Customer Reviews

Fassade

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Lacrimosa's 2001 album "Fassade" is a magnificent German rock opus centering around a tragic love that develops in the midst of a mindless, mechanical society where conformity is the absolute norm. Musically supported by grand operatic choirs and a full-piece orchestra (particularly the string & woodwind sections), this record is a flowing array of Gothic theatrical bravuras. Upon hearing the very first notes, savvy listerners can immediately picture in their minds the rising of the red curtain, along with a singular spotlight lurking up, down and across the ornamented procenium. And of course standing center stage is the enigmatic star Tilo Wolff, and high above him on an unreachable pedistal is his equal, the angelic soprano Anne Nurmi.
What is apparant to me from the beginning is that "Fassade" is heavily inspired by creepy, erotic tales of vampires. Wolff himself, as both an actor AND a pop baritone, possesses the same enticing traits found on any modern-day bloodsucker: seductive, cursed, and alone in the world; a freak of nature. Nurmi has been graciously given the role of his virginal love; the lyrics repeatedly describe her as being like a shimmering beacon of light: beautiful to look at, but destructive to the touch. Meanwhile Wolff, stranded on the opposite end of the spectrum, has the allure of darkness. As a result of this unfortunate predicament, both singers lust for one another, yet are aware that exchanging vows is strongly forbidden. If I could possibly pinpoint ANY highlight in this CD, it would probably be "Warum so tief," (Why so Deep), a song in which Tilo's desires gradually drive him to the brink of madness; his emotional bloodline (Mother Fear & Father Pain) keep preventing him from having Nurmi as his bride. However, in Act II of "Fassade," Wolff and Nurmi do spend a night together, as indicated by the simplified heavy metal guitar riffs of "Liebesspiel;" not only is this song the ONLY DUO between the two partners, but the rhythyms here exude the album's climax; erotic, sleazy and combustable. The only thing I have left to say about "Fassade" is that it's THE most captivating record I've ever heard; although a majority of the songs are written in the German language, one does not need to have them translated in English, for the album's melodramatic atmosphere alone is enough to draw listeners in. DON'T EVER categorize Lacrimosa as being a "rock" duo; doing so would be downright insulting. I urge everyone young and old to purchase "Fassade," along with "Echos" which continues on with Tilo & Anne's star-crossed love affair.

One thing that you should know about Lacrimosa is that they've been around longer than most gothic/metal bands of our time. They have a crapload of albums, and manage to refine their sound just a little bit on each one so it sounds distinctive but still continues where the previous one left off. Fassade happens to fall into the Chapter 2 slot of a three-part trilogy (which began with 1999's Elodia and ended with 2003's Echos). Tilo Wolff (vocals/piano, etc.) is the main songwriter of the music - combining and intertwining romantic classical with gothic-tinged rock. His counterpart, as many often say, is the gorgeous Anne Nurmi, who occasionally contributes to the vocal sections, but is primarily used for her keyboard talents. Together, the two are an unstoppable force - and Fassade, if anything, shows just that.

Elodia offered a timeless story of a love that was doomed to failure. Fassade continues this story - but offers a different setting. It seems the couple (played by Tilo & Anne, respectively) has relocated to a new environment, one dominated by conformity and uniformity - where everyone is programmed to think and live in a certain way. This new factor acts as our starstruck couple's latest obstacle - but isn't necessarily the bulk of the story. We also see the lovers' internal struggles, which will actually come to separate the two - which will lead to yet another exciting storyline with Echos. It's quite interesting to read the lyrics (translated from German to English in the booklet) when listening, even if it's hard to follow along, just for storyline enhancement.

Musically, Fassade differs much from the albums that surrounded it. I would consider it a bit heavier from the select songs I've heard of Elodia, and definitely more appealing to the metal crowd than Echos, even if not at all. Although I consider Echos to have eclipsed this effort somewhat, there are timeless classics such as the eerie "Senses", the driving "Liebesspiel", and the dramatic "Stumme Worte" that cannot be overlooked. Both Tilo and Anne are at their best vocally, and the lyrics are much better translated than on any other album I think. "Der Morgen Danach" was chosen as the album's single, and though I wouldn't rank it quite with "Alleine Zu Zweit" or "Durch Nacht und Flut", it offers a good taste of the band's harder energetic edge. There aren't really any weak points to this album, but it might take you multiple listens to really comprehend the genius behind the music (that really isn't saying much if you've ever heard this band).

Overall, I would definitely recommend this. While not as good as Echos, I'll say this kicks the crap out of both Nightwish's Wishmaster and Lacuna Coil's Comalies (two albums that came out around the same time but received much more attention from the media). Thanks again, Tilo & Anne!

10/10

When I heard the album for the first time I was just speechless. This is a trip trough music. This is a trip trough your own life!

