Eternal Tears of Sorrow - A Virgin and A Whore Review

Eternal Tears of Sorrow A Virgin and A Whore

dig it

full review

Tracklist:
1. Aurora Borealis
2. Heart of Wilderness
3. Prophetian
4. Fall of Man
5. The River Flows Frozen
6. The Last One for Life
7. Sick, Dirty and Mean
8. Blood of Hatred
9. Aeon
10. As I Die (Paradise Lost cover) (Bonustrack for Japan)
11. The River Flows Frozen (Acoustic Version)(Bonustrack for Japan)

Release Date: 2001

user rating

3.5
great

Chart.

related

Before the Bleeding Sun

Sinner's Serenade

Children of the Dark Wate

recommended by reviewer

Evergrey In Search of Truth
Eternal Tears of Sorrow Before The Bleeding Sun

members also liked

Children Of Bodom Follow the Reaper
Opeth Blackwater Park
In Flames The Jester Race
Children Of Bodom Hatebreeder
In Flames Whoracle
In Flames Colony
At the Gates Slaughter of the Soul
Opeth Watershed

On 2 Lists

4.0
excellent

Josh Deragon USER (11 Reviews)

2007-10-17 | 39 comments | 1,535 views

Summary: I'm glad I don't judge bands by their name because the music this one makes is really good.

1 of 1 thought this review was well written

I'm not exactly on the up and up with black metal. That is to say, I don't even really like it. When a death metal band borders on it though, I can find enough forgiving qualities to enjoy the music. Then you are left with my affinity for speed and technicality found in such great death bands as The Absence, Necrophagist, and many other bands that stretch the spectrum of the genre. Luckily, my attention span is longer than you and I both previously thought. Maybe not Paysage d'Hiver long, but definitely Eternal Tears of Sorrow long.

Envision this: slowed down Kalmah keyboard melodies, the beauty of Russell Allen's voice, but probably a little better, and the musical discipline of your favorite non-heavy band. Safely enough, that describes A Virgin and A Whore. And speaking of Kalmah anyway, after listening to the whole album a few times, it shouldn't come as a surprise that lead guitar is manned by Antti Kokko, the same lead axeman from Kalmah. Sadly though, this was his only studio effort with the band.

It has been a long time since I have found music that embodies the spirit of black metal, via vocals and haunting melodies, while being as gentle and graceful as something Evergrey could imagine. Being genuinely surprised by EToS's refreshing sound, I was soon prompted to spread the word. While thinking to myself about what I was listening to, my attempt to describe it wasn't going very far. It almost seems like the low, embracing harmony of every song is going to go somewhere, but it sort of doesn't. The listener is basically prepared for the rest of the journey, but the current beauty keeps course, and holds interest in doing so. It's a weird listening experience in that way, for me anyway, and yet fun, if being able to enjoy sauntering metal while laying down is fun for you.

Now, most black metal vocalists turn me off fairly quickly, but the selective use of them paired with a tranquil background is still soothing in a sense. Acoustic passages, delectable keyboard play, disciplined drums: all tricks of this album's trade. The drum's discipline basically comes from the non-blast beat laden tracks, or any for that matter. “The River Flows Frozen” essentially exhibits all of the qualities that can be described from this great work. The strength of the band seems to be Pasi Hiltula on the keys. This is the driving force for most songs. The ambiance of each song feeds off of his somber foundation. In utilizing different sounds and effects, he effectively steers the ship and makes their sound that much more calming and enchanting. And just when you think the guitars don't really go anywhere, another verse opens up into a very well written solo, melodic riff, or just some drawn out notes that add to the melancholic atmosphere the band conveys with expert strategy. But it's not all brooding passages throughout; the middle section of the album picks a little and shows us the Kalmah sound of the band. “Blood of Hatred”, “Fall of Man”, and “Heart of Wilderness” quickens the pace early enough to keep interest. Then “The Last One For Life” quiets down with a really tasteful keyboard introduction and continues into the rest of the song as it steadily moves along. A very well done section of the album.

Something I like, which is sort of a fallacy though, is the name these guys chose. In general, Eternal Tears of Sorrow is something I would normally call pretty lame. But, despite lack of flair, I couldn't really think of something better that would tell you so much about the sound they have developed. The word “sorrow” in the name pretty much says it all. The word itself seemingly sums up the overtone of the whole album. Morose, slow-moving music has never been my strong suit, but I guess I have just never found that “X factor” to piece my interests together with it. Go take a nap, drive around town at night, walk through the woods, it doesn't matter. It's almost as if this music was created for any situation. Top to bottom, it's easy to get lost in the music of EToS.

I think this is when I am supposed to cite faults in the album. Although I can't exactly say it's flawless, I also have nothing to say in offense of it. The best thing anyone can do is put it on, starting from the beginning, and just letting it spin. It feels relaxing, soothing, forgiving, and of course, sorrowful. Don't be turned away from all of the gloomy sentiments though. The band isn't like doom metal, for example, but they aren't The Faceless either. I'm sure we all know Opeth, right? Right. So think of their best soft interlude from their entire song catalog, then imagine not as much happening in the music, but with more keyboards and it flows better, and tuh dah! There it is. If music had a look, this would take on the beauty of a Claude Monet piece and the shade of a starless night. All of this boasting should yield a better rating from me, and I can't really find a way to adjust the music. But I do know that I wouldn't change anything about the music.

Rating: 8.33/10
- Josh D.

Share: Facebook Stumble Digg Twitter Del.icio.us