Customer Reviews

Echos

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Please forgive the "rambly" nature of this review, but I'm at a complete loss for words. This album left my jaw firmly planted on the floor. I'm a big fan of Lacrimosa, and have enjoyed their earlier albums, such as "Fassade" "Elodia" "Stille" and "Angst," but nothing could prepare me for this masterwork.

First of all, the album begins with a 15 minute orchestral/choral requiem. This piece goes on just long enough for you to forget that you're listening to a gothrock album, then Tilo and Anne jump in with "Durch Nacht und Flut" (Of Night and Flood) which is apparently the single, and deservedly so. This song alone is worth the price of the entire disc. It's haunting, beautiful, and downright unforgettable. That chorus will stick with you for hours. The vocal harmonies and the orchestration, along with a Steve Howe-esque ocave guitar lead just push this tune into the stratosphere.

Another "stick with you for hours on end" song on there is "Malina" which begins with a bouncy harpsichord, then goes into this intense rock tune that I won't even bother to try and describe other than saying it'll impress you. Just listen to it.

As for the rest of the album. "Sacrifice" begins with some odd percussion and then breaks out into this symphonic anthem. It somehow reminds me of Yes's "And You and I." "Apart" features Anne on lead vocals, and has a chill out vibe to it.

About the only complaint I have is that on the closing track, Tilo seems to be singing in a Kermit the frog voice. I'm not kidding. You're almost afraid he's about to break out into "It's not easy being green" but alas it never happens. Instead, it turns into a durge, which is just as cool if you ask me.

I used to be quite heavily into Goth in the late 80s, through the early-mid 90s. After that, I started losing interest, it seemed as though Goth was getting too popular, and thus commercialized, and the new Goth music coming out just seemed less and less appealing.

Well, this review is for those of you, like me, who miss the old school Goth. I don't know about all that crap that they call Goth nowadays, I won't name specific names here. But I do know that it's missing the old vibe. So, if you like older Goth; you know, Bauhaus, X-Mal Deutschland, Gitane Demone, Switchblade Symphony, Mephisto Walz, Suspiria, etc... then check out Lacrimosa.

I know now that they have in fact been putting out albums through the 90s, but living here in the United States of Ignorance, I had no idea of them until last year, when I traveled outside the country and found Echos in a music shop! Intrigued by the cover (it's the original European release, with a ship on the cover), I bought it, and thus discovered that true, profound Goth is alive and very well in Lacromisa!

Now, Lacrimosa is quite musically complex, I believe more so than the more usual Goth bands. If you check out Lacrimosa you should also like Classical, or at least be open-minded about it, because there is a heavy dose of it. The only very, very slight complaint I have about Echos is the long first track classical overture, it is maybe a bit too long, but this is very minor; it is otherwise perfect in every way!

There are a number of reviewers here who seem disturbed by the singing and German language. I am surprised by this. His voice and way of singing is stunning; a very strong and powerful Goth voice, not screaming like with some bands, just very powerful and emotive. The German language is amazing, harsh and beautiful. In my European release I have no English translations; I don't need them, his voice becomes an instrument that speaks to me on another level, I need no literal meanings...