This album is great. This is metal combined with classical music and with operatic pieces. The music is so emotional, so melodramatic. I have also never heard a voice like the voice of the male-singer. It's haunting, it's complete. This album will make you think, this album will make you cry, this album will tear you apart.
And do not fear if you are not a gothic-metal lover! I am also just getting in this scene! It is no hardcore metal!! This is faboulous A+ quality music combined with great metal pieces! This album can make you cry. Listen to 'Stumme Worte'. It's just stunning. If I could I would rate this cd 10 stars.
This is for every open minded music lover (like me) a MUST-HAVE!!

I have never heard an album composed of classical pieces with such power and grace, and blended so well and so delicately with traditional metal, as Lacrimosa's Fassade. I am speechless. This album is a monumental accomplishment for the entire history of the Gothic genre. Lacrimosa has surpassed the classicism of Theatre of Tragedy, the opera of Therion, the excellent improvised violin of Tristania, the power of Samaël, the monumentality of My Dying Bride (yes, I'm talking about The Cry of Mankind), and the beauty of all of these excellent bands, and more, combined. This album won't blow you away. Rather, you'll be rendered in your chair (or your steps) rather motionless and speechless. This album is almost unbelievable, and I use that description quite literally.

So Lacrimosa brings in the electric guitar on this one. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, it is also not necessarily a good thing. This album, for me, is almost on par with Echos, but sometimes with the guitar, it gets a bit much.

The opening track, Fassade's first movement, is amazing. The choral arrangements, the simple guitar chords, coupled with Anne's awesome keyboard skills make for a wonderful sound. Lacrimosa is at the top of the game when it comes to composition, and this track alone proves it.

"Der Morgan Danach" is the single, and it's great as well.

In fact, all the songs are great until you get to the second movement of Fassade. There's nothing really wrong with this track...it's just too minimalistic for my tastes. Too simple. Not what I would expect from a band known for doing complicated arrangements like Lacrimosa. Then there's "Liebesspiel". Not a bad song, if this were a German grunge band. I suppose the fact that they pull it off indicates that they are multi-talented, but this is just too Rammsteinish for my taste. Last complaint is "Stumme Worte", which again is not bad, but is too simple.

The third movement at the end is, however, enough to offset all these complaints, as are the first few tracks. Lacrimosa is a band everyone should at least check out. What they accomplish is amazing on all their albums, and this still remains worthy of a five star rating. If you can find it, though, get Satura, and definitely get Echos as well. Unless you're into the grungier side of the band, in which case this album is definitely for you.

This cd is a step forward for this band, because the symphonic elements are more integrated into the songs than they were in " elodia ", it's a solid piece of music without any doubt and it should appeal not only to the goth and metal heads out there but to the music lover in general.Watch out for the "inferno" cd if you want more of this superb band.

After I became a huge Lacrimosa fan after hearing Stille, I anxiously awaited delving into the rest of their catalogue. I asked around on the Internet for a recommendation. The overwhelming response indicated that Fassade was their best album.

As my rating would indicate, I was disappointed. The elements that I thought were well-portioned in their other work seemed overblown in this one, namely the long, slow orchestral sections and dramatic romantic themes. Going off of the reviews here and elsewhere, it seems this is what many of their fans actually like. Personally, I missed the exquisite symphonic metal synthesis, large tonal landscapes blending with hard metal thrashings, and more ambiguous and reflective ideas of their other songs. It struck me as more mature, more artistically relevant.

It's still a decent album. The title track has some haunting sections intermixed with aggressive distorted responses. Der Morgen Danach and Liebesspiel were well-written tunes reminiscent of the aforementioned synthesis they perform so well. Otherwise, Fassade drones on with heavy-handed themes in both music and lyrics. Echoes went even further in this direction, and I could only listen to that album once.

But given other fans' love of these qualities, I'm sure I'll catch some flack for this. I'm just glad Lacrimosa returned to form in Lichtgestalt, which is second only to the masterpieces of Stille and Elodia in my book.

I had not heard of this band until recently. This is a very nice album by Fassade. It was a great addition to my collection. I do recommed this album.

I first listened to Elodia, and was blown away by how well it was. When I received Fassade and listened it for the first time, I could instantly tell it wasn't as good as Elodia. Even the single, 'Der Morgen Danach' seems slightly lackluster. In Fassade, the symphonics move a little to the side, and the electric guitars move in. This makes Fassade a lot harder sounding than Elodia. There's nothing really new on Fassade, so it basically sounds like a harder, more metallic version of Elodia.

Don't get this CD first. Get Elodia first, and when you do, you'll see how much better it is than Fassade.

GREAT MUSIC.WONDERFUL ART OF CD.A MIX BETWEEN DARK ROCK AND CLASSIC MUSIC.REALLY ORIGINAL.