, exudes a sweet melancholy, “dripping” autumn, overwhelming the listener with images and emotions, who is invited for 45 minutes to enjoy the infinite majesty of one of the greatest – yet so underrated – bands that have ever been emerged in Sweden.

The 9 compositions of the album blend together so harmoniously that we can’t choose which one is better than the other. They flow like a calm river that suddenly becomes stormy. From the opening kick of the mesmerizing “So Fell Autumn Rain” to the phantasmagorious finale that “To Blossom Blue” offers, there is not the slightest point where the interest is lost. Although all these are known and said a thousand times, we feel the need to repeat them once again. After all, “Forever Autumn” is now considered a classic album and that’s what it is!

Trying answering to the question “is “Forever Autumn” the best Lake Of Tears album?”, the answer is complicated.
Maybe yes, maybe not. However this vague answer tells the truth, as the phenomenon of
Lake Of Tears is peculiar. They have fortunately reached nine albums and have never composed, even once, a mediocre or uninteresting song.
And that’s what we call total diversity through the world of music history.

As far as the albums are concerned, one is better than the other, each with different virtues, often exploring different musical paths, sometimes into doom, sometimes into more gothic metal, sometimes into progressive, sometimes altogether, while the recent black epic “Ominous” emphatically certified that there are no limits to Daniel Brennare’s creativity.
23 years have passed since the CD has been released and finally, the Lake Of Tears friends will be able to enjoy “Forever Autumn” on vinyl, with a new mastering and layout. We feel really proud to fulfill a lifelong dream for us, as it has been our burning desire to work with this band that we have been following since its first steps.
At the same time, having the chance to talk to the only one left in the ramparts of Lake Of Tears, Daniel Brennare, we realized – apart from his undeniable compositional talent of course – how deeply philosophically educated person he is.
He is a real fighter, defeated his personal “demons” and is back here, ready for new musical adventures. We hope that the re-release of “Forever Autumn” and those that will follow, will give him an extra creative boost, because we believe that he still has a lot to offer. Paraphrasing Nietzsche’s saying, our opinion is that “Music would be wrong without Lake Of Tears”