There is no doubt in my mind that 2003's "Echos" is yet another pure operatic masterpiece by Lacrimosa. Supported by a magnificent orchestra pit of strings, woodwinds and the occasional heavy metal guitars, this CD both stands on its own AND is meant to be a continuation from the duet's last two records (Elodia and Fassade). The album's libretto is once again based on the tragic entanglement between love and unhealthy obsession. After returning from an unnamed voyage, Tilo searches the countryside in the hope of finding his lost love, the virginal and angelic Anne Nurmi. Once he encounters her, both individuals contemplate exchanging their vows and entwining their glowing spirits, all the while fearfully questioning the conseqences of their decision. Ultimately, they abandon social morality and submit to their carnal lust in one more night of passion, one that would sadly affect the both of them forever. If you read the English interpretation of "Echos's" lyrics, you can easily compare the CD's melodrama with that of an erotic vampire story. It is repeatedly mentioned how the aristocratic Tilo emits total darkness while Anne's soul emanates light. Therefore, to have them embracing in a combustable ecstacy is strictly forbidden. In the latter half of the album, in the song "Eine Nacht in Ewigkeit," Tilo even croons the lyrics, "Entwined we drink by now. Fused to bleed. Victims are offenders we, and take by storm our addiction to nearness." As indicated by the closing track, the vulnerable Anne has endured an agonizing transformation; after relinquishing all of her precious illumination, she buries herself in a crypt and cowers in shame. Mutilated and stained with blood, she may as well have become a vampire herself; steeped in terror, she trembles at the thought of how society would treat her like a freak of nature, ridiculing her very existence.
From the start of "Echo's" overture, the music overall is slow and ethereal, as it perfectly provides the CD's symphonic gloom. However, the mood changes in certain sections. During Lacrimosa's now famous pop single, "Durch Nacht und Flut," Tilo sings with confidence and hope, while the atmosphere makes one imagine a sun emerging from the horizon, signaling the birth of another day. "Sacrifice" breathes and dances in a sea of romance; the notes of the xylophone, organ, rock guitars and violins appear to tango with each other, exchanging rhythms from one hand to the next. Anne's only solo, "Apart," is both ominous and eurythmic: filled with longing, she is transfixed by Tilo's seductive charm, yet is disturbed upon seeing his hollow soul. Meanwhile, Tilo is the star tenor, as he is able to exude numerous emotions in hisses, whispers and soaring wails.

It's too bad Amazon does not sell Lacrimosa's Satura album; that one is definitely my favorite. Echos is awesome, though, and any lover of classical music or gothic rock should have it, as long as haunting German vocals will not turn them off.

Tilo's vocals really are the only complaint anyone can have about Echos. At times, they are cheesy. The only other complaint I can think of is that the intro track, Kyrie, is a little too long. The piece is not complicated enough to warrant 12-13 minutes. They could have shortened it a little without losing much. Also, Tilo's singing sounds a bit off on "Eine Nacht in Ewigkeit".

However, I don't listen to Lacrimosa for the vocals, but for the beautiful music accompanying them. Absolutely brilliant.

'Echos', is Lacrimosa's 8th CD of original music. This long running German band has sucessfully blended two genres of music, Rock and Classical, into a beautiful and dramatic rock opera. As a fan of Lacrimosa for many years, I was quite surprised when I popped this CD into the Stereo. There is a lot of strings, choirs, and piano in this CD. Tilo's um.. interesting voice is a little disconcerting at first, but you get used to it after a while. The album opens with Kyrie, an overture consisting of strings and a choir. This then descends into Durch Nacht Und Flut, a catchy blend of Strings and Guitars, and Tilo's passionate voice.By the time Tilo's Kermit-esque vocals faded out on 'The Screams are Silenced, I was speechless. This album made me love Classical Music again.

I've never been fond of the 'Goth' tag, but after hearing 'Echos' I realized that this CD goes far beyond gothic music, or classical music, or even Rock. THIS CD IS LACRIMOSA, and only Lacrimosa.

This was an album that I simply bought on impulse, even though, being a metal fan, I wasn't expecting to be blown away by it.

Well, I wasn't blown away, but I greatly enjoy it. It starts with the nearly thirteen-minute overture, which is in itself worth the buy. Normally, I get bored with overture intros after the first thirty seconds, but this one is an attention-keeper the entire way through. The songs that have singing in them come out with mixed results, but there is nothing that I'd label bad or even average; it's all fine work. They do rely heavily on guest musicians, but since there are only two of them and they both do pretty much the same thing (piano vs. keyboards, not much difference there), it's acceptable. You don't get a whole lot of guitar out of it anyway, but for an album like this, it's not such an issue. Best track is #5 (don't feel like typing the name out), as it incorporates more elements of contemporary music with the gothic/romantic/classical-era piano & violin parts. The vocals are good; Anne (the good-looking one) does a very good job, but Tilo (the man that looks like a woman) has a voice that's almost as comical as his appearance, but somehow or other, it works.

I just got this CD an hour or so ago, so I've only had time to skim through it, but I have a feeling it'll be seeing the inside of my CD player a lot more. I haven't really gotten into the lyrics (translations) yet, as I've only had time to flip through the pages and pick out lines here and there, but so far, I'm liking the story line. It's a lot more intricate and thought-out than many other bands can come up with. Anyway, if you need something that is true to its classical roots (I'm not sure it's gothic per se, but it's somewhere in that period) but with a nice tinge of the best parts of modern music, then Lacrimosa is the band for you. Once I get hold of some more cash, I'll be investing in their other works.

An online friend of mine kept recommending Lacrimosa to me so I finally gave in and bought 'Echos' several months back. At first I didn't care for it much and actually put it in my to-sell-someday drawer but I'm really glad I recently gave it another try. Some CDs take a long time to grow on me, and I'm not sure why, but a lot of them turn out to be eventual favorites. I love music sung in different tongues but I'm not too fond of German and all the tracks but one are in that language so the lead male vocalist, Jilo Wolff, took some getting used to. I now admire his deeply expressive tone, though, and I believe it meshes well with Lacrimosa's haunting synthesis of classical and melodic Goth metal seamlessly mixed to perfection. Anne Nurmi also has a gorgeous voice that supports a good number of the melodies. In the future I just hope to hear more of her talents upfront and in the spotlight because she did such a stunning job on "Apart".

Thanks to the person who got me hooked on this group (nosferatum) I have some more Lacrimosa albums on their way to me and am really looking forward to experiencing their other releases. And because I don't know a word of German the English translations for the lyrics and song titles were greatly appreciated.

Highlights for me include "Durch Nacht und Flut (Through Night And Flood)", the epic 9 minute long "Sacrifice", the previously mentioned "Apart" and "Eine Hauch von Menschlichkeit (A Touch Of Humanity)".

Lacrimosa's Echos has taken me to a new place musically: dark classical music that is strong and emotional. The talent stands out. Tilo's voice is different, but it is skilled and precise. I'd like to hear more of Anne's, though. I have listened all the way through many times since buying Echos without growing tired of it. Now I need a recommendation for which Lacrimosa album to explore next...

I think this is my most favorite Lacrimosa cd of all time. It has Sacrifice, Die Schreie sind Verstummt, and Kyrie, all of which I absolutely love

An audacious foray into orchestral Brechtian prog-goth that earns stars just for being so hilariously pompous and endearingly anachronistic. A kind of "Brain Salad Surgery" for the new millineum, Lacrimosa's "Echos" (hey-that ain't how Pink Floyd spelt it!) kicks off with a 13-minute "overture" titled "Kyrie" (hey-I think that IS the same way that Marillion spelt it!) that lets us know right away that these are Serious Artistes. From that point on, bandmates Tilo and Anne (whose "Sprockets"-style photo shoot in the accompanying booklet teases and challenges us to "touch thier monkey") warble, bellow and pianoforte thier way through an almost indescribable 45 minutes of Nick Cave meets Dead Can Dance by way of ELP, Van Der Graf Generator and Amon Duul II, with a pinch of David Bowie's "Low" period thrown in. Tilo's er, Teutonic "vocalizing" takes a little getting used to (I keep picturing Joel Grey in "Cabaret") but Anne's voice provides more melodic moments. The standout song is the haunting "Sacrifice", with its subtle marimba track recalling Bowie's "Loving The Alien". Not the type of CD you're going to pull out at a social gathering, but if you're in the right mood, you may find that these "Echos" are worth repeating.